Producers Thomas Schumacher of Disney Theatrical Productions and Cameron Mackintosh are pleased to welcome Olivier-nominee Scarlett Strallen and ADAM FIORENTINO (in their Broadway debuts as Mary Poppins and Bert, respectively), to the company of the award-winning musical Mary Poppins, beginning Thursday, October 9 at the New Amsterdam Theatre (214 West 42nd Street).
Strallen starred as Mary Poppins in the London West End production in the fall of 2005, and had such a success that she later returned to the part in spring of 2007. An original cast member of the London productions of Mamma Mia! and The Witches of Eastwick, Strallen garnered a 2006 Olivier nomination for her role as Josephine in HMS Pinafore. Fiorentino made his theatrical stage debut in the Australian tour of The Boy from Oz at the age of seventeen. He originated the starring role of Tony Manero in the Australian Premiere of Saturday Night Fever and later reprised the role on London's West End to critical acclaim.
As previously announced, original Broadway stars Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins) and Gavin Lee (Bert), will reprise their roles, headlining the highly anticipated Mary Poppins North American tour, scheduled to begin performances at Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre on March 11, 2009. The entire original creative team will reunite to bring this magical story of the world's most famous nanny to audiences across the US and Canada. After Chicago, the tour is scheduled to play The State Theatre in Cleveland, The Fox Theatre in St. Louis, and The Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, with additional cities, venues and dates to be announced. Ticketing and more information for the tour can be found online at www.MaryPoppinsTour.com.
Brown and Lee play their final Broadway performance in Mary Poppins on Sunday, October 5. [Understudies will assume the roles of Mary and Bert for performances on October 7 and October 8].
