Mary Poppins continues at the Ronacher Theatre, Vienna until June 2015.
Ten years after Mary Poppins opened in the West End, the musical version of the 1964 Disney classic finally sees itself conquering the German speaking world, and yes, it is ‘practically perfect’ or ‘völlig ohne Fehler’.
The cast consists of Annemieke van Dam as Mary Poppins who is a real joy from start to finish, vocally charming and acting-wise exactly what Mary Poppins should be like. David Boyd, as Burt, could have been better vocally at first, but gets better and better as the show progresses. Even though the actor isn’t performing in his native language (he is Scottish), his performance is ultimately brilliant throughout and he harmonises really well with van Dam.
Milica Jovanovic delivers an enchanting portrayal of Winifred Banks: she sings beautifully, acts with great charm and duets well with Reinwald Kranner as George Banks. The latter’s transition from cold-hearted father to the caring gentleman at the end of the show is very clear and he is vocally solid throughout.
The two children are delightful: both Lorenz Pojer as Michael and Meta Schumy as Jane are funny, sing well and deliver brilliant performances. Tania Golden as Mrs Brill is divine, although I think it’s a shame that she isn’t given a bigger singing role as she is a fine singer too.
Maike Schuurmans knows what is needed for the small, yet funny (and somewhat challenging) role of Miss Andrew, and so does Sandra Pires as the Birdwoman, even though I was hoping for more depth vocally. Kudra Owens portrays the role of Mrs Corry and does so with lots of humour.
The show works for many reasons: not only due to the fantastic performances, but also because of the special effects and, most importantly, the positive and timeless message of the story.
The translation by Wolfgang Adenberg (lyrics, whose other credits include Songs For a New World and Love Never Dies) and Ruth Deny (book) works really well and it is nice to hear the score by George Stiles (music) and Anthony Drewe (lyrics), who are of course responsible for the additional songs, being performed outside the United Kingdom. Mary Poppins is a heartwarming piece of musical theatre and will hopefully keep Vienna dancing for a long time.
Mary Poppins is produced in association with Disney and Cameron Mackintosh and will continue daily (except Mondays) until June 2015.
Ludovico Lucchesi Palli
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