Mary Poppins

There are musicals, and there are Musicals. And Mary Poppins is a Musical with a capital M. It's a top class production all the way, with stellar singers, catchy songs, and lavish sets, including a giant foldout dollhouse for Number Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane.

I don't know where they found Verity Hunt-Ballard from, but she was amazing as Mary Poppins. Not only a voice that rivals Julie Andrews - and those are big shoes to fill - but she kept that serene smile on her face all through the show. It was a real treat to see Phillip Quast (Ultraviolet! Playschool!) in person at last, and Marina Prior was fabulous as always. And even though I didn't like Matt Lee when he was a judge on So You Think You Can Dance Australia, he did a respectable job as Bert.

I loved the way they made magic on stage, from Mary Poppins pulling a coat rack out of her carpet bag, to cleaning up a room with a snap of her fingers, and, of course, flying into the sky on her umbrella.

If you are into musicals at all, this is one I highly recommend seeing live on stage.

Bonus: They actually released an Australian cast recording for this production!