Valerie Boyle Joins Mary Poppins on Broadway

By Kenneth Jones
04 Dec 2009

Valerie Boyle in Mary Poppins
Valerie Boyle in Mary Poppins
Photo by Joan Marcus

Broadway's Mary Poppins welcomes Valerie Boyle to the role of household cook Mrs. Brill Dec. 4 at the New Amsterdam Theatre.

The musical marks Boyle's Broadway debut. She originated the role of Mrs. Brill with the Mary Poppins North American touring company, performing with it through the Nov. 15 opening of the Los Angeles engagement at the Ahmanson.

Boyle has appeared in a wide variety of leading stage roles in Canada including vaudevillian entertainer Sophie Tucker in her self-penned, critically acclaimed musical comedy Sophie Tucker: Last of the Red Hot Mamas and as Mother Superior in Nunsense and Nunsense II.

She co-stars as Principal Amanda Durst in the hit Canadian TV series, "Strange Days at Blake Holsey High" and as Principal Wolfe in the new Canadian series "Aaron Stone."

Mary Poppins currently stars Laura Michelle Kelly in the title role and Christian Borle as Bert. The Broadway cast also features Jeff Binder as Mr. Banks; Rebecca Luker as Mrs. Banks, Ann Arvia as Bird Woman, Mark Price as Robertson Ay, Ruth Gottschall as Miss Andrew and Michael McCarty as Admiral Boom. Juliette Allen Angelo, Kelsey Fowler and Cassady Leonard alternate as Jane Banks. Jeremiah Kissane, Matthew Schechter and Andrew Shipman alternate as Michael Banks.

Produced by Thomas Schumacher of Disney Theatrical Productions and Cameron Mackintosh, Mary Poppins celebrated three years at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Nov. 16.

The musical has played over 1,275 performances since its official opening in 2006 (previews began Oct. 14, 2006).

The musical is based on P.L. Travers' stories and the classic 1964 Walt Disney film. The show includes the Academy Award-winning music and lyrics of Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. The stage production has been created, in collaboration with Cameron Mackintosh, by Academy Award-winning screenwriter Julian Fellowes, who wrote the libretto; Olivier Award-winning director Richard Eyre; and the Olivier Award-winning team of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, who have composed new songs and additional music and lyrics.

For tickets and information, www.DisneyOnBroadway.com.