Disney’s elaborate, touring “Mary Poppins”

With more than a spoonful of sugar and plenty of Broadway glitz, Mary Poppins opened in Uihlein Hall of the Marcus Center Tuesday evening. The Disney and Cameron Mackintosh extravaganza retains several elements of the classic film, including original music by Richard and Robert Sherman and its brighter-than-life look.

The show’s book is another story — almost entirely. The author of the Mary Poppins stories, P. L. Travers, was said to have mixed feelings about the Disney film and was reluctant to grant the rights to a stage adaptation. Mackintosh was able to secure her permission with a new version. If the disjointed storyline of this Mary Poppins seems like a mash-up of British sitcoms plus Ibsen overtones, the show itself is pure entertainment, packed with musical numbers and special effects.

The set features a giant dollhouse that opens to reveal the home of the dysfunctional Banks family. The lighting effects are spectacular. Many of the actors in the large cast play double roles and pull off numerous fast-paced costume changes as the scenes move from the home on Cherry Tree Lane to a nearby park and the rooftops of London.

On opening night, a technical difficulty with that scenery interrupted Mary Poppins early in the show. The audience took it in stride; only a few people left  their seats during the unexpected 15-minute break.

Rachel Wallace looks every bit the Julie Andrews version of Mary Poppins. From her first appearance on stage, in “Practically Perfect,” one of the show’s new songs by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, her sweet voice and polished diction carried her every scene.

Case Dillard, as Bert, the jack-of-all-trades artist and chimney sweep, was part of the original Broadway company and first national tour. (Four productions are running on three continents.) Dillard’s confident hoofing and easy charm drove away all thoughts of Dick Van Dyke in the film version of this role. And when Dillard leads the cast in the “Step in Time” rooftop dance, it’s no surprise that he can dance up the sides of the set and upside down on the ceiling, without missing a beat.

Waukesha native Michael Dean Morgan is the repressed father, George Banks. His big moment comes late in the second act, in a reprise of “A Man Has Dreams.” Morgan’s change of heart seems genuine and his spontaneous outburst in the cartoon-like bank scene is spot on.

Q. Smith has the double role of the Bird Woman and Miss Andrew, a new character who appears in the second act as Mr. Banks’ childhood nanny (and the polar opposite of Mary Poppins). Dressed a la Cruella de Vil, she sings “Brimstone and Treacle” with near operatic force. As the Bird Woman, the actress shows impressive range and versatility as she sweetly harmonizes with Mary Poppins in the lyrical “Feed the Birds.”

A highlight of the show is the “Talking Shop” scene, featuring a new adaptation of the signature song, “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” The eye-popping colors of the costumes and setting, along with a first-class performance by the ensemble and Tonya Thompson (as Mrs. Corry), make this number a great way to end the first act. Unfortunately, a long scene of menacing, larger-than-life toys coming to life in the Banks’ nursery extends Act 1 with the gratuitous “Playing the Game.”  The second half’s big production number, “Anything Can Happen,” featured Mary Poppins’ huge, light-bulb outlined umbrella, with its glistening beady-eyed parrot handle, hovering over the stage. It was literally over the top.

Mary Poppins runs through Sunday. Tickets may be purchased at Marcus Center box office, 414 273-7206, all Ticketmaster outlets, and at the Marcus Center website.