MARY POPPINS Comes To Houston, Plays The Hobby Center 10/22-11/8

Producers Cameron Mackintosh and Thomas Schumacher are pleased to announce full casting for the Houston engagement of MARY POPPINS. Houston's most eagerly anticipated stage production will begin performances at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, October 22 for a limited engagement of 3 weeks through Sunday, November 8. The opening night is Friday, October 23 at 8 p.m.

The entire creative team has reunited to bring this magical story of the world's most famous nanny to audiences across North America. Original Broadway stars, Ashley Brown and Gavin Lee, will reprise their roles as "Mary Poppins" and "Bert" respectively.

For her portrayal of "Mary Poppins", Ashley Brown received Drama League, Drama Desk and Outer Critic Circle nominations for Best Actress. Upon graduating from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Ms. Brown landed a leading role in the touring production of Disney's On the Record. Soon after she was offered the chance to star in Beauty and the Beast and made her Broadway debut as "Belle" in September 2005. Upcoming projects include concerts with Marvin Hamlisch, the New York Philharmonic and a debut album of American Songbook standards.

Gavin Lee made his Broadway debut with MARY POPPINS after originating the role of "Bert" in the world premiere production in London's West End. Lee received critical acclaim for his portrayal of "Bert", both in NY and London, and was the recipient of the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor. Lee also received Tonyâ, Outer Critic Circle and Olivier Award nominations for Best Actor. His London theatre credits include Peggy Sue Got Married, Contact, Oklahoma!, Sondheim's Saturday Night, Crazy For You, and Me and My Girl. In addition, he has appeared in the recent film adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera and Beyond The Sea.

Joining Brown and Lee will be Karl Kenzler as "George Banks." Mr. Kenzler's Broadway credits include Twelve Angry Men, The Caretaker, Dinner At Eight and The Heiress. "Winifred Banks" will be played by Megan Osterhaus, who comes straight from the Broadway company of Mary Poppins. Her other stage credits include Mamma Mia, Martin Guerre, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Children Of Eden, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Gypsy.

Valerie Boyle will portray "Mrs. Brill." Ms. Boyle has been seen in a wide variety of leading roles in Canada and Europe including Sophie Tucker, Shirley Valentine and Nunsense. Andrew Keenan-Bolger, who will play "Robertson Ay", has previously appeared on Broadway in Seussical, Beauty and the Beast and A Christmas Carol and in the National Tours of Spelling Bee, The Grinch and Ragtime.

Ellen Harvey will play "Miss Andrew." MS. Harvey's Broadway credits include The Music Man and Thou Shalt Not and she has appeared in the National Tours of Disney's High School Musical, Mamma Mia, Doctor Dolittle, and Sunset Boulevard. "The Bird Woman" will be played by Mary VanArsdel, who has appeared in productions of Cole Porter's Paris, Mass, Camelot (with Jeremy Irons), 110 In the Shade, and Gypsy. "Admiral Boom" will be portrayed by Mike O'Carroll, a stage veteran whose past credits include White Christmas, Fiddler on the Roof, Showboat, Will Rogers Follies, Henry IV, Inherit the Wind, and Ragtime.

Performances in the role of "Jane Banks" will be alternated between Katie Balen and Bailey Grey. Ms. Balen is making her National Tour debut with MARY POPPINS and has recently been seen in regional productions of Oklahoma!, Grease, and Willie Wonka. Ms. Grey is also making her National Tour debut with MARY POPPINS and her previous stage credits include roles in Seussical and A Christmas Carol. Performances in the role of "Michael Banks" will be alternated between Bryce Baldwin and Carter Thomas. Mr. Baldwin is making his National Tour debut with MARY POPPINS and has previously appeared in the stage productions of A Christmas Carol, Richard III, The Music Man and The Will Rogers Follies. Mr. Thomas has recently appeared in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular with The Rockettes, Oliver, South Pacific, Peter Pan and A Christmas Carol.

Rounding out the cast are Tia Altinay, Carol Angeli, Gail Bennett, Kiara Bennett, Brandon Bieber, Troy Edward Bowles, Elizabeth Broadhurst, Michael Gerhart, Geoffrey Goldberg, Emily Harvey, Tiffany Howard, Kelly Jacobs, Wendy James, Justin Keyes, Sam Kiernan, Brian Letendre, Laird Mackintosh, Vanessa McMahan, Koh Mochizuki, Shua Potter, Dominic Roberts, Nick Sanchez, Q. Smith, Jesse Swimm and Tom Souhrada.

MARY POPPINS, a co-production by 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 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 Director Anthony Lyn, Associate Choreographer Geoffrey Garrett, and Music Director James Dodgson.

Consistently among the top-grossing shows on Broadway, MARY POPPINS continues in its 3rd smash year at the New Amsterdam Theatre and recently celebrated its 1000th performance - a milestone reached by only a rare few number of shows in Broadway history. The Broadway production has grossed over $ 152 million to date and been seen by over 1.8 million theatergoers.

Simultaneously, the show's popularity grows around the globe. Following a successful three year run (December 2004 - January 2008) at the Prince Edward Theatre on London's West End, a U.K. tour of MARY POPPINS commenced in summer 2008 and concluded its acclaimed run in Cardiff in April 2009. The Australian production of MARY POPPINS will premiere in July 2010 at Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne.

An open-ended run of MARY POPPINS will take residence at the Circus Theatre in Scheveningen, Holland, outside of Amsterdam. The show will open in April 2010 at the Circus Theatre following TARZAN'S record setting run there. MARY POPPINS will be produced in Holland by Stage Entertainment in association with Disney and Cameron Mackintosh.

In Houston, MARY POPPINS will play Tuesday - Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.; and Sunday at 1 p.m. & 6:30 p.m

Ticket prices range from $25.50 to $81. Special VIP Ticket Packages are available for $134 at select performances, and include premium seating and a complimentary souvenir program. Tickets are available at the Hobby Center Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, by calling 800-982-ARTS (2787) or online at www.BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com. Orders for groups of twenty (20) or more may be placed by calling (888) 451-5986 or e-mail Houston.groups@broadwayacrossamerica.com.

The Houston engagement of MARY POPPINS is presented by arrangement with Broadway Across America and is a subscription offering of the Houston Series.

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