Rehearsals are underway in Millburn, New Jersey, for Paper Mill Playhouse's Mary Poppins, and the first photos from the room show Kara Lindsay and Will Burton, the production's Mary and Bert, with the four young actors who share the Banks children.
The Disney and Cameron Mackintosh musical opens the theater's 88th season. Performances begin on Wednesday, November 18, opening night is Sunday, November 22, and the run continues through Sunday, January 3, 2027.
The full company is now set, completing the casting announced in September. Two names are new: Natalie Charlé Ellis, who was in the Broadway company of Death Becomes Her and in Paper Mill's The Great Gatsby, plays both the Bird Woman and Miss Andrew, and Sam Faulkner, from the Broadway Gypsy led by Audra McDonald, makes a Paper Mill debut as Robertson Ay. Jane Banks is shared by Beatrice Goddard Beggs and Emery Layne Large, and Michael Banks by Max Ryan Burach and Rocco Van Auken.
They join Will Blum as George Banks, Ashley Blanchet as Winifred Banks, Dierdre Friel as Mrs. Brill and Alvin Crawford as Admiral Boom and the Bank Chairman. An ensemble of 22 fills out the company.
Several of them know this show already. Lindsay has played Mary Poppins before, at North Carolina Theatre, and Friel counts Paper Mill's earlier Mary Poppins among her favorite credits. Two of the designers, Timothy Mackabee (sets) and Charlie Morrison (lighting), also list that earlier Paper Mill staging.
Mark S. Hoebee, Paper Mill's producing artistic director, directs, and Denis Jones choreographs. The rest of the creative team is Ben McNaboe (music direction), Kelly James Tighe (scenic coordination and additional design), Leon Dobkowski (costumes), Don Hanna (sound) and J. Jared Janas (wigs, hair and makeup). Casting is by The TRC Company, and Jason Brouillard is production stage manager. The rehearsal-room photographs are by Rebecca J Michelson.
The musical draws on P. L. Travers's stories and the Disney film, with songs by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, among them A Spoonful of Sugar, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and Step in Time, a book by Julian Fellowes, and new songs and additional music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. The production is licensed by Music Theatre International.
After Mary Poppins, Paper Mill's season continues with Ken Ludwig's Lend Me a Tenor, Million Dollar Quartet and Dear Evan Hansen. Single tickets and three- and four-show subscriptions, from $120 per person, are on sale online at PaperMill.org, by phone on 973-376-4343, and at the box office at 22 Brookside Drive, Millburn, open Monday to Saturday from noon to 6pm.
For more information, visit the official website.
