REVIEW: Polished, Perfect “Mary Poppins” at Circa Offers Magic On and Above the Stage
There are three brief, key scenes in Circa 21’s new production of “Mary Poppins” where Gillian Weatherford as the proper British nanny floats above the stage, and another when Jordan Thomas Burnett as the impish chimney sweep Bert does even more gravity-defying gymnastics.
But these are hardly the only magic moments in this gloriously entertaining musical at the venerable Rock Island dinner theater.
Reflecting the sometimes starry night sky in this consistently bewitching story of faith, goodness, wonder, and the promise of possibility, all the stars literally align in this “Mary Poppins,” wonderfully directed and choreographed by Christie Kerr.
Jordan Thomas Burnett as Bert and Gillian Weatherford as the title role in “Mary Poppins.”
She makes a jaw-droppingly impressive debut in the director’s chair here, after serving as choreographer for Circa’s hit 2020 production of “Kinky Boots,” with area favorite Ron May again serving as music director and venue owner Denny Hitchcock as executive producer.
The top-notch cast thrillingly tugs on our nostalgic heartstrings, as it expertly brings to life the classic tale, based on P.L. Travers’ beloved book series. “Mary Poppins” became an immediate hit when it premiered as a Disney movie musical in 1964, starring Julie Andrews. Forty years later, Cameron Macintosh conceived a delightful stage treat that combines elements of Disney’s film with material inspired by Travers’ books, premiering first in London, and then in 2006 on Broadway.
An ensemble number in the new “Mary Poppins” at Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse.
In the musical version (last done in the Quad Cities in 2015 at Music Guild), Bert, a jack-of-all-trades, invites us into the world of London in 1910 – and, specifically, into the “dysfunctional” home of the Banks family. Jane and Michael, the young Banks children, have sent yet another nanny packing, the woman having dismissed these children as hopelessly and irrevocably spoiled and misbehaved. Truthfully, these kids – cutely embodied by Jax Huntley and Charlotte Ruth the Wednesday night performance I saw – are hardly rough rebels (their bedroom looks neat and clean to me).
With a father who works constantly and mother who is always distracted, Jane and Michael have suffered without strong caretaking forces in their lives. Then the magical Mary Poppins pops in (with a bag of supernatural powers), bringing with her a combination of whimsy, wit, sweetness, rigor and disciplined common sense to the children’s lives.
Together, they go on memorable and magical adventures – and also learn the importance of a tidy home and of taking the medicine they need (with a spoonful of sugar, of course). But Mary’s transformational influence does not stop with the children, because eventually, she teaches the grown-ups, as well, to open up and realize that “anything can happen if you let it.”
And with the magicians in this talented Circa crew – including costume designer Bradley Robert Jensen, scenic designer Tom Hansen, scenic artist Becky Meissen, and lighting designer Heather Hauskins — it certainly does.
To stage an extraordinary “Mary Poppins” like this one, you must have an actress to nail the iconic title character and Gillian Weatherford, a 2023 New York University graduate, pulls it off with seemingly effortless aplomb. From her perfect British accent, to her light, piercing singing voice, Weatherford gets everything about the role down to its precision and order (as praised in an unrelated song at a bank scene). Even without saying a word, the unpretentious actress locks in Mary’s regal bearing, the confident, upright way she carries herself – as well as winkingly leaning into her delightfully playful aspects.
Jordan Thomas Burnett as Bert and Gillian Weatherford as the title role in “Mary Poppins.”
So when Mary boasts that she’s “Practically Perfect” in her first solo song, it’s not arrogant braggadocio, it’s merely plain statement of fact. In a real world that seems so unwieldly, unkind, and out of control, one of the chief pleasures of this “Poppins” is to revel in its order, humanity and rightness.
Another trick that the Circa performers pull off is becoming their characters so thoroughly that they make you forget about the classic originators – in this case Andrews as Mary, and Dick Van Dyke as the lovable, song-and-dance man Bert. From the inviting prologue to the charming Act I closer “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” and the stupendous rooftop number “Step in Time,” Burnett is an airy, lithe-limbed Bert. While he occasionally dances with Weatherford, I kind of ached for the platonic relationship of Mary and Bert to soar to similar romantic heights (she could sing, “You Sweep Me Off My Feet,” and they could take flight together?)
A Las Vegas native, Weatherford attended the Las Vegas Academy of Performing Arts and earned her bachelor’s in vocal performance and musical theater at New York University.
In addition to the “Spoonful of Sugar” flight of fancy in the Banks’ kitchen, another clear highlight of the musical is the blazingly colorful “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” set in Mrs. Corry’s Shoppe. This group has the brightest, wildest set of costumes I’ve ever seen, and Carissa Ferguson is a hoot as the green-wigged Mrs. Corry.
Charlotte Ruth, Jax Huntley and Gillian Weatherford.
The exuberant ensemble acts out each letter in this crazy long word, and eventually sped up to a blissful climax, and an immediate reprise, the showy song is an exhilarating, energetic showstopper.
Circa veteran Tristan Tapscott also is flawless as the frazzled father, George Banks (fittingly working at a bank), and his story arc facing challenges in his job, to finding out he’s really good at it, as well as rediscovering his youth, sentiment, and strong parenting skills, is truly satisfying. Laura Whittenberger is a sturdy, supportive partner as Mrs. Banks.
At the top of Act II, we see the opposite of Mary Poppins in the black-clad, evil nanny Miss Andrew (a roof-raising Kristina Miranda Sloan). She is thoroughly disagreeable, mean, bitter and unpleasant, and Sloan shows off her amazing, high and booming singing voice. In “Brimstone and Treacle,” she and Weatherford face off in a battle of nannies – kind of like the wicked witch versus the good witch, unfurling operatic “ahhs,” (to see who’s the wizard of “ahs”), and Mary seemingly uses the force to force Miss Andrew out of the house.
Gillian Weatherford (in rear with umbrella), Jax Huntley, Tristan Tapscott, Laura Whittenberger, and Charlotte Ruth.
Weatherford uses her serene, rock-solid presence to create a kind of benevolent guardian angel; she even flies up to save a kite in the fun “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” in the show second half. There are many reprises in Act II and the hopeful, optimistic message of “Anything Can Happen” has a dark flip side we are seeing in the troubled real world, if you stop and think about it. Anything and everything IS happening, because people are letting it. Life is not passive, and we need to take action to make our dreams come true.
The other key pieces of this perfect dreamlike puzzle are Circa’s beautiful placement of rotating set pieces (that float down from the theater fly space) to help create sets like the living room, bedroom, kitchen and bank. The great lighting changes include some neat patterns on the stage floor.
“Mary Poppins” performances (the Banks kids will alternate Jax and Charlotte with Olivia Young and Fulton Young) will run through Sept. 6, on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 5:30 p.m. and Wednesday matinées at 1:15 p.m. Pre-show entertainment featuring the Circa wait staff the Bootleggers will also precede all performances.
Ticket prices are $68 for the Friday-through-Sunday dinner-and-show productions and $61 for all Wednesday performances. Reservations are available through the box office at 1828 3rd Ave. in Rock Island or by calling 309-786-7733, ext. 2. Online reservations are also available at circa21.com.
The colorful cast of Circa’s “Mary Poppins.”
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