Casting Announced for Denver Run of MARY POPPINS

Producers Cameron Mackintosh and Thomas Schumacher are pleased to announce full casting for the Denver engagement of MARY POPPINS. Denver's most eagerly anticipated stage production will begin performances at the Buell Theatre on Thursday, March 4 for a limited engagement of five weeks through April 4. The opening night is Friday, March 5 at 7:30pm.

The entire original creative team has reunited to bring this magical story of the world's most famous nanny to audiences around North America. Since the tour's launch in Chicago in March 2009, MARY POPPINS has earned continuous critical praise and box-office success.

Original UK Tour star Caroline Sheen will reprise her role as "Mary Poppins" while original London and Broadway star Gavin Lee will assume the role of "Bert."

Caroline Sheen makes her U.S. stage debut in the North American Tour after earning rave reviews from the UK press including The Herald (Plymouth, UK) who called her "the perfect embodiment of the outwardly prim nanny with the free-thinking mind." Sheen, who was born in Wales, has appeared on stage in a wide variety of other leading roles in the West End and UK including The Light in the Piazza, Once in a Lifetime, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Grease, Les Miserables, The Witches of Eastwick and Mamma Mia! Sheen is appearing with the support of Actors' Equity Association. The producers gratefully acknowledge Actors' Equity Association for its assistance of this production.

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 Sheen and Lee will be Laird Mackintosh as "George Banks." Mr. Mackintosh has performed several leading roles in Canada including The Drowsy Chaperone, White Christmas, Arcadia and Phantom of the Opera. "Winifred Banks" will be played by Blythe Wilson who joins the production after appearing on stage in The Sound of Music, Mamma Mia!, Oklahoma, and Three Penny Opera.

Rachel Izen will portray "Mrs. Brill." Ms. Izen is making her North American Tour debut having appeared in numerous London West End productions including A Chorus Line, Chicago, Guys and Dolls, Singin' in the Rain, Beauty and the Beast, Annie and Thoroughly Modern Mille. Dennis Moench, who will play "Robertson Ay," was recently seen in the Broadway production of MARY POPPINS and has also appeared in the All Shook Up national tour and off-Broadway in Altar Boyz and Fame.

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, a native of Thornton, Colorado, is making his national tour debut with "Mary Poppins" and has previously appeared in the Denver Center Theatre Company productions of "A Christmas Carol," "Richard III" as well as productions of "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, Jacob ben Widmar, Gail Bennett, Kiara Bennett, Troy Edward Bowles, Elizabeth Broadhurst, Jonathan Brody, Kate Chapman, Elizabeth Earley, Michael Gerhart, Geoffrey Goldberg, Emily Harvey, Tiffany Howard, Kelly Jacobs, Sam Kiernan, Brian Letendre, Vanessa McMahan, Koh Mochizuki, Shua Potter, Dominic Roberts, Nick Sanchez, Q. Smith, Jesse Swimm and Tom Souhrada.

MARY POPPINS, a co-production of 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 the stage play 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 Tour 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 $ 168 million to date and been seen by over 2.1 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. MARY POPPINS will premiere two new major international productions in 2010, including the Australian production at Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne on July 29 and an open-ended run at the Circus Theatre in Scheveningen, Holland, outside of Amsterdam on April 11. MARY POPPINS will be produced in Holland by Stage Entertainment in association with Disney and Cameron Mackintosh.

Single tickets for MARY POPPINS start at just $20, and are now on sale. To charge by phone, call Denver Center Ticket Services at 303.893.4100. TTY (for Deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons): 303.893.9582. Groups of 15 or more, please call 303.446.4829. Tickets may also be purchased at the Denver Center Ticket Office, located at the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex Lobby, or at TicketsWest outlets, located in all King Soopers stores. Buy and print online at www.denvercenter.org.

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts will host a MARY POPPINS VIP Evening on Friday, April 2 complete with guaranteed orchestra seats, cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and an elegant catered dinner. Tickets to this evening are $275 and are available at 303.893.4815 or denvercenter.org/vipevenings. Proceeds benefit The Denver Center's Student Matinee program.

The Denver engagement of MARY POPPINS is presented by arrangement with Denver Center Attractions and is sponsored by US Bank. MARY POPPINS is a featured attraction in the 2010 season which is generously supported by United Airlines. Media sponsorship for DCA is provided by The Denver Post, CBS4 and Denver Magazine. The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is supported in part by the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District. Please visit our website at www.denvercenter.org.

For more information, please visit MaryPoppins.com.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.

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