review - MARY POPPINS - Hale Centre Theatre

Heidi Liz-Johnson
photo by Nick Woodward-Shaw

highlights from local critics reviews - (click link at bottom of each review to read complete review)

Click here for more information on this production that runs through November 20

""Practically perfect" is a phrase that P. L. Travers' literary character Mary Poppins uses to refer to herself. With an excellent cast and bright creative elements, it's also a phrase one could use to refer to Hale Centre Theatre's current production of this stage musical adaptation....The entire Hale cast doesn't disappoint....As Mary and Bert, respectively, Heidi-Liz Johnson and Nicholas Gunnell are both exceptional. This pair played these roles in Mesa Encore Theatre's production of the show a few seasons back and their portrayals are even better here...Mychal Leverage and Rochelle Barton do very good work depicting the stubborn, work-centered George Banks and mother Winnifred Banks, who comes into her own throughout the show, respectively. With strong singing voices and excellent comic timing, Mason Berchman and Zach Thompson are excellent as their children. In the supporting cast, Savannah Alfred is exceptional as both the Banks' frustrated maid and the lovable Mrs. Corry, who sings "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" with the whole cast. Alfred's superb comic timing and bright singing voice deliver the best performances of either role in the several productions of this show I've seen. Suze St. John's pure singing voice brings warmth and meaning to her solo with Johnson of "Feed the Birds" and she also plays the evil nanny Miss Andrew with relish. As the bumbling, accident-prone Banks houseboy Robertson Ay, Chris Reah is hilarious. He and Alfred form a winning comic duo that get big laughs....With a gifted cast and sure-footed direction, Hale Centre Theatre's production of this family friendly musical is charming, fun, and even quite touching."   -Gil Benbrook, Talkin' Broadway (click here to read the complete review)