Does Mary Poppins fly???

Does Mary Poppins fly in the stage musical??? In all the pics and video clips I have seen, there has been no flying....

i feel like i read somewhere that she flies out over the audience during the act 1 finale.

I read an article just today that says she flies to the cieling of the theater at some point.

And I don't think its THAT important, just adds to the "magic" of Mary. However, she's known for her flying (in fact, its on the marquee), so she has to.

I did see WITCHES OF EASTWICK a few years ago and that was why Mary Poppins' flying ( which I saw two weeks ago in London) was no novelty to me. What would probably be more interesting to the audience was Bert's "walking" the sidewalls of the stage and the ceiling ( unfortunately the spotlight caught the harnesses attached to him - but you have to suspend disbelief when you are in the theatre ).

I'd rather see CHITTY fly! CHITTY'S flying is not just a technical wonder - it has some emotional overtones, too ( you are actually rooting for him to make it, as he flutters his wings tentatively at first)

Updated On: 4/13/05 at 11:51 PM

She does hover over the audience up to the ceiling. I was sitting right underneath her path, and even though I saw how they did it and everything, it was still pretty amazing.

sounds thrilling! I'm in love with the cast recording.

With WITCHES OF EASTWICK the big deal was - at least for someone who hasn't seen the Peter Pan musical - that they were above the audience. Had it been just up from the sofa and there 'on stage', it wouldn't have been a big deal. But once they were flying over the orchestra pit into the auditorium, the audience just went nuts! Sure everyone could see the wires but it didn't matter, it still looked cool.

"You're on a wire."

"No I'm not - I'm flyin'!"

"You're on a bloody wire - I can see it!"

"Watch me pass this 'oop around my body. See - no wire!"

"That hoop's got a hole in it!"

"Well of course it's got an 'ole in it. If it didn't 'ave an 'ole in it, it wouldn't be an 'oop!"


Sorry - just felt like quoting Monty Python...

"None of the actresses did anyhting with their bodies..."

In those ankle-length evening gowns???

The main point was the FLYING, not some air-acrobatics.

Did Rose Kennedy own a black dress?

That's like asking if Sweet Charity has dancing...or if SPAMALOT has jokes.

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I REALLY wanna see WoE.... but I still think the special effects in MP is still pretty amazing!

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The flying in Mary Poppins is really nothing special to anyone who's seen Peter Pan, or any other show where the actors fly(I haven't see WOE). At the end of the show, during the Spoonful of Sugar Reprise, she flys over the stage and then hovers out over the audience. At that point, she extends the umbrella and begins to rise toward an opening at the top of the theatre. You can't really see the harness unless the one of the lights catches on it (I remember that the stage is mostly dark at that point).

Once she goes through the ceiling, she has to make a dash back down to the stage for curtain call. It's very impressive to someone who's never seen flying before, which I'm guessing a good chunk of Mary Poppins' target audience has never seen.

Still, I think the best flying effect I've seen was the flying during Peter Pan. The audience flight at the end was wonderful.

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"they all looked like cows being hoisted up on a rope."

I hope you don't mean in London, because they did no such thing. They were shocked, and amazed while using thier arms to lift themselves higher and higher.

It was a blast to watch them having so much fun.

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