Īn experienced production team was assembled, including Sir Richard Eyre, multi award-winning director of film, theatre and opera and Bob Crowley, a theatre designer who has worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, the Royal Ballet and the Royal Opera. Julian Fellowes was brought on to write the show's script because of his "clear understanding of the social niceties of the English class system that prevailed in the Edwardian era". They submitted the song to Mackintosh, and due to his positive response, were officially brought on to the creative team. Īround this time, songwriters George Stiles and Anthony Drewe heard about the project, and independently wrote a demo version of a new introductory song for the character of Mary, titled "Practically Perfect". With both sides committed, a preliminary outline of the show was written in 2002. In 2001, Mackintosh and Thomas Schumacher, head of Disney Theatrical Productions, opened talks on a possible collaboration, so that the stage play would be able to use the songs from the Disney film.
She only agreed to a stage production as long as the creators were all English, and no one who had worked on the Disney film adaptation. Travers and acquired the rights to develop a stage play adaptation of her Mary Poppins books. In 1993, theatrical producer Cameron Mackintosh met P. The musical has become a popular choice for schools and community theatres to produce. Touring and international productions followed. The original Broadway production closed in March 2013, after 2,619 performances. It received seven Tony nominations, including Best Musical, and won for Best Scenic Design in a Musical. A Broadway production with a near-identical creative team opened in November 2006, with only minor changes from the West End version. Produced by Sir Cameron Mackintosh and Disney Theatrical Productions and directed by Richard Eyre with co-direction from Matthew Bourne who also acted as co-choreographer with Stephen Mear, the original West End production opened in December 2004 and won two Olivier Awards, one for Best Actress in a Musical to Laura Michelle Kelly who originated the role of Mary Poppins on stage, and the other for Best Theatre Choreographer. Travers and the 1964 Disney film, and is a fusion of various elements from the two, including songs from the film. The musical is based on the similarly titled Mary Poppins children's books by P. Sherman (the Sherman Brothers) and additional music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, and a script by Julian Fellowes. Mary Poppins is a musical with music and lyrics by Richard M.