By Andrew Gans
19 Feb 2010

	Laura Michelle Kelly as Mary Poppins
	photo by Joan Marcus

Question: Do you think your take on the role has changed at all?
Kelly: Totally! [Laughs.]

Question: In what way?
Kelly: I was very serious in London, and rightly so. It's the way we tell the story. I was younger then, and I know a bit more about life now. I think every year, you develop and grow as a person, and I can bring more to it than I did before. Being surrounded by inspiring performances all over Broadway, my experience is constantly growing. I think that being surrounded by excellence has really raised the bar for me, and that's good.

Question: Do you have a favorite moment in the show, something you look forward to?
Kelly: I find this question really good, because it makes me really think about it. [Laughs.] I have to say, I'm having so much fun at the moment. I think I really enjoy "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," because that's when everybody can be silly and fun, and everybody's onstage. I like that. I like sharing the stage with everybody. That's nice. But I just generally look forward to coming to work, which is really nice.

Question: What's it like getting to fly out over the audience?
Kelly: That's just always fun. Just to see the little girls' faces… sometimes I try to see if I can look at as many little girls as possible. Their faces just light up! And then these little boys come and they want to be Bert. They come backstage afterwards, and they're just in awe. Even the ladies… I like to meet the mums. You make their day, because their children are so happy. But a lot of them mention about how they first experienced Mary Poppins in the movie and how they loved it, and that this just relived their childhood for them. A lot of older ladies have said they feel like they're a child after watching it, and I like that. I like giving that joy to people.

Question: When the little kids see you after the show, what are their reactions?
Kelly: Some of them aren't sure because I'm not in the costume anymore. [Laughs.] They're like, "Um, you don't look the same!" But a lot of them are just in awe. And you just know they're gonna go home talking about it the whole way. But at the time they're just stunned. They don't know what to say. There are some little girls that just scream about it. You know how they do, with the giggles. That's so fun. Even during the show, you hear people's reactions to some moments, and it just makes your heart full. I love it. That's the reason why I like to do it. I like to make people happy.

Question: You were recently on the London stage in a very different production, Speed-the-Plow. What was that experience like?
Kelly: It was quite difficult and challenging to be in a play. I'm used to breaking into song. But in the same way it was challenging, which makes it rewarding and really enjoyable. Being with Kevin Spacey and Jeff Goldblum was slightly intimidating, but they're so easy to work with. They were very generous onstage, and I just felt really honored about being able to work next to these two incredible actors. You can't help but learn when you're around them. Kevin's just a one-man champion for the youth theatre culture. He's raising so much money for the Old Vic; he's doing an incredible job for the renovation and the projects that they have on. He really does have a say in what our theatre culture is being formed into in London. He's extremely passionate about theatre, and I was really blown away by seeing that in his life. It's every part of his life.

Question: Would you like to do more non-musicals?
Kelly: Yeah. I want to be a better actress in general, so I tend to want to do things I've never done before. I know that I can explore more in the play arena. I'd really like to do film. I'm really excited about this new generation of musical movies. I'm so excited about that, because it'll bring more people into the theatre and into Broadway and into the West End. It'll bring people more passion, and it will also make the theatre grow. You always want it to be evolving. There's been a whole spectacle-type inspiration to the musical — the bigger the spectacle, the more exciting it is — but now I think they're also developing new technologies and new ways of bringing something new to an audience. With Lord of the Rings we explored having three-dimensional theatre, where people would go into the audience and scare them… and having circus-type skills onstage, which was really exciting for me to be part of. And then you've got all the different automation you can do. Any kind of thing that helps an audience suspend disbelief is exciting. I know that that's what musical movies are going to bring to the stage. The standard's going to be raised. People are going to have to find new ways to excite the audience, and I like that.

Question: Are you working on any other projects while you're here?
Kelly: I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say. [Laughs.] But I've done a workshop or two, but I have also had so much fun being involved with the show. For me, it's been so rewarding. Really, I love New York. I love the park. I love the blue skies. I love the river, and I love my apartment, and I love the people that I work with. It's a really wonderful chapter in my life. I'm really happy here.

Question: How long do you think you'll stay with the show?
Kelly: At the moment I'm contracted until October, but we'll see. I'm having so much fun, I don't even want to think about it. I've already been here five months, I can't believe it. Time really does fly when you're having fun.

Question: Was "Mary Poppins" a book or a film that you knew as a child? I think here every kid sees it, but I don't know if it's the same in the U.K.
Kelly: I think it is the same, although I was a late starter. We always watched movies really behind the times. We could only watch movies that came on the TV. There were only four channels, and all the good movies would be on at Christmas. But I do remember "Mary Poppins," and I remember certain scenes where she's flying. I always watched any musical movie, and I video-ed it every time they were on. "Sound of Music" was my favorite. I watched that movie all the time. I drove my brothers crazy. It was one of the videos we owned. "Mary Poppins" came on a few times, and I just was enthralled. But really when I was offered the show, I saw it as a sign not to watch it. I know I would completely want to emulate Julie Andrews and be like her. [Laughs.] So I tried not to watch it. My take was from the book. In the book she was very stern, very proud of herself. Outward appearance would be really important, but she really genuinely cared for the kids. She didn't like to show it. She was very English in her manner that she didn't like to be too obvious. The kids had to guess all the time whether she was really for them or not. I liked that. It was ambiguous. But here, it's just a laugh a minute. I've really grown in the way I have more fun. Mary Poppins lets her emotions show a bit more in America. Let's just put it that way. It's more obvious that I let my joy show. [Laughs.]

Question: You mentioned that you love Sound of Music. Have you ever gotten to do that show?
Kelly: I did. I played all the kids in it. I'd really love to play Maria. One of my best friends is playing it at the moment in London. I'm so jealous! [Laughs.] No, I'm really happy for her. I'm living vicariously through her. But that is something I'd really like to do one day, but we'll see. I'm not too old yet! I'm only 28.

[Mary Poppins plays the New Amsterdam Theatre, Broadway and 42nd Street. For tickets visit www.DisneyOnBroadway.com, the New Amsterdam Theatre Box Office (214 West 42nd Street) or call (866) 870-2717.]

Well, that's all for now. Happy diva-watching! E-mail questions or comments to agans@playbill.com.