STAGE TUBE: MARY POPPINS Visits the San Diego Zoo

Today, the cast of the beloved Broadway musical MARY POPPINS visited the San Diego Zoo. The visit was highlighted by animal and actor encounters as the cast interacted with some of the more vocal members of the Zoo's animal population. Click below to watch!

Steffanie Leigh, who plays Mary Poppins, Nicolas Dromard, who plays Bert, and other cast members met "vocal coaches" Cabo (or Jake), a sea lion who loves to bark; Montana, a New Guinea singing dog; Kenai, a wolf prone to howling; and Crikey, a laughing kookaburra. The critters shared their unique vocalizations with the group while the MARY POPPINS cast hit a few notes of their own by singing selections from some of the show's tunes, including "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!"

The entertainment focused on physical as well as vocal achievements: Cabo (or Jake) the sea lion, who knows how to "dance," accompanied Steffanie and Nicolas as they "hoofed" a few steps from the musical's "Step in Time."

MARY POPPINS, created by producers Thomas Schumacher of Disney Theatrical Productions and Cameron Mackintosh, opened in San Diego on August 10 and plays through August 21 at the Civic Theater.

MARY POPPINS received its worldwide premiere at the Prince Edward Theatre in the West End in December 2004. Following its successful three-year London run, the production launched an acclaimed U.K. tour. The Broadway production of MARY POPPINS officially opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre on November 16, 2006, recouping its initial Broadway investment within 52 weeks of its premiere in 2006. MARY POPPINS is the only show from the 2006-2007 theatrical season still in performance. The MARY POPPINS North American tour has garnered continuous critical praise and achieved box office success since its launch in Chicago in March 2009.

The 100-acre San Diego Zoo is dedicated to the conservation of endangered species and their habitats. The organization focuses on conservation and research work around the globe, educates millions of individuals a year about wildlife and maintains accredited horticultural, animal, library and photo collections. The Zoo also manages the 1,800-acre San Diego Zoo Safari Park (historically referred to as the Wild Animal Park), which includes a 900-acre native species reserve, and the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research. The important conservation and science work of these entities is supported in part by The Foundation of the Zoological Society of San Diego.