Photo Flash: Mayor Poppins

After many secret meetings and hush-hush rehearsals, the super new Broadway musical, Mary Poppins and Mayor Bloomberg teamed up to create and star in Mayor Poppins, a spoof of the Broadway show with special lyrics and dialogue to poke fun at the Mayor, himself.

"Starring Ashley Brown as Mary Poppins, Gavin Lee as Bert and Mayor Bloomberg as Mayor Poppins, Mayor Poppins was performed to cheers and a standing ovation at the Inner Circle Charity event last Saturday, April 14 at the New York Hilton Hotel.  The Inner Circle is an association of 100 members of the New York City press corps that began as the Amen Corner and evolved into the Association of City Hall Reporters.  The tradition began in 1923 when Edward Staats Luther of the Morning Telegraph served as the first president.  The annual dinner, where the NYC press corps lampoons the Mayor and other political figures, raises money for various charities," state press notes.

Mary Poppins, a co-production by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre on November 16, 2006.  The London production continues its record-setting run as it enters its third year at the Prince Edward Theatre in the West End.  Based on P.L. Travers's cherished stories and the classic 1964 Walt Disney film, Mary Poppins features the Academy Awardâ-winning music and lyrics of Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman.  The stage production has been created, in collaboration with Cameron Mackintosh, by Academy Award®-winning screenwriter Julian Fellowes, who has written the book, and the Olivier Award-winning team of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, who have composed new songs and additional music and lyrics.  Olivier Award-winning director Richard Eyre leads the award-winning creative team assembled for Mary Poppins with co-direction and choreography by Tony and Olivier Award winner Matthew Bourne. 

Visit www.DisneyOnBroadway.com for more information.

Photos by Spencer T. Tucker

Mayor Michael Bloomberg flying over the stage

The cast of Mary Poppins with Michael Bloomberg at the annual Inner Circle Dinner

Gavin Lee, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Ashley Brown