Mary Poppins rolls into the FOX Theater on August 14th for a 3-week run. Actor Karl Kenzler, a St. Louis native, plays the role of father George Banks, so we asked him for some perspective on this Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious show:
What's your connection to Saint Louis?
I have a lot of fond memories of St. Louis as I lived in Kirkwood until the age of six. Years later, I saw my first Broadway play at the Fox Theater in St. Louis. It was Cameron Mackintosh's LES MISERABLES. So, it's a real homecoming on two levels for me. I'll get to perform in my childhood hometown. And I'll be performing at the theater where I saw my first Broadway musical.
What sparked your interest in performing on Broadway?
I had always had an interest in acting as a kid. I took lessons from a very young age and performed in plays after school. My mom raised me on her own and once I expressed an interest, she quickly learned that the theater is an unbeatable babysitter.
Have you read any of the books by PL Travers how does the show differ from the book(s) and/or the Disney movie?
I've read the first book, MARY POPPINS, and I think that the play captures the spirit of Pamela Travers' books almost perfectly. There is a mischievousness to Mary in the books that carries through onstage. And of course the play is very faithful to the spirit of the Disney film as well. All of those amazing musical numbers from the Sherman brothers are there: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, Step In Time, Feed The Birds, Jolly Holiday. But the story has been expanded to include more of the father and mother. It's now a full-fledged Broadway musical play!
Tell us a bit about your character in Poppins?
I play "George Banks" -- the father in the play. And in this production, I think he actually needs Mary Poppins more than the kids do. He's very much stuck in this life as a buttoned-down banker. He's forgotten what it is to be a husband in love with his wife. He's forgotten what it is to be a dad who adores his children. And by the end of the play, he really has a transformation. With Bert and Mary's help, he reinvents himself.
What is your favorite scene?
There's a scene at the end of the play (it's in the film as well) where George has really hit rock bottom. He talks with Bert about how his life has completely fallen apart and he blames Mary Poppins. Bert helps him come around to see that maybe he needs to pay a bit more attention to his children -- while he can. As a kid, I watched this scene and thought of my own father. It gave me a real insight into what he might be going through as a busy professional man with a wife and children. Now I'm old enough to play the father and I have a chance to see it though grown-up eyes. It's pretty amazing.
As a father figure in the show, how would you encourage parents to bring their children to see live theater?
I've always thought that live theater is important because it's about telling stories. Stories set us apart from all the other animals on the planet. We tell ourselves stories to make sense of things. We tell stories to our children -- who tell stories to their children and so on and so on. This creates a kind of chain that connects us all throughout time. These stories last longer than we do. It's an amazing form of communication that is both comforting and educational. Storytelling is a communal event. The best way to teach a child to be a good human being is to let them take part in storytelling.
Mary Poppins will be at the Fox through August 30th. Tickets availble at Metrotix or at the Fox box office in Grand Center. There is a marvelous video of the show on the Fox website as well, check it out here.
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