I love any chance I have to go up to Perry to see a show at Heritage Theatre, but it is an hour away from me so a bit of a drive. I honestly didn’t think I would be able to fit in the trip for their current production of Mary Poppins but then my Memorial Day became available so I was able to zip up there and see it and I’m so glad I did. Everyone knows I have my issues with the way Disney wrote this musical but the good folks at Heritage did all they could to elevate it to a special experience

I don’t know what has happened but it seems like in the last year the casts at Heritage have really improved. Not that they were awful before but it was a definite learning company to now being top rate talent and that’s no exception with Mary Poppins. Karlie Clark is perfect as Mary with the warmth to her singing one needs for the role with just a little bit of sass to add some personality to the performance. Alex Patterson is charming as Bert and Russell Nielsen strikes the right exhausted note as George Banks.

Director Ashley Patterson faced a lot of challenges putting on this musical in such a small stage as Heritage without any of the special effects other theaters can utilize. They did what they could to still have magic with some clever staging but it’s mostly left to the charm of the actors and the choreography by Izzy Page. Especially “Step in Time” coming out into the audience becomes a delightful immersive experience. Other highlights are “Jolly Holiday,” “Feed the Birds,” and “A Spoonful of Sugar.”

I really dislike the Miss Andrews character in this adaptation (I’m aware of why they were forced to include her by the PL Travers estate but I hate her nonetheless.) That said Christianna Szymanski does all she can to make the character a deliciously evil villain. I still think “Brimstone and Treacle” is one of the worst songs ever written for a Broadway musical but again she does what she can to make it fun.

The costumes by Stephanie Morley and Grayson Jones are inspired by the 1964 film but they are beautifully made and fitted to the cast. I also love how they used original illustrations from the Mary Poppins books to frame the stage giving everything a whimsical charm to it. I love that Heritage tends to use projections sparingly and physical sets whenever possible. I’ve also never seen them use AI, which I appreciate.

Of course no community theater production is perfect but if you are looking for a great night of entertainment with your family you can’t go wrong with Mary Poppins at Heritage Theatre. They truly did all they could to elevate the imperfect adaptation into something special and memorable. It’s well worth your time (or should I say a Step in Time?) Mary Poppins is playing until June 13th and tickets can be purchased here.

Mary Poppins has music by Richard and Robert Sherman with new songs by George Stiles. It has lyrics by the Sherman brothers and Anthony Drewe with a book by Julian Fellowes based on the novel by PL Travels and the 1964 Walt Disney film. The original Broadway production was produced by Cameron Mackintosh and premiered on Broadway in 2006.

My patrons keep me honest and able to see and review as much as I do. Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. If you value honest criticism check it out. Find out more here.