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Mary Poppins

Updated: Friday, April 6 2012, 12:14 AM CDT
Mary Poppins will be on Austin’s stage April 10 – 15.  What makes this live performance different than the beloved Disney film is there are even more dance numbers.

Rachel Wallace plays the wonderful Mary Poppins.  I talked with her about how she prepared for the role.  She said that she first learned the role as the understudy.  She learned the music first and then the choreography in a very technical way.  She says, “When I feel like Rachel, at her happiest, that’s when I’m closest to the character.”

The production is a combination of the film and the P.L. Travers books.  According to her, there are a few characters in our play that you meet in the books, but have never met in the movie.   If you have a bias toward the film, Rachel assures us that “the heart and the essence of the movie are the same in our play, as well as all of the songs you know and love.”

If you wonder if she has a favorite scene, she says, “It changes all the time.  Right now, I enjoy the ‘Anything Can Happen’ scenes and numbers best.  The hook of the song is ‘anything can happen, if you let it.’  This idea fells more and more true everyday for me.  If you work hard, dream big, and stay true to yourself…the world is your oyster.”

“We put the show together in about 7 weeks, including the tech process.  It’s one thing to learn all the choreography, staging, and music.  Marrying those elements with a set as intricate and massive as ours takes some time and exploration.  I couldn’t be prouder of both our crew and cast.  They work their tails off, and the result is stunning,” Rachel gleams.  And stunning it is!  So don’t miss your chance.  It’s only here for 8 performances.   

Bass Concert Hall
April 10 – April 15
Weekdays at 8pm except Mondays, Saturday 2 & 8pm, Sunday at 1pm & 6:30pm

For tickets, call 471-4454 or click here.Mary Poppins