Ranae Miller as Mary Poppins. Photo by Tim Matheson.
By Brittany Tiplady
@yellowbird888
Expect a magical whirlwind of childhood nostalgia at Stanley Park’s Malkin Bowl this summer. Theatre Under The Stars presents Mary Poppins (alongside Broadway favourite The Drowsy Chaperone,) this 2017 season with much anticipation.
Mary Poppins director and TUTS legend Shel Piercy brings the Disney classic to life sprucing up the storyline with new music and dance sequences along with the beloved classics. The spectacular production stars Ranae Miller as Mary Poppins, joined by Victor Hunter as Bert. Russell Roberts and Lalainia Lindbjerg-Strelau join the cast as Mr. and Mrs. Banks, and nine-year-old Nolen Dubuc, a TUTS newcomer, makes his debut as Michael Banks, alongside 11-year-old Lola Marshall as Jane Banks.
“Our Mary Poppins show definitely stays true to the movie; the storyline is very similar. But there definitely has been some changes added the stage production and news song and dance numbers that really support the story,” says Miller.
“We have had an incredible response already, and we are hoping that continues throughout the summer!”
Choreographed by Nicol Spinola, with musical direction by Wendy Bross Stuart, Miller promises a touch of girl power woven into the Mary Poppins script.
“In Mary Poppins, there are some very strong female characters in the show itself, and being Mary Poppins and being a female in that role, I think it’s a very positive thing. She’s a very strong person helping and driving people and that’s wonderful to watch. She’s positive and will hopefully be inspiring for younger girls women watching our show.”
Mary Poppins opens at the Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park on Tuesday, July 11th and runs until August 19th. Tickets are available online at tuts.ca.
Brittany Tiplady is a part-time poet, a full-time Nasty Woman, and the co-founder of Loose Lips Magazine. She loves the indoors, fast wifi, collecting maps, and a generous glass of red wine. She is a self-proclaimed wizard of time management, and a notorious loud talker with a penchant for all things Internet.
