Mary Poppins453

Based on the London show (which we understand has been tweaked a bit on the way to Broadway), the stage production of Mary Poppins is admittedly a little darker than the Julie Andrews film, with hints of abuse by the father's nanny, and marital strife between Mr and Mrs Banks. Uncle Alfred's mid-air tea party is not included, either, and - naturally - the animated sequence with cartoon penguins is lost in translation to stage.

But the show is nevertheless supercalifragilistically magic, with plenty of show-stopping special effects, fabulous choreography, and familiar tunes.

And the production also manages to leave theater-goers with a deeper appreciation for the story and the characters; it could be a great starting point for family discussions about sometimes difficult issues.