JULIE ANDREWS, DICK VAN DYKE AND THE SF SYMPHONY TAKE US BACK IN TIME TO RELIVE THE MAGIC OF MARY POPPINS…
Written by Sason Bishope Parry
Wow, just consider it, Julie Andrews one of the greatest soprano singers of all time, singing at her prime. Unfortunately that’s not the case today, due to an unfortunate vocal surgery that left her vocals scarred for life and unable to hit those angelic Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do notes. But for this one night Saturday January 5, we got to relive the magic of one of Disney’s most celebrated and classic family films, Mary Poppins and hear Andrews sing and act again in the role of a lifetime. Of course we had to arrive early, as we assumed it would be a full house and it was a rainy evening in San Francisco. As usual the halls of Davies Symphony Hall were packed with revelers and fans roaming around, taking pictures, picking up Mary Poppins merchandise and parents telling their wide eyed kids about the first time they saw this classic tale.
A tale of young Jane and Michael Banks who longed to spend more time with their father Mr. Banks, who was always away busy at work. Mr. Banks eagerly wanted his kids well behaved, smart and to follow his rules and sets out to find the perfect nanny. After multiple failed attempts the kids find themselves finally in the care of Mary Poppins a beautiful, sweet, yet stern nanny who uses magic and adventure to excite the kids and help to bring the banks family closer together. The film, which combines both animation and live action was the winner of five Academy Awards in 1964 including best original music score and starred not only the exceptional Julie Andrews in her feature film debut, but also the gifted and talented Dick Van Dyke. What a combination they were as you couldn’t imagine anyone else in these roles to bring P.L. Travers book to life, as they exuberated music and dance in every one of their charismatic scenes.
The SF symphony led by conductor Ted Sterling was just sensational as they chimed in and really brought the essence and spirit of the music to life. Classic songs written and composed by the Sherman Brothers echoed through the seats, as families and delighted fans sang along to “Chim Chim Cheree”, (which won the academy award for best original song) as well as other hits like “Supercalifragilisticexpialodocious” and “A Spoonful Of Sugar”.
What a way to spend the first Saturday of 2019 with the SF Symphony and Mary Poppins. Of course my highlight being Julie Andrews, cause arguably she was one of the greatest vocalist to ever grace the big screen and really set the gold standard for anyone that wants to sing in a musical. Accompanied by SF’s best music section and I have one word to describe this night – Supercalifragilisticexpialodocious!
For more info on SF Symphony go to: www.sfsymphony.org