Like so many people I grew up watching the Disney musical Mary Poppins. I watched it over and over until I could sing the songs by heart. I got piano music and even played a Mary Poppins medley for one of my piano recitals. I loved it!
Because I grew up watching Mary Poppins, there was no doubt in my mind that we should see it on Broadway while in New York. Mary Poppins shows at the New Amsterdam Theater in Times Square. Surrounded by multiple other theaters, large crowds of people, huge advertisements lighting up the sides of the buildings, and all sorts of flashing lights, the New Amsterdam Theater is a beautiful retreat off the busy street. Once you work your way through the crowd and enter the theater you are greeted with the soft murmur of people trying to find their seats and settle down in anticipation of the show.
Once we found our seats we decided to take some time to read the couple pages in the Showbill that told the history of Mary Poppins making it to Broadway. I learned for the first time that Mary Poppins was actually based on a series of books. (Where have I been that I did not know that? I will be reading those right away!) The Broadway musical actually used some different parts of the books that you do not get to experience in the Disney movie. There are more songs, though they still include the original music from the movie as well.
Soon the lights dimmed, the curtain went up, and the musical began. The singing voices filled the theater around us and I definitely teared up a little just hearing it begin. The sets throughout the entire musical were incredible, which I had actually heard a lady on the streets earlier that day talking about. The songs we have never heard were great and went so well with the story. I loved hearing all of the familiar songs as well and the audience was even invited to sing to Let’s Go Fly a Kite during the curtain call at the end. Let’s just say that seeing Mary Poppins on Broadway in New York City was “practically perfect in every way.”
What are some of your favorite musicals on Broadway?
Travel Info and Tips:
- Buy your tickets online ahead of time. There are so many sites selling tickets, but we ended up just getting ours through Ticketmaster. You can then pick them up at the Will Call window at the New Amsterdam Theater.
- Find out exactly where the New Amsterdam Theater is ahead of time. It is way too hard to work your way through the crowds of Times Square trying to spot the theater among all of the other lights and shows.
- If you are going to sit in the Mezzanine at this theater, try to sit near the front of the section. If you are toward the back of the theater it can be a challenge to see when the actors are at the front of the stage.
- Read your Showbill! There is so much to learn about the musical…it is actually very interesting!
