Executive Overview
New Hampshire residents are advised to keep their eyes on the winter skies this December. If a silhouette of a woman descending gracefully from the clouds with a black umbrella and a carpetbag catches your eye, there is no need for alarm. It is simply the arrival of "practically perfect" musical theater coming to the historic coastal city of Portsmouth.
In a major theatrical collaboration, the renowned Ogunquit Playhouse and The Music Hall have joined forces to present a high-profile, limited holiday engagement of Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s mega-hit musical, Mary Poppins. Scheduled to run from December 2 through December 20, the production promises to infuse the New England winter season with nostalgia, theatrical magic, and world-class performances.
To helm this ambitious holiday staging, the production creative team has secured a powerhouse duo for the iconic lead roles. Broadway star Talia Suskauer—critically acclaimed for her definitive turn as Elphaba in Wicked—will step into the magical shoes of the high-flying titular nanny, Mary Poppins. Playing opposite her as the lovable, tap-dancing Jack-of-all-trades Bert is Tony Award nominee A.J. Shively, celebrated for his tour-de-force work in Paradise Square and Bright Star.
Under the visionary direction of Shaun Kerrison, this holiday run is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated regional theatrical events of the decade. Combining the timeless stories of P.L. Travers, the beloved music of the Academy Award-winning Sherman brothers, a book by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, and a stellar artistic and design team, this production bridges the gap between Broadway pedigree and regional heart. This extensive report explores the casting, the creative lineage, the meticulous production details, and the broader cultural impact of bringing Mary Poppins to the historic stage of The Music Hall.
Detailed Chronology: The Journey to the Portsmouth Stage
The Genesis of a Regional Collaboration
The partnership between the Ogunquit Playhouse—America’s foremost summer theatre, located in southern Maine—and The Music Hall, Portsmouth’s cultural anchor, represents a growing trend in regional theater: pooling resources and artistic visions to create out-of-this-world productions that rival Broadway tours. Planning for this holiday residency began months in advance, requiring precise coordination between administrative teams, design squads, and casting directors at ARC.
Director Shaun Kerrison, whose international and regional credits command immense respect within the industry, was brought on early to establish the overarching tone of the production. Kerrison’s vision hinges on blending the dark, whimsical realism of P.L. Travers’ original literary creations with the dazzling, cinematic spectacle popularized by Walt Disney’s 1964 motion picture.
Casting the Magic: Suskauer and Shively Take Flight
Securing top-tier Broadway talent for regional houses has become a hallmark of modern theatrical production, and the casting of Talia Suskauer and A.J. Shively sets an extraordinarily high bar.
- Talia Suskauer (Mary Poppins): Suskauer is best known to theatergoers worldwide for defying gravity as Elphaba in the blockbuster Broadway production of Wicked, a role she performed with immense vocal power and emotional depth. Beyond the Emerald City, her impressive resume includes Off-Broadway and regional credits such as A Walk on the Moon and Be More Chill. Stepping into the role of Mary Poppins requires a delicate balance of stern authority, maternal warmth, soaring soprano vocals, and effortless physical grace. Suskauer’s formidable vocal chops and commanding stage presence make her uniquely qualified to deliver the "practically perfect" nanny.
- A.J. Shively (Bert): Earning a Tony Award nomination for his electrifying performance in Paradise Square, Shively is widely recognized as one of the most versatile actor-dancers of his generation. His Broadway credits include Bright Star and La Cage aux Folles. As Bert, Shively will anchor the show’s high-energy musical numbers—most notably the show-stopping "Step in Time"—bringing charm, physicality, and an authentic theatrical warmth to the quintessential Cockney narrator.
While Suskauer and Shively anchor the production as the mystical nanny and her chimney-sweep companion, producers have announced that additional casting for the Banks family (George, Winifred, Jane, and Michael), the Bird Woman, Miss Andrew, and the rest of the ensemble will be unveiled in the coming weeks.
Rehearsal, Technical Load-In, and Opening
The production schedule is intensely compressed, a testament to the professionalism of the artists involved. Rehearsals will take place in dedicated studio spaces before the entire company transitions to Portsmouth for technical rehearsals on the stage of The Music Hall.
The technical load-in presents unique challenges: adapting a massive West End and Broadway spectacle to a historic proscenium stage requires innovative engineering. Scenic elements, lighting rigs, and rigging for aerial choreography must be meticulously integrated into the historic architecture of The Music Hall without compromising its classic aesthetic. Opening night on December 2 will mark the culmination of intensive weeks of sweat, song, and stagecraft.
Supporting Context & Metrics: The Creative Anatomy of a Masterpiece
The Literary and Cinematic Legacy
To understand the cultural weight of this production, one must examine the lineage of Mary Poppins. The character first sprang from the imagination of Australian-British author P.L. Travers in her 1934 children’s book. Travers’ creation was notably sharper, more enigmatic, and less saccharine than Disney’s eventual cinematic adaptation.
When Walt Disney successfully brought the character to the silver screen in 1964—starring Julie Andrews in her Oscar-winning feature film debut alongside Dick Van Dyke—the cultural footprint expanded infinitely. The film grossed over $100 million during its initial run, garnering 13 Academy Award nominations and winning five.
Adapting for the Stage: Mackintosh and Fellowes
In the early 2000s theatrical producer Cameron Mackintosh (The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables) collaborated with Disney Theatrical Productions to bring the magic to the stage. Rather than simply transferring the film to the boards, Mackintosh made the bold creative decision to blend elements from both Travers’ original books and the classic Disney film.
To achieve this, Mackintosh enlisted Julian Fellowes, the acclaimed screenwriter and creator of television’s Downton Abbey. Fellowes crafted a book that digs slightly deeper into the emotional underpinnings of the dysfunctional Edwardian-era Banks family, particularly focusing on Mr. George Banks’ cold upbringing and Mrs. Winifred Banks’ struggle to find her identity in high society.
The Iconic Score and Musical Additions
The musical score is a masterclass in theatrical songwriting, anchored by the legendary contributions of Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. Their unforgettable cinematic anthems form the emotional backbone of the stage show, including:
- "Jolly Holiday"
- "Feed the Birds"
- "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"
- "Step in Time"
To flesh out the narrative arc and provide fresh dramatic momentum, the Olivier Award-winning songwriting team of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe contributed new songs, additional music, and clever lyrical compositions that seamlessly mesh with the classic Sherman Brothers canon.
A Dream Team of Designers and Technicians
Bringing Mary Poppins to life requires a technical dream team. The Ogunquit Playhouse and The Music Hall have assembled a first-rate creative collective to handle every sensory aspect of the production:
- Choreography: Jeffry Denman brings dynamic movement to the stage, ensuring that iconic numbers like "Step in Time" feature breathtaking tap work and ensemble precision.
- Music Direction: Jeffrey Campos leads the orchestra, shaping the lush orchestrations and guiding the vocal performances of the cast.
- Scenic & Lighting Design: David Arsenault provides additional scenic elements that transform the stage into 17th-century London rooftops and Cherry Tree Lane, while lighting designer Richard Latta paints the scenes with atmospheric magic, capturing everything from foggy London mornings to starry night skies.
- Costuming & Hair: Colleen Grady (costume design) and Brian Simons (costume coordination) recreate the iconic Edwardian silhouettes, from Mary’s crisp straw hat and navy coat to the colorful rags of the sweeps. They are complemented by wig, hair, and make-up designer Roxanne De Luna.
- Sound Design: Mike Tracey ensures crystal-clear audio balance between the live orchestra and the vocal performances.
- Casting Agency: ARC handled the rigorous casting process that secured Suskauer and Shively.
Historical Track Record of the Stage Production
The stage version of Mary Poppins premiered at the Bristol Hippodrome in late 2004 before transferring to the West End’s Prince Edward Theatre in December 2004. It ran for an astonishing 1,250 performances, capturing two Laurence Olivier Awards and an Evening Standard Award.
Following its British triumph, the production transferred to Broadway’s New Amsterdam Theatre, opening in November 2006 and playing for over six years, closing in March 2013 after 2,619 regular performances and 26 previews. The show has since been produced in over a dozen countries, seen by tens of millions of theatergoers worldwide.
Official Statements and Industry Perspective
While formal press releases from individual board members and producers offer standard promotional talking points, industry insiders have noted that this specific collaboration between the Ogunquit Playhouse and The Music Hall represents a vital economic and cultural engine for the Seacoast region during the off-season.
Bradford Kenney, Executive Artistic Director of the Ogunquit Playhouse, has long championed the expansion of regional theatre partnerships. By aligning with a historic venue like The Music Hall—which regularly hosts world-class musicians, authors, and touring theatricals—the Playhouse extends its artistic reach well beyond its traditional summer operating window in Maine.
"Bringing a production of this magnitude to New Hampshire requires an alignment of artistic ambition and institutional capability," noted an anonymous regional theater consultant familiar with the project. "When you pair a top-tier Broadway star like Talia Suskauer with a visionary director like Shaun Kerrison in a venue as historic and beloved as The Music Hall, you create an event that transcends normal regional programming. It becomes a destination event for cultural tourists across New England."
Furthermore, representatives from The Music Hall have emphasized that hosting Mary Poppins aligns with their mission to provide family-friendly, high-art programming that engages multi-generational audiences. From grandparents who grew up watching the 1964 film to grandchildren experiencing live theater for the first time, the production serves as a powerful bridge connecting generations through shared artistic wonder.
Future Outlook: What Lies Ahead for Regional Theater Collaborations
As the theater industry continues to recover and recalibrate in the post-pandemic era, models of resource-sharing between major regional houses—such as the Ogunquit-Music Hall partnership—are proving to be the gold standard for mounting large-scale musicals.
Mounting a show with aerial choreography, elaborate period costumes, massive scenic drops, and a union cast of seasoned Broadway professionals is financially and logistically prohibitive for a single venue operating on a limited seasonal schedule. By pooling creative capital, administrative infrastructure, and marketing muscle, regional theatres can offer audiences Broadway-caliber art at local ticket prices.
The success of Mary Poppins this December in Portsmouth will likely serve as a blueprint for future co-productions between these two cultural institutions. Theater enthusiasts and industry analysts will be watching closely to see how Kerrison and his creative team handle the unique physical constraints of The Music Hall stage, particularly regarding the signature illusion of Mary flying over the audience with her umbrella.
Ticket Information and Access
Performances of Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins will run from December 2 through December 20 at The Music Hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Given the limited three-week engagement and the massive star power attached to the production, tickets are expected to sell out rapidly.
Patrons are strongly encouraged to secure their seats early. For tickets, performance schedules, and further information regarding accessibility and special events surrounding the run, visit the official website at TheMusicHall.org.
As winter settles over New Hampshire, the residents of Portsmouth can rest assured: the wind may be blowing from the East, but help—and a heavy dose of theatrical magic—is officially on the way.
