Review: MARY POPPINS at Broadway On Main Theatre Company

On Saturday, November 15, at 7:00 P.M., I had the pleasure of my very first experience with the Broadway on Main Theatre Company in East Haven, Connecticut, to see a phenomenal production of MARY POPPINS! This theater features scenery projections on the back of the stage wall and on the side house walls, to immerse the audience into the show, with a constant 270 degree visual experience! Sometimes the projections include motion, even moving images of some of the characters in the show! This is a unique concept, brilliantly applied, enhancing the quality of the production! This is a highly memorable show, wonderful for the whole family!

MARY POPPINS is based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney film. The original music and lyrics are by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, with new songs and additional music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. Director Neil Fuentes combines his talents with music director Edwin Rodriguez, and choreographer Gina Helland to help bring out the best in this amazing cast!

First-rate actress Kaite Corda leads this stellar cast as Mary Poppins in what is absolutely the best performance of that role that I have ever seen! Through singing, dancing, facial expressions, mannerisms, sharp line delivery, and a spot-on British accent, Kaite Corda brings Mary Poppins to life! Her stage presence and stage chemistry with the rest of the cast, combined with her clear enjoyment in performing this role radiates a positive vibe that makes this lead character so highly likable! Mary Poppins resonates with audiences as someone who is able to simultaneously show love for the children she cares for, yet keep them well disciplined, within her own boundaries, which are fair, kind, and contribute to positive character-building, even if her rules and strategies may be highly unconventional.

Billy Dicrosta excels in the role of Bert, who is Mary Poppins’ friend, leading or co-leading numerous musical numbers. Bert also shows care for the children, making him another highly likable character, coming alive on stage with a strong stage presence that commands the audience’s attention. Billy Dicrosta also clearly shows that he is having a great time performing.

Audrey Lenington and Brayden O’Meara shine as rising young stars playing Jane Banks and Michael Banks, respectively. Their tones, accents, and deliveries are consistently spot-on, in roles that excellently showcase the high talent that foreshadows further starring roles in future productions. The stage confidence and talent shown by these young performers stands out in their generation. Jane and Michael are the spunky children who Mary Poppins looks after and helps mold into more respectful and respectable youngsters.

George Banks and Winifred Banks are the parents of Jane and Michael. George and Winifred are excellently performed by Patrick Spadaccino and Taylor Dunn, respectively. Both performers deliver with such sincerity that the audience can feel their pain, whether it is George’s fear of impending unemployment, or Winifred’s feeling of being underappreciated. All the performers of the members of the Banks family have such great stage chemistry that it is easy for the audience to forget that we are not watching a real-life family on stage.

Beyond Mary Poppins to watch over the children, the Banks family has additional hired help. Juliana Vaiuso is real and relatable as Mrs. Brill. Eric Gil provides a hilarious comic moment as Roberson Ay. Both performers magnify the quality and significance of their characters by maximizing the impact of every line and movement.

Lillian Parady is excellent as Miss Andrew, a dislikable Nanny who is more concerned with strict discipline than showing any genuine care or love for the children in her care. Miss Andrew is so unpleasant to the Banks children, that they choose to run away, to avoid her. Lillian Parady plays that convincing villain.

Another stand-out performance is provided by Paige Lawner as Valentine, a damaged doll come to life. This rather haunting scene features spiral projections on the walls, as Mary Poppins’ magic brings the toys to life, on stage, for the purpose of rebuking Jane and Michael over their behavior and attitudes. Paige Lawner’s vocals during Valentine’s solo sections of “Playing the Game,” perfectly escalate the intended haunting feeling and mood that pervades the scene. For anyone familiar with the 1971 movie Willie Wonka and The Chocolate Factory, you may recall a creepy boat ride scene that is essentially a temporary genre shift towards horror. This “Playing the Game” scene is the same concept, but even more intensified, because it is live onstage. The Broadway on Main Theatre Company’s immersive approach pulls off this scene in a powerful manner that is likely the best you will ever see it! It sends a strong message about being responsible stewards of our possessions. It is clear, based on a later scene with their father, involving money, that Jane and Michael received the message.

Every member of this ensemble cast helps enhance the quality of this production. Other talented cast members include Jaqueline White, Kristen Clark, Sammi Bessette. Marvin Jones, Derek Masterbone, Ava Palmer, Brynna Hekeler, Avery Denecke, Claire Shipman, Michele Marie Clay, Sergio Rodriguez, T’Asia Newton-Harris, Gary Guidone, Megan LaRock, Neil Fuentes, Jaclyn Tolkin, Aiden Masterbone, Elsa Longo, Bella Jones, Bria Cormier, and Noah Fuentes-Dicrosta.

I’ve know the song “A Spoonful of Sugar,” since I was a child, but it never dawned on me until this performance that the song breaks conventional musical arrangement styles, in that rather than verses, a build, and a main chorus, the song is strictly a main chorus. It remains a musical highlight.

There are so many well-known songs in this musical. Every one of them was excellently performed. The other big musical highlights include, “Feed the Birds,” “Let’s Go Fly a Kite,” “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” and of course, the two big ensemble numbers, “Step in Time,” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”  

This story is loaded with positive messages. They include the need for husbands to respect their wives as equal partners, for parents to spend time with their children, for wise investments to be those that are honest and truly benefit people, to care for our personal belongings, to talk to and about others with respect for their human dignity, to place our family ahead of our job, not to borrow trouble or jump to stress-provoking conclusions without knowing all the facts, to joyfully share our blessings with others, to seek the goodness within or bring goodness into that which is necessary yet unpleasant, to seek forgiveness when we need it, and to provide forgiveness to those who seek it from us. The story also challenges us to consider the proper treatment of pets. Much wisdom can be gleaned.

My favorite quote from the show is the excellently delivered Mary Poppins line, “In that, as in so many things, your information is faulty.” It convicts us to make sure we properly research whatever we present as an absolute fact, before we proclaim it.