Cottage Theatre’s musical Mary Poppins, running until April 27, quickly presented itself as a rich evening event. The musical was thoroughly enjoyable — despite perhaps my initially wincing at its run time, which looked to be nearly three hours. However, the audience members walked out of the theater after spending three hours with a smile on their faces. 

The musical, directed by Bill Morrill, the president of the theater’s board, was headed by an excellent cast and a strong group of leads. 

Jodi Arend played the titular role of Mary Poppins and encompassed every aspect associated with the character; resolute, witty, a euphonic voice and “practically perfect.” Throughout her numbers, the notes Arend was hitting were frequently impressive. 

Her equally magical counterpart, Bert, played by Dylan Bunten, also held a firm presence whenever on stage. His performance was whimsical and uplifting while also conveying the quasi-romantic undertone to his relationship with Mary Poppins. 

As for the nuclear family living on Cherry Tree Lane, Jane and Michael Banks are played by Izzy Lucas and Faith Kupsick. You could see traits of one’s own sibling relationship within the character’s dyad leading to smiling every time they were on stage. 

Parents Winifred Banks, played by Laurel Merz, and George Banks, played by Nathan Blakely, had excellent chemistry. George Banks embodies a soft-spot archetype in his relationship with Winifred, especially towards the end of the musical, and the actors perfectly portrayed their respective characters. 

The actors were accompanied by a nine-person ensemble, stuffed neatly in the pit in front of the stage. Notes and musical accompaniment were crisp and ethereal with zero detraction from the dialogue or lyrics. Especially given the nature of a community theater, you couldn’t have hoped for a more competent band. 

The rest of the cast melded into the scenes and added to the atmosphere in a way that didn’t take you out of the musical. With the exception of one or two choreographed numbers towards the end of the play, which can be chalked up to fatigue, the dance numbers were enjoyable. 

Equally as impressive was the set. While simplistic at times, it conveyed the marvel of Mary Poppins. Notably, her pulling a hatstand out of her infinitely deep bag, to the point where I was wondering how they accomplished this. Hats off to the crew and their technical ability. 

Suffice it to say, it was an evening well spent, with a classic story worth retelling. Bolstered by an impressive cast, a competent band and a technically impressive crew, I would absolutely recommend taking the time to see a show, which is “practically perfect.”

Mary Poppins closes April 27 and shows at Cottage Theatre every Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 7:30 pm and on Sundays at 2:30 pm until then. Tickets are $35 for adults and $15 for people under 18.