Yesterday afternoon we spent precisely 2h45m (really -- how often is the posted run-time spot on?) doing that. Christopher went with me to see the (live) musical "Mary Poppins" on the last day that the touring company was in Minneapolis.
It's a very nice show. Not perfect, but -- as is Miss Poppins, herself -- practically perfect in every way. It was a little disconcerting at times -- when I was expecting one thing, something else would happen -- but still familiar enough to be comfortable. There are songs that were written just for the show (meaning they weren't in the movie), and characters and scenes that have come or gone (for better or worse). But, at the center of it all, are Mary Poppins, Bert the chimney sweep, and the Banks family. And, after all, it is the relationships shared by all of those characters which make the show work.
Oh. And there are also some great songs, wonderful choreography (Who in the world figured out how to spell out Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious with hands and gestures?), and they were nice enough to keep some of the truly iconic moments (riding the banister upward, for instance). And, since I'm always a sucker for the songs "Feed the Birds" and "Let's go Fly a Kite," I was happy to see those remain intact. But this version, as I had been told to expect in the reviews, also takes a longer look at the nuclear family and how jobs and "life strains" can tear people away from what truly matters.
When it was over, I found that I really did like the show. I found just the right sparks of magic in it, as well as the right amounts of humanity. And, even better, I got to share it with Christopher.
Overall grade: A- (we were seated way back under the balcony overhang and missed out on some things, unfortunately...)
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