From April 12 through 14 Mary Poppins traversed New Jersey, much as she had England, via magic umbrella, as New Jersey Symphony Orchestra brought “Mary Poppins” Live in Concert to Red Bank, NJPAC and, the final stop of the tour, the State Theatre in the rapidly changing Arts District of New Brunswick. Stuart Chafetz was at the helm for this beautiful reminder that the world is full of magic, if we just know where to look.
It is thrilling to see with adult eyes what was thrilling to us as children. The old-school magic of the painted London skyline and seeing faces as familiar as our own families’, when they were much younger, is pure delight. There were so many children in the audience, who had never seen “Mary Poppins” before, that seeing their joy was an extra layer of enjoyment.
Prior to the screening, there was a sing-a-long upstairs in the lounge and, coming downstairs, the smell of hot popcorn was like carnival perfume! It lent an even greater festivity to the performance, as did the hucksters selling popcorn in the theatre itself.
The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra is such a gift on soundtracks such as the one for “Mary Poppins.” In Maestro Chafetz’ expert hand, this world class orchestra provided a greater sense of wonder on every song from ‘Sister Suffragette’ to “Chim Chim Cheree” and everything in between. And when the wind changed, bearing Mary away, the sorrow was palpable. Such is the magic of live music.
“Harry Potter” is the next live score film in June! Visit to get your tickets now at www.njsymphony.org to experience more movie magic for yourself.