How I wish I had the confidence of Mary Poppins. She breezes into the scene of her eponymous show at Broadway Palm, refusing to give references, refusing to explain herself, and briskly turns lives around. Spit spot.
Leah Spurlock portrays the iconic governess in this production with the ramrod posture and perfect diction one would expect. Her voice is as lovely as her face. And her two charges, played by Virginia Root and Gavin Wylie in the performance I saw, are talented enough to keep up with her.
It wasn’t until I got home and read through the program that I realized Heidi-Liz Johnson had portrayed both the Bird Woman and the holy terror rival governess Miss Andrew. She has an unusual and unusually powerful voice. Her showdown duet with Spurlock was epic.
The ensemble members have the fun of playing statues come to life (were those costumes pirated from the recent production of Addams Family?), toys, cogs-in-a-wheel bank clerks, and participants in a YMCA-esque rendition of Super…you know the rest.
My highest admiration, however, goes to the scenic designer Clifton Chadick and video wall designer Chris McCleary. The sets are technicolor wonders. It’s as if you wandered into a movie or maybe a cartoon. Loved them all.
Bring your inner child, or your actual child, for an evening of wholesome magic. Mary Poppins runs through August 10. For tickets, call 239.278.4422.
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