Discounts for Mary Poppins Musical
Walt Disney Theatrical Productions has done well on Broadway with two of the longest running musicals of all time, The Lion King (ranked #7 with 5638 shows and counting), and Beauty and the Beast (ranked #8 with 5461 total performances), and with their newest family-friendly hit, Mary Poppins, still climbing the ranks.
Mary Poppins on Broadway, image from disney.go.com
Mary Poppins made its Broadway debut on November 16th, 2006 and has played more than 1900 shows at The New Amsterdam Theater which previously housed Disney’s The Lion King before the show moved to the Minskoff Theatre. Mary Poppins features all of the characters and many beloved songs from the hit film starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, including “Chim Chim Cher-ee”, “A Spoonful of Sugar”, “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” and “Step in Time”.
Fans of the 1964 movie musical who aren’t familiar with the original P.L. Travers children’s novels will be surprised – and hopefully delighted – by the way the Disney musical weaves the events of the film together with scenes and characters from the books, including Neleus, a statue of the mythical son of Poseidon who comes to life, Mrs. Corry, a magical sweet shop owner who also sells words, and Miss Andrew, the fearsome nanny from Mr. Banks’s childhood who enjoys forcing children to consume a “Brimstone and Treacle”-flavored tonic. Although the Broadway musical features shares much in common with the film, some of the scenes have been re-written (ex: Mary Poppins, Bert, and the children no longer jump into a chalk drawing and compete in a horse race), and one major scene and song – “I Love to Laugh”, sung when the foursome joins Bert’s Uncle Albert in a tea party in mid-air – was cut entirely.
I saw the Broadway musical twice and was very impressed with the sky-high production values: the gorgeous sets and costumes, and the sophisticated special effects that make Mary Poppins fly and bring her bottomless carpet bag to life. The second time I saw the show I sat in one of the theater’s box seats which allowed for a behind-the-scenes view of the trap doors and wire rigging that make the special effects possible. Behind-the-scenes views may ruin the “magic” for some theatergoers, but no matter where you’re sitting, you won’t be disappointed by the show-stopping numbers, especially “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” and “Step In Time” which feature impressive dancing from the whole cast and a jaw-dropping sequence as Bert walks up the wall and dances across the ceiling!
Currently, Disney is offering a promo code – SPBERT – for discounted tickets to the New York show. With the promo code, tickets are $77 for select Orchestra and Front Mezzanine seats, $64.50 for Mid-Mezzanine, and $42 for Rear Mezzanine and Balcony, for savings of up to $45 off regularly priced tickets. The discount is not available for the Wednesday matinee performances, and the offer expires on 7/3/2011.
If you aren’t able to take advantage of Disney’s promo code, there are several other ways to see the show at a discount. Broadwaybox.com offers excellent discounts for Broadway shows, and the TKTS discount booths in Times Square and at the South Street Seaport offer 30%, 40%, and 50% discounts on same-day evening performances and next-day matinees. College students can get $31.50 rush tickets for that day’s performance(s) when the box office opens. Rush tickets are subject to availability and there is a limit of 1 ticket per valid student ID.
Share your Mary Poppins on Broadway experiences in the comment box below. Which other Disney films would you love to see adapted for the stage? My fingers are crossed for Tangled: The Musical, and I’d love to see the 5th Avenue Theatre’s production of Aladdin: The New Stage Musical in Seattle eventually make its way to Broadway!
Enjoy a sneak peak at the Broadway show! The clip above features the entire “Step in Time” musical sequence with an introduction by Composer George Stiles.