El Beh is a confident and charismatic title character in “Mary Poppins” at the SF Playhouse.

Everyone knows it's a fun holiday with Mary Poppins. However, the stage version at the San Francisco Playhouse over the holidays may be a little less cheerful than most people remember.

Featuring a book by “Downton Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes, the 2004 musical, which has been making the rounds among Bay Area theater companies in recent years, is a strange combination of the popular 1964 Disney film and the books by PL Travers. Some of the adventures from the film were cut and replaced with incidents and dialogue from the first three Mary Poppins books.

These new additions include the immortal candy store owner Mrs. Corry (the cheerful Sophia LaPaglia), a dancing statue (Dominic Dagdagan), the incompetent servant Robertson Ay (Rod Voltaire Edora, reprising his role from the Woodminster Summer Musicals production) and the fearsome Father George Banks' childhood nanny, played with joyous villainy by Katrina Lauren McGraw.

The film's focus on George's transformation is not only retained in the musical, but even expanded upon, although all of the parental songs have been replaced by new, significantly less catchy songs.

Ryan Drummond is a stern and ponderous Mr. Banks who really makes you feel sorry for his neglected, sweet but wayward children, Jane (sixth grader Ruth Keith, alternating with 13 year old Grace Hutton) and Michael (eighth grader David Rukin). shares the role with 11-year-old Billy Hutton). Abby Haug plays the children's disappointed mother, Winifred Banks, stoically and reserved. (Haug and Drummond played a similar couple in SF Playhouse's “Sunday in the Park with George” this summer.)

The stage musical cuts about a third of Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman's wonderful songs from the film, retaining arguably the most memorable pieces, although the others are certainly missing. They're replaced by generally duller songs by composer George Stiles and lyricist Anthony Drewe (the team behind nearly a dozen musicals like “Honk!” and “Betty Blue Eyes”).

The previously unknown orchestra, led by Katie Coleman, does excellent work with new and old numbers, and even the new ditties have some highlights, such as Mary's “Practically Perfect” and “Brimstone and Treacle,” Miss Andrew's sadistic response to “A Spoonful of”. Sugar.”

Chimney sweep and jack-of-all-trades Bert acts as an ever-present observer and provides the musical narration to the tune of a strangely dark version of “Chim Chim Cher-ee.” Wiley Naman Strasser in the SF Playhouse production is the first Bert I've seen who really makes this melancholic version of Bert work, playing the role with empathetic intensity, like someone who sees the pain of the world and himself longs to make things better.

The great cast of the main roles is what really makes the production by company co-founder and production manager Susi Damilano shine. El Beh plays Mary Poppins with a confident and unwavering certainty and a slightly sardonic manner that is terribly charismatic.

The role is deliberately less conventionally feminine than usual in this production, so Behs Mary sings in a slightly lower vocal range and lifts Bert in dances as often as Bert lifts her. Most of it works perfectly, although the strange outfit of pants, bow tie and fancy jacket that costume designer Abra Berman gives the normally immaculate Mary in the second act makes it seem like she's going to a prom.

Supported by cloudy sky projections by Theodore JH Hulsker, Nina Ball's imaginative rotating set of a forest of rooftop chimneys unfolds to reveal various locations around the home and neighborhood. It also leaves little room for Kimberly Richards' choreography, which ends up being rather lackluster, although at times amusingly modern.

Set just as Disney is about to release its own film sequel (“Mary Poppins Returns” in late December), the musical offers a strangely dark but ultimately heartwarming return to Cherry Tree Lane.

Contact Sam Hurwitt at shurwitt@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter.com/shurwitt.

'MARY POPPINS'

By Julian Fellowes, George Stiles, Anthony Drewe, Richard B. Sherman and Roger B. Sherman, based on the novels by PL Travers and the Disney film, presented by the San Francisco Playhouse

Through: January 12th

Where: San Francisco Playhouse, 450 Post St., San Francisco

Duration: Two hours and 50 minutes, one break

Tickets: $35-$125; 415-677-9596, www.sfplayhouse.org

The post Barely somber ‘Mary Poppins’ settles in at SF Playhouse appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Everyone knows it’s a fun vacation with Mary Poppins. However, the stage version at the San Francisco Playhouse over the holidays may be a little less fun than most people remember.

With a book by Julian Fellowes, creator of Downton Abbey, the 2004 musical that has made the rounds of Bay Area theater companies in recent years is an odd combination of the popular 1964 Disney film and the Books by PL Travers. Some of the adventures from the film are cut and replaced with incidents and dialogues from Mary Poppins’ first three books.

These additions include the immortal candy merchant Mrs. Corry (cheerful Sophia LaPaglia), a dancing statue (Dominic Dagdagan), the incompetent servant Robertson Ay (Rod Voltaire Edora repeating his role from the production of Woodminster Summer Musicals), and terrifying childhood by father George Banks nanny, played with cheerful villainy by Katrina Lauren McGraw.

The film’s emphasis on George’s transformation is not only retained in the musical, but expanded, although all of the parents’ songs have been replaced with new, much less catchy ones.

Ryan Drummond is a strict and cumbersome Mr. Banks, which really makes you feel for his neglected, cute, but tenacious children Jane (sixth grader Ruth Keith, who takes turns with 13 year old Grace Hutton) and Michael (eighth grader David Rukin) and shares them Role with 11 year old Billy Hutton). Abby Haug is stoic and reserved like the disappointed mother of the children, Winifred Banks. (Haug and Drummond played a similar couple at SF Playhouse’s “Sunday in the Park with George” this summer.)

The stage musical cuts about a third of the wonderful Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman songs from the film, while retaining arguably the most memorable numbers, though the others are sure to be missed. They are replaced by generally boring songs by composer George Stiles and lyricist Anthony Drewe (the team behind nearly a dozen musicals like “Honk!” And “Betty Blue Eyes”).

The invisible orchestra, directed by Katie Coleman, does a good job with numbers new and old, and even the new ditties have some highlights like Mary’s “Practically Perfect” and “Brimstone and Treacle,” Miss Andrew’s sadistic response to “A Spoonful of sugar. “

Chimney sweep and all-rounder Bert acts as an omnipresent observer and provides musical narratives for a strangely dark version of “Chim Chim Cher-ee”. Wiley Naman Strasser in the SF Playhouse production is the first Bert I’ve seen how this melancholy take on Bert really works. He plays the role with empathic intensity, like someone who sees the pain of the world and longs to do things better.

It is the great cast of the leading roles that really makes the staging of co-founder and production manager Susi Damilano shine. El Beh plays Mary Poppins with an imperious and unwavering security and a slightly sardonic atmosphere that is terribly charismatic.

The role in this production is deliberately less conventionally female than usual, so Beh’s Mary sings in a slightly lower register and raises Bert in dances as often as Bert raises it. Most of it works perfectly, although the weird pants, bow tie, and fancy jacket costume designer Abra Berman gives to the normally flawless Mary in act two makes it look like she’s going to a prom.

The inventive rotating set by Nina Ball, supported by Theodore JH Hulsker, Cloudy Sky Projections, can be folded out of a chimney forest on the roof and shows different places around the house and the neighborhood. It also leaves tight space for Kimberly Richards’ choreography, which is rather lackluster, if at times amusingly modern.

The musical is set just as Disney is about to release its own film sequence (“Mary Poppins Returns” in late December) and offers a strangely dark return to Cherry Tree Lane, but ultimately a heartwarming one.

Contact Sam Hurwitt at shurwitt@gmail.com and follow him at Twitter.com/shurwitt.

‘MARY POPPINS’

By Julian Fellowes, George Stiles, Anthony Drewe, Richard B. Sherman, and Roger B. Sherman, based on the novels by PL Travers and the Disney film presented by the San Francisco Playhouse

By: January 12th

Where: San Francisco Playhouse, 450 Post St., San Francisco

Running time: Two hours and 50 minutes, a break

Tickets: $ 35- $ 125; 415-677-9596, www.sfplayhouse.org

The post Barely somber ‘Mary Poppins’ settles in at SF Playhouse appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.