Charlottetown Rural High School is proud to present Mary Poppins, the stage musical adapted by Cameron Mackintosh in 1993. Join us as Mary Poppins and her friend Bert lead the Banks family to break with social conventions and re-discover the real wonder of life before it’s too late!

Mary Poppins needs almost no introduction. The Disney movie released in August of 1964 quickly set box office records as audiences fell in love with the magical arrival of Mary Poppins, complete with talking parrot umbrella and bottomless carpet bag, to take over as nanny to Jane and Michael Banks. With the help of her multi-talented friend Bert, Mary and the children set out each day on a series of adventures all over Edwardian London, circa 1910. Through many escapades, a near run on the bank where Mr. Banks works and in the midst of a dysfunctional home, Mary and Bert lead the whole Banks family to re-discover the true possibilities of life against the backdrop of social conditions, industrial capitalism and the suffragette movement of the day.

The movie’s audience appeal spread across all ages, garnered 13 Academy Nominations and Awards, a host of other film awards and was selected in 2013 for preservation in the National Film Registry for its historic and cultural relevance. A less-known fact about the movie is that it provided the huge financial backing Walt Disney used to purchase land in Florida and build Walt Disney World.

In 1993, Cameron Mackintosh acquired the rights to produce a stage adaptation of Mary Poppins from the author of the original books, P.L. Travers. In 2004, the musical opened in the West End, London and in 2006 the Broadway version opened in New York where it continued until 2013 when it closed to make room for the new production of Aladdin. In late 2014, Mary Poppins became available for amateur performance, perfect timing for Charlottetown Rural!

Mary Poppins is at the Confederation Centre on May 12, 13, and 14 at 7 PM.