Stardar: Talent Ore.'s Steffanie Leigh is Mary Poppins
VERY MARY: You might find it hard to believe it from the very young looking woman in the photo above, but Steffanie Leigh is Mary Poppins.
I mean, she REALLY is "practically perfect" in a role that once was defined by Julie Andrews in that memory-making Walt Disney classic, but has been re-invented and invigorated by the extremely likable Steffanie Leigh.
I dare say this role might define Leigh as well some day. She's that good.
A native of Talent, Oregon (pardon the pun that must be used here) the talented Leigh is currently performing the role in the Keller Auditorium in a stellar, effects-filled, musically-staged version of the story that can be enjoyed by "kids" of all ages. I had a chance to speak to Leigh recently and here is what she had to say about the show:
How does a talented gal from Talent, Ore. end up flying high in a Broadway touring show?
Passion, a lot of help, hard work, and a little bit o' luck.
What was the first thing that crossed your mind when you found out you landed this role as your own?
I can't remember what I was thinking. I just remember feeling a mixture of relief, joy, pride, and fear.
What is the most taxing part of playing Mary Poppins?
Maintaining an emotional, physical, and mental state that allows me to perform at one hundred percent for eight shows a week.
How does this show differ from the Disney movie?
The musical is a combination of the books (written by P.L. Travers) and the movie. The fantastic George Stiles and Anthony Drewe have written some new songs such as "Practically Perfect," a song that Mary uses to describe herself, and "Anything Can Happen" in which Mary takes the kids up into the heavens. Along with the new numbers they have added to the original songs that we all know and love from the movie such as
"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," "Spoonful of Sugar," and "Step in Time." Mary takes the kids on some different adventures and there are some new characters including an evil nanny that Mary battles with! So when you see the musical you get some of your favorite moments from the movie in addition to new moments that will surprise and thrill you.
Do you ever feel like you have to live up to Julie Andrew's portrayal of the character?
To be honest, I have never felt the pressure to live up to Julie's performance. From the beginning, the creative team has been very generous in always urging me to create my "own Mary." I feel a great sense of honor to be among the list of fine actresses who have brought this fascinating character to life.
What is the first thing you want to do whenever you land your feet back in Oregon?
Go home. Hug my mom, my dad, and a tree.
Details: Mary Poppins plays through July 10th at Keller Auditorium. Click here for ticket information or visit ticketmaster.com
!joomlacomment 4.0 Copyright (C) 2009 Compojoom.com . All rights reserved."
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
Last Updated (Tuesday, 28 June 2011 16:22)
