Gavin Creel to Succeed Gavin Lee in London Mary Poppins

The role of Bert in the London production of Mary Poppins will pass from Gavin to Gavin when the one named Creel succeeds the one named Lee on Wednesday, July 26th.

Tony-nominee Gavin Creel will replace Gavin Lee in the production at the Prince Edward Theatre; Lee has been cast in the upcoming Broadway staging of Mary Poppins, which begins performances in October at the New Amsterdam Theatre. An exchange program between the American branch of Actors' Equity and the U.K.'s Equity has allowed for Creel to take the role of the lively Cockney chimney-sweep overseas.

Creel is a Tony Award-nominee for his star-making performance in Thoroughly Modern Millie; he has since appeared on Broadway in the revival of La Cage aux Folles. He originated the role of Hollis Bessemer in Stephen Sondheim's Bounce and also appeared in the Actors' Fund benefit concert of Hair. Other credits include the national tour of Fame and the off-Broadway production's of Illyria: The Musical and Bat Boy.

Mary Poppins, a co-production by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, opened in London in December of 2004. In addition to Lee, the cast currently features Scarlett Strallen as Mary Poppins, Aden Gillett as George Banks, Eliza Lumley as Winifred Banks, Louise Gold as Miss Andrew, Sarah Flind as Mrs. Brill, Diane Langton as the Bird Woman and more.

The musical begins performances on Saturday, October 14, 2006 at the New Amsterdam Theatre (Broadway at West 42nd Street) in preparation for a Thursday, November 16 opening night.

The show features such beloved songs as "Chim Chim Cher-ee," "Step In Time," "Spoonful of Sugar," "Feed The Birds," "Let's Go Fly A Kite," and "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" along with new songs such as "Practically Perfect" and "Anything Can Happen."

Ashley Brown (Beauty and the Beast) will play the role of Mary Poppins, and direct from the West End production of Mary Poppins. Joining Brown and Lee will be Tony-nominee Daniel Jenkins (Mr. Banks), Tony-nominee Rebecca Luker (Mrs. Banks), Jane Carr (Mrs. Brill), Mark Price (Robertson Ay), Cass Morgan (Bird Woman), Ruth Gottschall (Miss Andrew), and Michael McCarty (Admiral Boom). Katherine Doherty and Delaney Moro will alternate in the role of Jane Banks. Henry Hodges and Alexander Scheitinger will alternate in the role of Michael Banks.

Based on P.L. Travers's cherished stories and the classic 1964 Walt Disney film, Mary Poppins 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 wrote the book, and the Olivier Award-winning team of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, who composed new songs and additional music and lyrics.

Three-time Olivier Award-winning director Richard Eyre leads the award-winning creative team assembled for the musical, with co-direction and choreography by Olivier Award-winner Matthew Bourne. Mary Poppins features set and costume design by Tony Award-winner Bob Crowley, co-choreography by Olivier Award-winner Stephen Mear, lighting design by Howard Harrison, sound design by Andrew Bruce, orchestrations by William David Brohn, and musical supervision by David Caddick.

Tickets for the upcoming Broadway production of Mary Poppins are available at the New Amsterdam Theatre Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets or by calling Ticketmaster at (212) 307-4747. Prices range from $20 - $110. For group sales and information please call (800) 439-9000.

Visit www.marypoppinsthemusical.co.uk for more on the London production.