| In this article we're going to cover one of the | | | | mother, drops out of the picture at the end |
| most unusual musicals of our time, the part | | | | realizing that the children belong with their father |
| human, part animated Mary Poppins. | | | | and that she would only be in the way. The |
| Mary Poppins. It's probably the one musical | | | | ultimate sacrifice one would say. |
| responsible for making Julie Andrews a household | | | | Musical highlights in this one are numerous. There |
| name. But Mary Poppins was more than just that. | | | | is of course the ever popular "Spoonful Of Sugar" |
| The musical movie, made in 1964, was probably | | | | which Poppins sings to the children in order to get |
| the crowning achievement in Walt Disney's career. | | | | them to take their medicine after an outing in the |
| It was his first feature to mix real people with | | | | rain. Then there is the classic |
| animated characters. At the time, this was some | | | | "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" which was sung |
| pretty cool stuff. And Disney made sure that | | | | during the animated horse race that Poppins, Bert |
| everything for this movie masterpiece was just | | | | the chimney sweeper and the children attended. |
| right. He hired one of the best songwriting teams | | | | And if you want to hear one of the most |
| of the time, the Sherman brothers, Robert and | | | | beautiful songs ever, and sung by an angelic voice, |
| Richard. The score for this movie is still to this | | | | there is "Feed The Birds." This is probably the |
| day considered the teams best ever. The movie | | | | highlight of Andrews' vocal performances. Aside |
| itself was nominated for 13 Oscars. It won 5 of | | | | from that, the story of the old lady feeding the |
| those nominations, including Best Actress, Julie | | | | birds is one that only a soul without a heart |
| Andrews, Best Musical Score, and Best Song, | | | | wouldn't cry to. Of course you can't leave out the |
| "Chim Chim Cher-ee." | | | | Oscar winning tune "Chim Chim Cher-ee" which |
| But Mary Poppins was more than just great | | | | was sung during Poppins', Bert's and the children's |
| music. It was a purely delightful story of two | | | | moonlight walk on top of the buildings of the city. |
| children in desperate need of their father's love. | | | | The great music just goes on and on. There isn't |
| Ultimately it took Mary Poppins to make the | | | | a bad tune in this movie. The final tune "Fly A |
| father realize that it wasn't a nanny that the | | | | Kite" where the father and children are finally |
| children needed but their father. As the movie | | | | doing something together as a family is really |
| goes on we get to see this man, who at first is | | | | what the whole thing is all about. Yes, a lot of this |
| only concerned with the bottom line figures at his | | | | musical is pure fantasy. But the lessons taught are |
| bank, transform into a loving father who takes his | | | | lessons that every parent in this world should long |
| children out to fly a kite. Ultimately, Poppins, who | | | | remember. Children need their parents, not a |
| the children had grown to love almost as a | | | | nanny. |