Tony Nominee Freeman Joins Broadway's MARY POPPINS

Broadway's perfectly magical musical MARY POPPINS is pleased to welcome Jonathan Freeman to the company as Admiral Boom and Bank Chairman on Saturday, December 12 (2pm matinee). Produced by Thomas Schumacher of Disney Theatrical Productions and Cameron Mackintosh, MARY POPPINS performs at the New Amsterdam Theatre (214 West 42nd Street).

MARY POPPINS marks Jonathan Freeman's third Broadway musical with Disney. A veteran of the Broadway stage, the Cleveland native originated the role of Grimsby in The Little Mermaid (2007-2009) and appeared as Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast (2006-2007). Freeman earned a Tony Award® nomination for the 1993 revival of She Loves Me and starred in the original Broadway casts of the revivals of 42nd Street, On the Town and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Other notable Broadway roles include Roger De Bris in The Producers, Sherlock Holmes and Platinum. Off-Broadway, he appeared in Finian's Rainbow (Irish Rep), Sail Away (Carnegie Hall), Of Thee I Sing and Li'l Abner (both for Encores!) and A Class Act (Manhattan Theatre Club). Freeman is best known as the voice of the villainous Jafar in Disney's animated feature, Aladdin and its sequel, The Return of Jafar. Other feature film work includes The Hoax, The Ice Storm and The Associate. For television, he guest starred on "Gossip Girl" (CW), "Law & Order, Criminal Intent" (NBC) and the award-winning PBS mini-series "Shining Time Station."

MARY POPPINS currently stars Laura Michelle Kelly in the title role and Christian Borle as Bert. The Broadway cast also features Jeff Binder as Mr. Banks; Rebecca Luker as Mrs. Banks, VALERIE BOYLE as Mrs. Brill, Ann Arvia as Bird Woman, Mark Price as Robertson Ay and Ruth Gottschall as Miss Andrew. Juliette Allen Angelo, Kelsey Fowler and CASSADY LEONARD alternate as Jane Banks; Jeremiah Kissane, Matthew Schechter and ANDREW SHIPMAN alternate as Michael Banks.

MARY POPPINS continues to fly high. Consistently among Broadway's top-grossing shows, MARY POPPINS recently celebrated three magical years at the New Amsterdam Theatre on November 16. The musical has played over 1275 performances since its official opening in 2006 (previews began October 14, 2006). MARY POPPINS has been seen by two million theatergoers and grossed over $ 159 million to date, recouping its initial Broadway investment within 52 weeks of its premiere.

A co-production by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, this stage production is based on P.L. Travers' cherished stories and the classic 1964 Walt Disney film. The show includes the Academy Award®-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; Olivier Award-winning director Richard Eyre; and the Olivier Award-winning team of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, who have composed new songs and additional music and lyrics.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.