March 7, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 7, 2013
For more information,
Contact: Amanda Shell
Moxley Carmichael
(865)544-0088
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Cast members of the Broadway hit “Mary Poppins” visited and entertained patients at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital on Thursday, March 7.
Child actors Madison Mullahey and Alexa Niziak, who play Jane Banks, with Eli Tokash and Lucas Schultz, who play Michael Banks, led the children at the hospital in a sing-a-long of the “Mary Poppins” classic song “A Spoon Full of Sugar” and taught them choreography from the show-stopping “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” Con O’Shea-Creal, who plays Bert in the musical, and ensemble member Carol Angeli went from room to room passing out memorabilia from the show and sharing with children at the hospital what it’s like to create the magic of “Mary Poppins” on stage.
The Tennessee Theatre is hosting the large-scale Broadway production of “Mary Poppins” for a eight-show, five day run on March 5-10. In “Mary Poppins,” theatergoers can expect high-level production value, Broadway talent and impressive scenography that will bring the iconic story to life on stage.
“The official state theatre of Tennessee belongs to this community, and we love finding ways to expand the Tennessee Theatre’s outstanding entertainment out into our community,” said Tom Cervone, executive director of the Tennessee Theatre. “We are thrilled to bring the beloved Disney classic ‘Mary Poppins’ to the Tennessee Theatre stage and to be able to share a little bit of that magic to the children at the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital.”
With seven productions produced on three continents, “Mary Poppins” is one of the biggest stage musical successes to emerge from London or New York in recent years. The musical is the winner of 44 major theatre awards around the globe, including Tony®, Olivier, Helpmann and Evening Standard awards.
The entire original creative team has reunited to bring this magical story of the world’s most famous nanny to audiences around North America. The “Mary Poppins” North American Tour began performances on March 25, 2009 and has played to more than two and a half million delighted theatergoers in over 60 cities to date.
“Mary Poppins” also marked a significant milestone for the Tennessee Theatre during opening night on March 5. The historic theatre celebrated its one millionth visitor to the theatre since the restoration in 2005.
About the Tennessee Theatre
Located in the heart of downtown Knoxville, the Tennessee Theatre opened in 1928 as a grand movie palace. The Tennessee Theatre is the Official State Theatre of Tennessee and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In 2005, the theatre underwent a massive restoration that led the way for the overall revitalization of downtown Knoxville. The Knoxville community raised more than $25 million dollars to restore the theatre to its former majestic glory. Today, the Tennessee Theatre is the region’s leading performing arts center with advanced technology, staging and lighting that draws top entertainment to the Knoxville area.
In 2013, the Tennessee Theatre celebrates its 85th anniversary by launching a Sustainability Campaign with the goal of raising $4 million dollars towards preserving and maintaining the theatre without additional annual fundraising for generations to come.
