The magic of a beloved classic will soon be spellbinding San Benito audiences on the Granada Theatre stage: the San Benito Stage Company’s production of the musical Mary Poppins, the story of everyone’s favorite magical nanny, began its performances on July 10.
The musical, which is a combination of elements from both the classic movie and the books by P.L. Travers, was a hit on Broadway. Patricia Whalen, who’s been involved with the stage company since 2007 and is the director of the musical, said she is excited to bring the magic of Mary Poppins to a San Benito audience. “As soon as I heard the stage company was doing it, I knew I had to be involved,” she says. “It’s my daughter’s favorite.”
However, adapting the hit Broadway musical for the Granada stage turned out to be no easy feat. Producer Matthew Morrison says that the greatest challenge when approaching the show was its caliber.
“We’re a small theater, and the show requires a lot of different elements,” he says. “We had to ask ourselves, ‘How are we going to make the set crash, break, crumble, and then come back together?’” Fortunately, Whalen says that while it was a challenge, it was made entirely possible by the “talented, creative builders” behind the show.
While the story of the musical may be old, Whalen believes that its theme of neglect and the importance of family are more relevant than ever in an age dominated by technology and social media. “With social media, not just mom and dad are busy- everyone is busy. And the kids suffer,” Whalen says, adding that the musical reminds us that, “You have to pay attention to your kids. And money isn’t the real value in life- love in the family is.”
Whalen and Morrison hope that, above all, audience members take the show’s magic into their own lives.
“The show reminds us that anything is possible,” Whalen says.
Morrison agrees, saying “People always have roadblocks. But this musical shows us that if you believe in what you’re capable of doing and have confidence and set your mind to it, you can do anything.”
Mary Poppins will run at the Granada Theatre on July 16-18, and 23-25 at 7 p.m., and matinee performances on July 19 at 2 p.m.
Ticket Prices
- Four tickets (advance sales only): $47
- Single Ticket (advance or at the door): $16
- Senior/Student/Child: $13
