“Mary Poppins” brings magic to the stage; Buntrock brings life to George Banks

By Doug Kaufman

As George and Winifred Banks in the upcoming Muny production of “Mary Poppins,” real-life couple Stephen Buntrock and Erin Dilly are making beautiful music together on stage and off.

“When this opportunity came up to play husband and wife on stage, … we jumped at the chance,” Buntrock said. “It’s really nice when you kind of fit the puzzle – when the slot is open and you are the actors that they want.”

Buntrock and Dilly met 14 years ago when they both were in a production of “Martin Guerre,” but this is the first time they’ve played husband and wife. Their off-stage chemistry is a big help when they step into the footlights.

“I consider my wife to be one of the best actresses I’ve ever worked with. She is incredibly giving, incredibly smart, and I listen to her all the time. She gives me notes as we go along,” he said, laughing.

To a certain extent, this is art imitating life.

“It’s really funny. Our life right now, with having two kids, seven and four, there’s a lot about this show that we can kind of place ourselves in, in real life. Because with our kids,” Buntrock said, chuckling, “there is no difference from home life to the actual show of ‘Mary Poppins.’ They’re as rascally as Michael and Jane are, although in a good way. Unfortunately, we don’t have a Mary Poppins at home to help us out.”

Buntrock said he loves working with his wife, and he is just as pleased to be in this production, formally known as “Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins the Musical.” The show also stars Jenny Powers as Mary Poppins, Rob McClure as Bert, Elizabeth Teeter as Jane and Aidan Gemme as Michael.  Elizabeth and Aidan played those same roles together last year in a Broadway production of “Mary Poppins.” It opens tonight – July 25, and runs through Friday, August 2. Show time is 8:15 p.m.

“Mary Poppins,” to borrow a phrase, sounds supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

“I just saw ‘Step in Time’ for the first time, and boy that’s going to be an incredible 11 o’clock number,” Buntrock said, speaking recently during a rehearsal break.  “I can guarantee it’s gonna tear down the house.”

“Mary Poppins,” with a flying nanny capable of all sorts of hocus-pocus, is a magical show. Equally magical is how The Muny puts it together in such a short time span.

“I don’t know how this entire show is being put up in just a week,” he said. “It’s astonishing what The Muny does here. You just get on this horse and you take it for the best ride you possibly can. And also, then you hang on for dear life.”

Performers do what they can to get ready before arriving in St. Louis, but it is a very intensive week to 10 days of rehearsal.

“My wife and I did get our scripts in advance, but you never come fully prepared,” he said. “One is that you don’t really know the vision of the show as of yet. You feel like you do your homework, but by the time you start doing it on your feet, that homework feeling like you’re prepared kind of goes to the wayside. You come here, as much as possible, knowing the show, knowing the lines, maybe knowing some music, but it is really this hurry-up atmosphere that somehow produces that incredible, magical art.”

It takes a seasoned professional to handle the pace.

“This is definitely not for the faint of heart,” Buntrock said. “One, you have to make sure you can tolerate heat. The other one is you have to make sure you come here with an attitude of ‘check your ego at the door,’ because things have to happen fast. … You have to literally make choices and stick with them. Usually, that first choice you make is going to be the right choice to hang in there with for the entire run.”

People who have seen the movie will see a lot of similarities, but there are also some differences.

“The movie really does focus on Mary Poppins,” Buntrock said. “The secondary characters – Mr. and Mrs. Banks – kind of take a back seat to Mary Poppins. In this show, it’s more the story of the Banks family – the struggles they’re going through. This once happy family is now dysfunctional, and they have no idea how to get back to being happy. It takes Mary Poppins and Bert – it takes their wonderful, magical touch to gently guide this family back to where happiness lands.”

All the great songs from the movie will be in the stage production.

“You’re going to hear everything that is familiar from the movie,” he said, including “Step in Time,” “Jolly Holiday,” “Spoonful of Sugar,” “Chim-Chim-Cheree” and more.

“But what’s so wonderful is there have been songs added to it, when they did the original production, that absolutely perfectly fit into the show,” he said.

Buntrock has the challenge every actor faces when taking on a role someone else is well-known for, but Muny executive producer Mike Isaacson and “Mary Poppins” director Gary Griffin had a plan.

“Yes, it is an iconic role, but they’re really looking at it in a very specific, different way,” he said. “I would not have a problem if I copied what the movie had done in the past. But this is a different take, and I think it’s going to be very, very special.”

The family struggles, and Mr. Banks tries to shake off his traditional beliefs, which leads to a heartwarming conclusion.

“I’ve enjoyed the journey to find a different Mr. Banks,” Buntrock said.

Buntrock made his Muny debut last year in “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and couldn’t wait to return.

“I had the most wonderful time last year,” he said. “Being ADHD and walking onto that stage that very first night, I almost wanted to run off crying. But it was just such a special experience. Hearing 11,000 people really love what you do is something you don’t get every day. And Mike Isaacson really has a ‘family first’ approach to his cast. You feel very special being here, you feel very welcomed, and that’s not just by the wonderful people who work behind the scenes. 

"You feel welcomed by the actual audience. You feel you are here in this very special place, and they are cheering you on, and they love everything that you might come up with. So there was no question – I wanted to come back. If it was up to me, I’d be here every season. And I would love to do more than just one show per season. I’m already looking forward to the next season.”

Buntrock decided he wanted to be an actor when he was 10, after seeing the first national tour of “Annie” with his parents.

“I was so incredibly struck. … All I did was listen to the record from ‘Annie’ – I drove my family crazy. I sang every song at the top of my lungs every single day. And, don’t get me wrong – I wanted to be Annie. I wanted to figure out how they could make Annie into a male character,” he said, laughing. “So that’s where the bug hit.

He acted in community theater and studied drama in college and got his first professional role as Lt. Cable in a production of “South Pacific.” He later played the Emil de Becque role in “South Pacific” at the same theater, plus Curly in “Oklahoma” and Fredrik opposite Bernadette Peters in “A Little Night Music, both on Broadway, and Bob Wallace in “White Christmas,” to name a few.

“I have been very blessed,” he said. “First and foremost, what I want to do with my career is to provide for my family. But I do have to say, my guardian angels, who I believe in heavily, have guided me along this wonderful path during my career. I have been very, very, very blessed. The people I have met along the way, who have guided me, I can never repay with my thanks.”

In a way, Buntrock is coming full circle with this role, because he performed with Julie Andrews, the original movie Mary Poppins.

“About five years ago, I auditioned for this concert tour that she was putting together that kind of would bring her back onto the concert stage,” he said. “It landed in my lap, and five of us toured the nation with Julie, getting her back into the limelight that she so deserves to be in. I will never forget that first day of rehearsal. As I walked in the door, she got up from a chair, walked across the rehearsal room, and as she was walking toward me, in the back of my head I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I’m just about to be hugged by Mary Poppins.’”

Laughing heartily, he added, “She actually has become almost a second mother to me. I love her dearly. She is one of the funniest, smartest and most talented actresses I’ve ever known in my entire life. I have been very blessed to call her my friend.”

So theatergoers and cast alike should be on their best behavior during this run, because you never know who might be in the audience or backstage.

“I e-mailed her and said, ‘If you are anywhere close to St. Louis, you’d better come see this show.’ I don’t know if she will.”

Tickets are $12 to $80 and are available at The Muny box office or online at www.muny.org.