A Jolly Holiday with Bridget

Several months ago I bought tickets to the touring Broadway production of Mary Poppins in Salt Lake City.  One for me and one for Bridget.  Bridget has never been to a live play or musical, so I had to answer more than the usual number of questions whenever the subject of going to see Mary Poppins came up.  ("Not the REAL Mary Poppins because she's a Grandma now."  That's after we saw an interview with Julie Andrews and they showed clips of her in Mary Poppins the movie.) 

This is the Australian cast performing Supercalafragalisticexpealidocious.

Yesterday was finally the day!  We dressed up and got there early so I could find decent, free parking.  Bridget was talking a thousand miles an hour, so I know she was excited. :)  We got her a cushion (all the kids get cushions at Capitol Theatre), treats, and headed to our seats near the front of the balcony.  Bridget was impressed with all the chandeliers in the theater.  She also kept saying she didn't want to sit on the extra cushion.  She said it so much I thought maybe I'd made a huge mistake - it was going to be a long show.  Then the curtain came up and Bert sang Chim Chim Cheree on the rooftops.  Hooray!  At least once every five minutes Bridget and I would look at each other with our jaws dropped.  It was AMAZING!  She would hold my hand and whisper her questions: "Is it really raining?"  "How is she flying?!"  My favorite was during the second Chim Chim Cheree when Mary and the kids were on the rooftop with Bert and Bert started walking up the side of the stage.  When he got to the top, he started tap dancing on the ceiling of the stage.  I looked over at Bridget and she had her mouth open and she was clapping.  Ah!  That was worth the price of the ticket.

My favorite song and accompanying dance number was Supercalafragalisticexpealidocious.  They made some of the letters with their hands and bodies and it was so fast and awesome.  Our favorites were Mary and Bert.  Great voices and acting.  I also like the grumpy cook.  (The Banks home was like a pop-up book picture come to life.  I can't get over it.  Amazing.)  The kids weren't my favorite.  They were bratty in a 21st century way instead of being just precocious like they are in the movie.  And no one beats Glynnis Johns and David Tomlinson as Mrs. and Mr. Banks.  (Although the story in the musical is very different from the one in the movie.) 

Towards the end of the show Bridget leaned over and said, "This is a fun date for us."  :)  I wanted to go to Elizabeth's Bakery afterward (a tea parlor) and they were closed.  Booo.  We went to Tucci's instead because I didn't want to get back in the car and find something else.  We drew pictures on the table cloth from the show (an umbrella, a kite, a flying nanny).  Bridget really was a great date.  I hope her memory of it is as sweet as mine.

Hanging in the window of the former bakery.