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Ignition Entertainment
Mary Poppins - Original Australian Cast Recording
Date of Show:
Friday, 18th February 2011 (All day)
Venue:
Her Majesty's Theatre Australia’s Mary Poppins is given a glorious treatment on disc.
Believe it or not, Australian cast recordings were once de rigueur. Long time fans surely have treasured copies of Chicago, Anything Goes, 42nd Street, Nine, Seven Little Australians and many more. The most recent in memory was a mini-disc of The Secret Garden starring two of the lead performers on this new recording of the Australian cast of Mary Poppins.The London cast recording, starring Laura Michelle Kelly and Gavin Lee, was released in 2005 following the musical’s premiere at the Prince Edward Theatre. The Australian soundtrack is all the more special in light of the fact that there was no recording of the Broadway cast.
While aural purists may raise an eyebrow at the fact that the disc was recorded live in Her Majesty’s Theatre rather than in a recording studio, be assured that this is work of the highest quality. The loving attention that has been lavished on the project is clear in every note.
According to new liner notes by Cameron Mackintosh and Thomas Schumacher, the music was recorded over five nights then mixed in London. The disc is sure to attract the attention of international fans due to the extra music included and the fact that it contains the new song “ Playing the Game”, which replaced “Temper, Temper” for Broadway.
CD listeners who have not been overseas are about to discover the thrill of hearing a CD for which they have seen the cast live on stage. The entire company sound superb and listening is like being back in the theatre watching the show. Diction is precise and character work comes across with clarity and colour.The orchestra sounds magnificent, particularly in dance breaks such as the honky tonk of “Practically Perfect” the brass of “A Spoonful of Sugar” and the jaunty delight of “Jolly Holiday”. Tap beats are crisp in the act two showstopper “Step in Time”.
Verity Hunt-Ballard’s voice is every bit as crystalline as in the theatre. Her tender warmth shines through each number. Matt Lee, who appears a little young for Bert on stage, cannot be faulted here.
Supporting leads are an embarrassment of riches. Marina Prior, Philip Quast, Judi Conelli and Debra Byrne all have extensive recording experience and it shows in the strength of their performances.
How wonderful for a new generation of performers to appear on their first CD. Adam Murphy, Troy Sussman, Leah Howard, Mitch Fistrovic and many more make impressive contributions.
All child actors who play Jane and Michael Banks are listed in the credits and given that the recording was made over several nights it is possible that they are all represented here.
Special mention must be made of the full ensemble singing, which is a significant attraction of the recording.
“Lavishly illustrated full colour booklet” is a term that is thrown around casually sometimes but here it could not be more appropriate. A 36-page booklet contains all the lyrics to the show with stunning souvenir photos on every page. There is even a super cute montage of the dance position for every letter in “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”. One quibble is that none of the performers’ names are on the outside of the disc cover.This is a world-class recording that every fan of Mary Poppins should own. There is only one catch – make sure you have money for another ticket as listening will make you desperate to see the show again.
State:
VIC