Mary Poppins, the beloved Disney musical, is closing on Broadway after over 15 years. The show, which first debuted in 2006, has delighted audiences with its magical storytelling, charming songs, and dazzling spectacle. However, all good things must come to an end. Here’s a look at some of the potential reasons why this Broadway staple is taking its final bow.
Declining Ticket Sales
One of the biggest factors leading to Mary Poppins’ closure is a decline in ticket sales over the past few years. The show had a very successful first decade on Broadway, consistently pulling in major box office numbers. However, starting around 2016, sales began to slowly drop off. Last year, the average capacity at the New Amsterdam Theatre was only about 79%, down significantly from the show’s heyday when it was consistently selling out 100% of seats. The producers likely saw the writing on the wall that interest in the show was waning, making the financials of keeping such an expensive production running difficult to justify.
Increased Competition
Another reason for Mary Poppins’ declining ticket sales is increased competition within the Broadway landscape. When the show first premiered, it was one of the biggest blockbuster musicals running. However, over the years, many other popular Disney musicals like Aladdin, Frozen, and The Lion King opened and drew family audiences. Hamilton also debuted and became an unprecedented phenomenon, dominating ticket sales and making it more challenging for once top-dog shows like Poppins to attract audiences.
In addition to these shiny new hits, established musicals like Wicked and The Book of Mormon continued their strong Broadway runs, ensuring a very crowded marketplace where Mary Poppins struggled to maintain its prominence. The glut of options likely made it difficult for Poppins to stand out and maintain sales in recent years.
Rising Production Costs
Mary Poppins is an extremely large and technically complex show which requires a massive investment to stage on Broadway. The elaborate sets and costumes, special effects, large cast and orchestra, and training required for complex choreography and stunts makes Poppins a very expensive production to run. As those costs have risen over the years, it likely contributed to the financial pressures leading to its closure.
It costs several million dollars per year to run Poppins on Broadway between theater rental, staff salaries, maintenance, marketing, and more. With ticket sales falling, it became challenging for Disney to justify keeping such an expensive show open.
Limited Touring and International Productions
In order for a show to have longevity, it helps greatly if there are touring or international productions to generate additional revenue. However, for various reasons, Mary Poppins did not have much success expanding beyond the Broadway production over its 15-year run.
There was a North American tour from 2009-2013, but it was fairly short-lived. The show also had an Australian production in 2010, but other than that, did not make many inroads touring globally. Attempts to open the show in London’s prestigious West End and elsewhere never got off the ground. The lack of productions running simultaneously in multiple locations increased the financial pressures on the Broadway show, which was solely carrying the economic weight of this big musical.
Complexity of the Show
Part of the reason Mary Poppins did not tour extensively or have as many replica productions overseas is the complexity of the show. With its massive set pieces, special effects, and choreography, Poppins is incredibly difficult to recreate identically in other venues. It was designed specifically for the large proscenium stage of the New Amsterdam Theatre, making a transfer to smaller regional or international theaters difficult.
The show’s technical demands require extensive personnel with specialized skills to stage the production. That makes assembling tours or international sit-down productions costly and challenging. The intricacy of the show, while wonderful artistically, likely hampered Disney’s ability to profit from expanding it globally.
Lack of Name Recognition Overseas
Mary Poppins also has more limited name recognition outside of North America, which may have posed challenges for international expansion. While the stories are known globally, the musical is based more closely on the Disney film than P.L. Travers’ original British books. That makes the stage version feel like a particularly American adaptation that may not have translated as well overseas.
Also, the cultural resonance of Mary Poppins is not quite as deeply ingrained in other countries. That made it more difficult to draw audiences globally compared to Disney hits like The Lion King that have wider multi-generational appeal and familiarity.
Opportunities for New Productions
After enjoying a long and successful 15-year run, Disney also likely felt it was a good time to close Mary Poppins and make way for new productions at the New Amsterdam Theatre on West 42nd Street.
The prime Broadway venue is one of Disney’s flagship theaters in New York, so they want to ensure a strong roster of shows to fill the space. With Poppins having run its course, it provides an opportunity to develop a new hit musical that can take advantage of the desirable theater.
Disney has not yet announced what production may move into the New Amsterdam after Poppins closes. But the media company has a deep bench of animated films and properties to pick from that could lend themselves well to an adaptation for the stage.
Potential Replacement Shows
Some of the titles that have been floated as potential successors to occupy the New Amsterdam include:
- Tangled
- Moana
- Frozen 2
- Hercules
- The Princess and the Frog
- Coco
Of course, Disney may also opt to produce an entirely original new musical not based on one of their existing films. But any of these animated properties seem ripe for an exciting live action adaptation that could follow in Mary Poppins’ footsteps.
No matter what show ultimately takes over the theater, the opportunity provided by Poppins’ closure was likely a factor in the decision to end the show’s long run now.
Conclusion
Mary Poppins has enjoyed an incredible 15-year run as one of Broadway’s most beloved and successful musicals. However, even great shows cannot go on forever. The declining ticket sales, increased competition, high production costs, lack of touring, and opportunities for new productions all contributed to Disney’s difficult decision to close this magical musical.
While its run is ending, Poppins leaves behind an indelible legacy. It brought the stories of P.L. Travers to magical new life on stage and gave audiences young and old many “Jolly Holiday” memories. The show may be closing, but Mary Poppins will live on in the hearts of all the fans who were touched by this Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious musical.