Mary Poppins Review (or Gush!)

I have had the utmost privilege to have seen the stage show of Mary Poppins not once, but twice! Once on the London West End with my lovely cousin and once last Friday here in Melbourne town with my lovely mother and some lovely friends. You must excuse the slight gushiness of the following review but it is so fantastic and beautiful and glorious that it really cannot possibly be any other way.

Mary Poppins occupies a very special place in my heart. I never liked the Sound of Music because although the songs were fabulous there was too much icky romance and boy were those Nazi's scary so my Julie Andrews fix was her as Mary Poppins. Oh and Bert! and the Penguins and the laughing. I loved it. I still have the original video we taped off the telly with now very old fashioned early 90s British ads for floor furnishings and Frosty Flakes. I also have the DVD. And the soundtrack. Which I know off by heart. I think a big part of my Feminism comes straight out of the awesomeness of that 'Sister Suffragette' song. Truly! Well I like to think so.

Then of course (being a bookish family) I was treated to the books, which I enjoyed but not quite as much as the movie. They were a lot less sparkly - clearly being a sucker for sparkly things it was lacking - but I did re-read the first one and the adventures were more diverse and there were more children. Well worth reading in their own right.

So when it was adapted for the stage from both the books and the movie I had to see it. And then see it again. Do you know what? It's better the second time round. Why? Was it because I knew the new songs? Because I could see better in Premium A reserve? Was not comparing it so much to the movie? Not sure exactly but it was essentially a flawless production showcasing great artistic skill.

The songs were great, the performance flawless, the energy spectacular and if you get the chance to even see the show once, do! It's "practically perfect, in every way!"