Mary Poppins Really Does Fly

There aren't many things that keep a nine-year-old boy on the edge of his seat for three hours, but Theatre Baton Rouge's production of Mary Poppins is one of them. The opening number of TBR's 2014/2015 Capital Series, the musical had already been playing for two weeks and had just been extended for a third when our family squeezed into the last four seats for Sunday's matinée. The dazzling showmanship, choreography, and stagecraft demonstrated across the thirty-five-strong cast grabbed us even from our back row position. You didn't have to be nine to appreciate them, either.

In an interview for an article in our September issue, incoming Managing Artistic Director Jenny Ballard noted that Theatre Baton Rouge "does great musicals because Baton Rouge has this unbelievable talent base of singers and dancers." The voices raised in Mary Poppins certainly underscore her point, because from Mary Poppins (Melanie Couvillon), Bert (Zachary Denham), and Winifred Banks (Celeste Angelle Veillon) to George Banks (Albert Nolan), Mrs. Corry (Rosalind Reynard), and Miss Andrews (Dana Lux), the voice talent in this cast was nothing short of electrifying. Of course when you set out to deliver musical theatre classics like "A Spoonful of Sugar" and "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," you'd better get the singing right; but Mary Poppins was impressive in that not only the lead roles, but also most of the supporting parts, were played by serious singers.

Actors, too. Youngsters Molly Beth Blanchard and Joey Roth played the demanding roles of the Banks children with great poise, while Zachary Denham was particularly enjoyable as Bert the chimney sweep. A Baton Rouge Little Theater veteran who has gone on to larger stages in New York City and elsewhere, Denham used his terrifically mobile face and angular frame to give Bert a warmth and larger-than-life physicality. The rest of the cast followed his lead; individually and as an ensemble, the sparkle and verve of the cast was palpable from every seat in the house.

One more point: with its large cast, multiple sets, and lightning-fast costume changes, one imagines Mary Poppins to be quite a logistical challenge to stage smoothly. Some reviews published after the play's opening night noted awkward scene changes and difficulties with lighting and aerial maneuvers; but two weeks in, these issues seem to have been smoothed away. If anything, the transitions from one scene to another, revealing the ingenuity of oft-overlooked set design, added to, rather than detracted from, the show. And the fly-by-wire aerials, most notably Bert's gymnastic teetering across the rooftops, took on the spirit of performances in their own right that had my nine-year-old on his feet, eyes shining with wonder.

In all ways, this exuberant, sure-handed staging bodes well for all the productions in Theatre Baton Rouge's season-to-come. But don't wait for them; take advantage of the fact that Mary Poppins has been extended through Sunday, October 5, and see this excellent musical while you still can.

Mary Poppins
 7:30 pm Thursday—Saturday, 2 pm Sunday
 Theatre Baton Rouge, 7155 Florida Boulevard.
 $28. (225) 924-6496 or theatrebr.org