MARY POPPINS Comes To Seattle May 12, Steffanie Leigh To Star

Producers Thomas Schumacher of Disney Theatrical Productions and Cameron Mackintosh are pleased to announce full casting for the Seattle engagement of MARY POPPINS. Seattle's most eagerly anticipated stage production will begin performances at The Paramount Theatre on Thursday, May 12 for a limited three week engagement, through Sunday, May 29. The opening night is Friday, May 13 at 8 pm.

With four productions currently running on three continents, MARY POPPINS is one of the biggest stage musical successes to emerge from London or New York in recent years. Worldwide to date, the six productions of the show have grossed over $521 million, welcomed 7 million guests and cumulatively run 11.5 years. The musical is the winner of 35 major theatre awards around the globe, including Tony®, Olivier and Evening Standard awards.

The entire original creative team has reunited to bring this magical story of the world's most famous nanny to audiences around North America. The MARY POPPINS North American Tour began performances on March 25, 2009 and has played to 1.5 million delighted theatergoers in 24 cities to date.

Steffanie Leigh, who previously understudied the title role in the touring production, will star as "Mary Poppins" while original Broadway company member Nicolas Dromard will assume the role of "Bert."

Leigh, a recent graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, has previously been seen on stage in productions of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Beauty and the Beast, 42nd St., Into the Woods, Grease, Mame, and Les Miserables.

Leigh will appear alongside original Broadway company member, Nicolas Dromard, who plays the affable chimney sweep, "Bert." Dromard was a member of the original Broadway company of MARY POPPINS and recently played the role of "Fiyero" in the San Francisco production of Wicked. Originally from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Dromard has also appeared in the Broadway productions of The Boy From Oz and Oklahoma! and originated roles in the Canadian productions of Mamma Mia! and Hairspray. Dromard also appeared in stage productions at Stratford Festival of Canada and the Arkansas Repertory Theatre.

Joining Leigh and Dromard will be Laird Mackintosh as "George Banks." Mr. Mackintosh has performed several leading roles in Canada including The Drowsy Chaperone, White Christmas, Arcadia and Phantom of the Opera. "Winifred Banks" will be played by Blythe Wilson who joins the production after appearing on stage in The Sound of Music, Mamma Mia!, Oklahoma, and Three Penny Opera.

Rachel Izen will portray "Mrs. Brill." Ms. Izen is making her North American Tour debut having appeared in numerous London West End productions including A Chorus Line, Chicago, Guys and Dolls, Singin' in the Rain, Beauty and the Beast, Annie and Thoroughly Modern Mille. Dennis Moench, who will play "Robertson Ay," was recently seen in the Broadway production of MARY POPPINS and has also appeared in the All Shook Up National Tour and Off-Broadway in Altar Boyz and Fame.

Q. Smith will play "Miss Andrew." Ms. Smith stage credits include Fame on 42nd Street, Smokey Joe's Café, Aida, Joseph...Dreamcoat and the Broadway production of Les Miserables. "The Bird Woman" will be played by Janet MacEwen, who has appeared in the Broadway and touring productions of Beauty and the Beast, as well as in productions of Anne of Green Gables, Cats, Les Miserables, Suds!, Pump Boys and Dinettes, Evita, Mamma Mia!, Jacques Brel. "Admiral Boom" will be portrayed by Michael McCarty, a stage veteran whose Broadway credits include MARY POPPINS, To Be Or Not To Be, Oklahoma!, 42nd Street, Sweeney Todd, Big River, Teddy & Alice, Oliver!, Amadeus, King Of Hearts, Dirty Linen.

Performances in the role of "Jane Banks" will be alternated between Camille Mancuso and Marissa Smoker. Ms. Mancuso's previous theatre credits include the national tours of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, White Christmas, and Little House on the Prairie. Ms. Smoker is making her national tour debut and was recently seen in regional productions of Annie Get Your Gun, Radio Girl, A Christmas Carol, The Secret Garden, Annie, Les Miserables and The Sound of Music. Performances in the role of "Michael Banks" will be alternated between Talon Ackerman and Tyler Merna. Mr. Ackerman has previously appeared in the stage productions of Disney's Tarzan, Cats, The Secret Garden, Sleepy Hollow and Our Town. Mr. Merna is making his national tour debut and has recently appeared on stage in the Off-Broadway productions of Shine! and Afterlight.

Rounding out the cast are Josh Assor, Jacob ben Widmar, Kiara Bennett, Elizabeth Broadhurst, Arielle Campbell, Debra Cardona, Kate Chapman, Eric Coles, Anthony Christian Daniel, Elizabeth Earley, Tyler Foy, Eric Giancola, Geoffrey Goldberg, Mark Harapiak, Eric Hatch, Tiffany Howard, Lisa Kassay, Koh Mochizuki, Michael Dean Morgan, Chuck Rea, Jesse Swimm, Nic Thompson, Rachel Wallace and Michelle E. White.

MARY POPPINS, a co-production of Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, opened on Broadway on November 16, 2006. Based on P.L. Travers' cherished stories and the classic 1964 Walt Disney film, MARY POPPINS the stage play features 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, 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, with co-direction and choreography by Tony® and Olivier Award winner Matthew Bourne. MARY POPPINS features set and costume design by TonyÒ Award winner Bob Crowley, co-choreography by Olivier Award winner Stephen Mear, lighting design by Howard Harrison, orchestrations by William David Brohn, and music supervision by David Caddick. The tour's creative team includes Tour Director Anthony Lyn, Associate Choreographer Geoffrey Garrett, and Music Director Daniel Bowling.

MARY POPPINS will be at Seattle's Paramount Theatre from May 12 through May 29, 2011. The show schedule is:

Tuesday through Thursday evenings at 7:30 pm
Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm
Matinees on Saturdays at 2 pm and Sundays at 1 pm
Sunday evening performances at 6:30 pm

There will be a special Thursday matinee on May 19 at 1pm.

The Sunday, May 22, 6:30 pm performance will be an Open Caption performance and the Sunday, May 29, 1 pm show is an ASL performance.
For tickets to these performances, call the TTY line at 888-331-6774.

There will be a special Kid's Night on Broadway event on Thursday, May 12 at 7:30pm Patrons can purchase one adult ticket and receive a Kid's Ticket free when purchasing tickets for this performance only. Use the code KIDS when ordering online or at the box office. Special Kid's Night activities will take place in the lobby before the show. There is an eight ticket limit and this offer is not valid on previously purchased tickets or with any other offer.

Tickets for MARY POPPINS start at $21.50 and are available on-line at stgpresents.org and tickets.com, by calling 877-STG-4TIX (784-4849) or in person at The Paramount Theatre Box Office (Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm).

The Seattle engagement of MARY POPPINS is a part of the KeyBank Broadway at The Paramount series, presented in partnership by Broadway Across America and Seattle Theatre Group. KeyBank is the title sponsor of the Broadway at The Paramount series, and The Roosevelt Hotel and Lincoln are the official sponsors of Broadway Across America - Seattle

For more information, please visit MaryPoppins.com

Don't Miss a Seattle News Story
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...

Seattle News

Get the latest news, discounts & more