Anything Can Happen

A few musical theatre roles exist that I would give my first born child to play. Mary Poppins is on the top of that list, right next to Christine in Phantom of the Opera. Last night, Brittany and I splurged on the Broadway production of this Disney classic that brings everyone back to their childhoods with songs like "A Spoonful of Sugar" and "Chim Chim Cheree." This was my second time seeing the show in NYC, but I fell so in love with it the first time (January 2010) that I've been dying to see it again ever since. I've attended my fair share of musicals, but never something as magical as the Broadway version of Mary Poppins. Laura Michelle Kelly, who currently plays Mary and debuted the role when the show originated in the West End in London, has a voice unmatched; its clarity and warmth blows my mind. She is the actress I've seen both times, but Ashley Brown (seen in the video above) was the original Mary when the show came to Broadway. Watching Laura Michelle's subtle character choices and undeniable magnetism on stage motivates me to work my butt off in a way nothing else ever has. The first time I walked away from that theatre, I told my Dad and Jean, "I have to play that role someday. That is my goal." Something in her performance strikes me as attainable and similar to my style...but obviously on a level I will have to work extremely hard to reach.

I'm not a total musical theatre buff or nerd, but I sure feel like one when I watch this production. I'm on the edge of my seat the entire time, tearing up when the cast sings "Anything Can Happen," falling in love with Bert (currently played by Gavin Lee, seen in both videos, who also debuted his role with Laura Michelle Kelly on the West End) as he charms the Banks children, and being the first to give a standing ovation when the cast reprises "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" during curtain call (you non-theatre people, that means the bows). I AM OBSESSED. These videos don't do it justice.

On our way home, Brittany and I were on cloud nine while discussing favorite parts in the show (was it Bert tapping upside down on the ceiling (see video)? Mary singing "Practically Perfect"? The evil nanny selling the song "Brimstone and Treacle"? Or the dancing statues in "Let's Go Fly a Kite"?) when we spotted a girl wearing full stage make up with shorts and a tank top. Our immediate thought: she must have just finished performing in a show! We started scheming on how we would talk to her...even more so when she got off at the same stop as us. I hardly thought twice about another girl on the train, who I glanced at because she was pretty and had a noticeable presence, because I was so intrigued by the obvious performer in front of me.

That performer didn't end up walking into our building, but the pretty girl and her boyfriend walked behind us the whole way home, all the way through the door. Brit and I were holding Mary Poppins cups and the boyfriend said, "How'd you like the show?" once we were in the elevator. I, in my dramatic fashion, gushed "Ohh, it was abolutely amazingggg. I loved it soooo much!" There was an awkward pause, so I asked, "Were you there, too?" He pointed at his girlfriend and said, "She was in it." SHUT THE FRONT DOOR. I asked who she played and she answered, "Tonight I was in the ensemble, but I understudy Mary." I lost it. Completely lost it. After six attempts at forming a sentence (she actually looked amused), I managed to spit out "Brittany and I just moved here to pREs, ehh, pAHsu, err, PURsue musical theatre!" She laughed and said she could tell. Pretty sure she witnessed Brittany and me virtually skipping all the way home and singing "Practically Perfect" while planning how we would talk to the other perfomer who was walking in front of us. The elevator in this building is incredibly fast (usually a good thing, but TERRIBLE in this case), so I was literally holding the sliding door open when I got off at my floor as she was saying "I'm sure I'll see you two around the building!" As the door was closing, she managed to squeeze "Oh, and my name's Elizabeth" into the last little crack before it shut.

I floated down the hall to our room...okay, ran frantically while bending over every fourth stride to yell into my hands "Oh my goshhhhh!! We LIVE four floors beneath the girl who plays my dream role every week or so!" It may sound like an overreaction, but if I got to spend even five minutes with her sometime to ask what it's like, I would be the happiest girl in the world. To meet someone who has achieved the very thing I've set out to do is more inspirational than I could possibly explain. Not only has she made it, she's playing the role I would give my first born for. Best part: she was my size! Height, weight, everything! A huge aspect of landing roles is fitting the "look." Hurray! I could play Mary Poppins and I have proof of it!

Me, Meg, and Brittany on a tiny beach in Hoboken, NJ

The adrenaline didn't wear off until 1am or so, but Brittany and I pulled ourselves out of bed at 6:30am this morning to go kayaking on the Hudson River with Meg, my dog sledding friend we'd gone out with Friday night. We're all adventurous girls, so why not take a free trip down the river? I won't be able to lift my hairbrush tomorrow from the intense rowing, but the experience was worth it. At one point, we got caught in the middle of a tugboat race and almost died...who knew people raced tugboats? I didn't. Not until one almost ran me over. I doubt it was as close as we perceived it, but the 12 of us in kayaks were scared enough to bust out the best versions of Viking rowing we could muster. Grunts and all. I can't say I'd like to do it again, as fun as certain parts were. Something about the mixture of E.Coli-infested water, my weak arm muscles, and those darn tugboats didn't leave me with a blissful feeling. But I really loved seeing the city from a new perspective and trying something different!

On the Brooklyn Bridge

As you can see, there's always something to do in New York! Even something as simple as walking over the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan is an enthralling experience. This city is a magical place where, as Mary Poppins says, "Anything can happen if you let it!"