BWW Reviews: Phoenix Theatre's MARY POPPINS Is the Resounding Sum of All Its Fabulous Parts

Phoenix Theatre has rolled out the Holiday Season carpet with a Mary Poppins that will delight children of all ages and set the standard for this musical for years to come.

The beauty of Michael Barnard's direction and musical staging is the seamless melding of a top-of-the-line cast, each member of which has indelibly etched his/her unique signature on P. L. Travers' iconic characters, and a technical crew that, from Judy Ryerson's splendid costumes to Robert Kovach's eye-popping set, has infused the production with good vibrations.

Trisha Hart Ditsworth is dazzling in her portrayal of the enigmatic nanny who literally descends upon the Banks household in the family's hour of imminent need. Ms. Ditsworth embodies the essence of Mary Poppins ~ poised, worldly-wise, unfaltering in her self-assured ways, and magical. Her voice is sonorous and flawless.

Toby Yatso likewise delivers a knock-your-socks-off performance as Bert, the jack-of-all-trades narrator and optimistic screever whose canvas becomes the streets and parks of London. He guides the Banks children to places of imagination where statuaries come to life and wild life comes to sing and dance. From the tip of his well-honed accent to his lithe movements, Yatso is a refreshing gust of energy that, combined with a robust ensemble, shakes the rafters in two brilliantly choreographed and show-stopping segments: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and Step in Time.

It's the contrast between this wonderland of chaos and caricatures and the world of precision and order that abides at 17 Cherry Street Lane that defines the play's tension. In the latter, Mr. and Mrs. Banks confront the challenges not only of securing the services of the perfect nanny but of maintaining their lifestyle, particularly in the wake of a momentous and risky business decision by Mr. Banks. How tenuous one's grip on well-being can be! And, how, in the face of crisis, one can come to terms with the things that matter! So it goes with Mr. Banks, whose learning curve from propriety to compassion is artfully portrayed by Clay Sanderson. Shana Bousard is equally compelling as the supportive wife, a once-aspiring actress, who tries to honor his code of perfection and balance, even as the winds of change are in the air.

Mary Poppins, after all, is a whimsical but compelling tale about the value of charity and fidelity, of doing the right but not expedient thing. There are special moments when this message is delivered, none more poignant than when Christy Welty melts our hearts with a most mellifluous and heart-warming rendering of Feed the Birds.

There are other exceptional performances to be noted: Sally Jo Bannow as the cranky but endearing housekeeper, Mrs. Brill; Johanna Carlisle whose send-up of the tyrannical Miss Andrew is chillingly delicious; Katie Brown and Isaac Speyer who portray the Banks children with authenticity and huggability. And last but not least is the collective brilliance of each member of a wildly wonderful ensemble.

Mary Poppins continues its run through December 28th.

Photo credit to Erin Evangeline Photography

Original music and lyrics by Richard M Sherman and Robert B. Sherman

Book by Julian Fellowes

New songs and additional music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe

Co-created by Cameron Mackintosh

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