MARY POPPINS Australia Opens to Local Critical Acclaim

Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's eagerly anticipated Australian production of MARY POPPINS premiered Thursday evening, July 29 at Her Majesty's Theatre. The Melbourne engagement is a homecoming for the beloved character. MARY POPPINS was born in the pen of author P.L. Travers, who herself was born in Maryborough, Queensland, and was an actor and journalist in Sydney before moving to London. The first Mary Poppins book was published in 1934 and the enduring story of the ‘practically perfect nanny' has enchanted readers ever since.

Australian critics are raving about the new production in their opening night reviews. Below is a sampling of the first reviews of MARY POPPINS:

"Sheer magic!
This hugely entertaining musical takes audiences on an exhilarating ride. Mary Poppins takes the best of both worlds - the beloved books by PL Travers and...the 1964 Disney film - and director Richard Eyre makes it work in the most delightful way. When Mary flies over the audience - one of the great moments in modern musical theatre - your heart soars."
- Herald Sun

"The musical theatre event of the year!
THE opening night of Mary Poppins was indeed, as the nanny describes herself, practically perfect. There's a show-stopper in almost every scene. A fantastic musical with a dynamic and incredibly talented Australian cast, it justly deserves to be the hottest ticket in town.
Musical theatre at the pinnacle of its craft."
- The Age

"A magical night in the theatre!
This wonderful stage adaptation comes up with a winner. Enhanced by brilliant lighting design, wonderful stage trickery, marvelous sets and costumes and a talented and exuberant cast... ‘Step in time', the visually stunning ‘Jolly Holiday' and the infectious ‘Supercalifragilistic' are ‘practically perfect'.

Don't miss it."
-Australianstage.com

The Australian production stars Verity Hunt-Ballard in the title role and Matt Lee as Bert. The cast also features Philip Quast as George Banks, Marina Prior as Winifred Banks, Sally Anne Upton as Mrs. Brill, Debra Byrne as Bird Woman, Christopher Rickerby as Robertson Ay, Judi Connelli as Miss Andrew and David Henry as Admiral Boom.

A co-production by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, this stage production is based on P.L. Travers' cherished stories and the classic 1964 Walt Disney film and includes the film's Academy Award®-winning music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. The stage production was created, in collaboration with Cameron Mackintosh, by Academy Award®-winning screenwriter Julian Fellowes, who wrote the book; Olivier Award-winning director Richard Eyre; and the Olivier Award-winning team of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, who composed new songs and additional music and lyrics.

ABOUT MARY POPPINS WORLDWIDE
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 show has grossed over $400 million and welcomed over five million guests.

The Broadway production of MARY POPPINS officially opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre on November 16, 2006 and has been seen by over two million theatergoers and grossed nearly $190 million to date. According to figures released by The Broadway League, MARY POPPINS placed on the Top Ten lists for both highest-grossing and best-attended shows of the 2009-10 Broadway season, an indicator of its remarkable success.

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 MARY POPPINS North American tour has also garnered continuous critical praise and achieved box office success since its launch in Chicago in March 2009. In addition to Broadway and North America, MARY POPPINS can also be seen at the Circus Theatre in Scheveningen, Holland, outside of Amsterdam, and in Melbourne, Australia at Her Majesty's Theatre. Later this year, MARY POPPINS opens in Sweden, Denmark, the Czech Republic and Hungary, with plans underway for future productions in Israel, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Korea, Canada and Japan. For more information worldwide, visit www.MaryPoppins.com

For more information, visit www.DisneyonBroadway.com

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