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By Betsie Freeman, freelance writer and former longtime staff writer at the Omaha World-Herald
Between traveling Broadway tours and local productions, I probably saw close to 200 musicals over more than 10 years of writing reviews for the Omaha World-Herald.
That job, which I somewhat stumbled into, gave me the opportunity to see many wonderful shows with amazing actors from Omaha and beyond — enough to compile an all-time top-ten list before I retired.
I never managed to create that list. But now I wish I had so I could put the Omaha Community Playhouse’s version of “Mary Poppins” in the top five.
The musical, which premiered on London’s West End in 2004 and on Broadway in 2006, is based on the P.J. Travers book about a nanny with magical powers who comes to help a stuffy and intractable British banker, his somewhat flaky wife and their two incorrigible kids. It gets its basic structure and several of its songs from the beloved Disney movie that premiered in 1964.
The stage show, from noted British theater producer Cameron Mackintosh, includes some additional — and dark — material from the book to give the story more drama and depth.
Bringing it to the stage is an ambitious undertaking. It requires a cast of nearly 30 actors, all of whom are expected to dance a little and many who are expected to dance a lot.
It takes extensive tech work to create Mary’s magical special effects, most notably an apparatus that was brought into Omaha to send Mary flying across the stage without crashing. And it’s set in several London locations — a challenge for scenic designers and lighting specialists.
Director Brandon Box-Higdem found an amazing ensemble of actors and behind-the scenes personnel to carry the load. And the result is two-plus hours of wonderful song and dance with a compelling story amid a beautiful setting that’s bursting with color.
Omaha theater veteran Lauren Krupski is practically perfect as Mary (you knew I had to get that reference in somewhere). Her high soprano voice is exquisite and her characterization of the proper British nanny as ultra-self-assured, gently strict, comically droll and just plain endearing was spot-on.
Playhouse newbie Erik Nordstrom made an impression as Bert, Mary’s pal and foil. His Cockney accent was way more subtle and authentic than that of Dick van Dyke in the movie. Nordstrom also deftly performed some of the show’s most beloved tunes with charm and served as the narrator.
Other standout actors were Sarah Ebke as Miss Andrew, the evil nanny (be sure to check out her crazy makeup); Christopher Violett and Analisa Swerczek as George and Winifred Banks; Mary Kay Desjardins as Mrs. Brill, the housekeeper whose gruff exterior belies a soft heart; and
Elyssia Finch, whose “solo” on “Feed the Birds” was heartfelt and sweet.
And every cast member gets a big shoutout for the overall joy and enthusiasm the show exudes, especially in choreographer Michelle Garrity’s great dance numbers.
The overall look of the production was stunning. When Mary Poppins soars across the perfect night sky at the beginning of the show, dressed in a red coat and grasping her iconic umbrella, you sense you are in for something special. And as the evening progresses, the stage becomes awash with every color of the rainbow thanks to Cody Rutledge’s scenic design, Janet Morr’s scenic artistry, Lindsay Pape’s costumes and lighting by Cameron Filepas.
Glitches were few; two friends and I attended in the middle of the run and it appeared that things were almost totally in tune. The only minor hitches were the brief appearance of a stagehand taking off Mary’s flying harness, probably caused by a slight blocking mistake, and my usual quibbles with the sound system, which occasionally makes it hard to understand lines, especially when children are delivering them.
One friend and I decided that we could have done without some of the darker aspects of the show; we thought that Miss Andrews was a stitch but a weird dance scene with dolls was superfluous. Our other friend, however, said she thought that both added to the story.
But we all agreed on one thing as we joyfully left the theater: “Mary Poppins” was the best show we had seen in a long time, worthy of a top-ten list.
Mary Poppins at the Omaha Community Playhouse
May 29 – June 28, 2026 | Hawks Mainstage Theatre
Family Friendly Musical | Run Time: 2 hours 20 minutes + Intermission
Buy Tickets to Mary Poppins at the Omaha Community Playhouse
