Mary Poppins is a 1964 American musical fantasy film directed by Robert Stevenson and produced by Walt Disney, with songs written and composed by the Sherman Brothers. The screenplay is by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, based on P. L. Travers's book series Mary Poppins. The film, which combines live-action and animation, stars Julie Andrews in her feature film debut as Mary Poppins, who visits a dysfunctional family in London and employs her unique brand of lifestyle to improve the family's dynamic. Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, and Glynis Johns are featured in supporting roles. The film was shot entirely at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California using painted London background scenes.
The Andrews Sisters were an American close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia, soprano Maxene Anglyn, and mezzo-soprano Patricia Marie "Patty". Throughout their career, the sisters sold over 75 million records.
Rodgers and Hammerstein refers to the duo of composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960), who together were an influential, innovative and successful American musical theatre writing team. They created a string of popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s, initiating what is considered the "golden age" of musical theatre. Five of their Broadway shows, Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I and The Sound of Music, were outstanding successes, as was the television broadcast of Cinderella (1957). Of the other four that the team produced on Broadway during their lifetimes, Flower Drum Song was well-received, and none was an outright flop. Most of their shows have received frequent revivals around the world, both professional and amateur. Among the many accolades their shows garnered were thirty-four Tony Awards, fifteen Academy Awards, the Pulitzer Prize, and two Grammy Awards.
Richard Morton Sherman is an American songwriter who specialized in musical films with his brother Robert B. Sherman. According to the official Walt Disney Company website and independent fact checkers, "the Sherman Brothers were responsible for more motion picture musical song scores than any other songwriting team in film history."
Robert Bernard Sherman was an American songwriter who specialized in musical films with his brother Richard Morton Sherman. According to the official Walt Disney Company website and independent fact checkers, "the Sherman Brothers were responsible for more motion picture musical song scores than any other songwriting team in film history." Some of the Sherman Brothers' best known songs were incorporated into live action and animation musical films including: Mary Poppins, The Happiest Millionaire, The Jungle Book, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Slipper and the Rose, and Charlotte's Web. Their best-known work, however, remains the theme park song "It's a Small World ". According to Time.com, this song is the most performed song of all time.
"'Chim chimmeny" is a song from Mary Poppins, the 1964 musical motion picture. It was originally sung by Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews, and also is featured in the Cameron Mackintosh/Disney Mary Poppins musical.
"Buy A Victory Bond" is a song from the musical Over Here!, which opened on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre (Broadway) on March 6, 1974. The song was written by Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman.
"The Beat Begins" is the big band overture from the musical Over Here!, which opened on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre (Broadway) on March 6, 1974. Like most musical overtures, the piece is a non-lyrical medley of songs from the show. Although the Sherman Brothers, who wrote the music and lyrics for the show, are generally credited as Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman respectively and equally for both music and lyrics, it is widely regarded that Richard is the music composer and Robert, the lyricist.
"Charlie's Place" written by Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman is a song from the musical Over Here!, which opened on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre on March 6, 1974. It was successful as a single for Maxene Andrews who debuted the song in the show.
"The Good-Time Girl" aka "The V.D. Polka" is a song from the musical Over Here!, which opened on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre (Broadway) on March 6, 1974. It was sung by Patty Andrews in a U.S.O. style parody similar to Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Honey Bun" from South Pacific. In the song Andrews warns the GIs to beware of the "Good Time Girl" because:
"We Got It" is the final song from the first act of the musical Over Here!, which opened on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre (Broadway) on March 6, 1974. The song was written by Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman.
"Where Did the Good Times Go?" is, what is popularly termed, the "big ballad" or "11 o'clock number" from the musical Over Here!, which opened on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre (Broadway) on March 6, 1974. The song is the penultimate moment of drama when all seems lost toward the end of the second act. The song was somewhat successful as a single for Patty Andrews, who debuted the song in the show.
"Dream Drummin'" followed by "Soft Music" are songs by Richard & Robert Sherman. They are from the musical Over Here!, which opened on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre (Broadway) on March 6, 1974. The songs segue from one to the next and then back again. The two song medley features John Travolta and the Andrews Sisters on lead vocals and the rest of the cast on backing vocals. Chick Vennera performed "Dream Drummin'" on the "Casualty of War" episode of the TV series "Vega$" in 1980.
"The Glorious Fourth" is a song written by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman in 1974 for the then-upcoming American Bicentennial. Disneyland temporarily changed its "Main Street Electrical Parade" to "America on Parade" and featured the Sherman Brothers' song "The Glorious Fourth". The revamped parade featured nightly fireworks and ran twice a day from 1975-1977.
A Spoonful of Sherman is a musical revue which premiered on January 6, 2014 at the St. James Theatre in London and which is currently poised for its first UK/Ireland tour. Originally produced, written and emceed by Robert J. Sherman, A Spoonful of Sherman first served as the UK book launch for Sherman's father's autobiography: Moose: Chapters From My Life for which Sherman was also the book's editor. After each performance of that original run, Sherman participated in a book signing after the show. The show was billed as "A Celebration of the Life, Times and Songs of Robert B. Sherman" and was received extremely well by the crowd and the critics alike. The cast consisted of four rising West End theatre stars including Charlotte Wakefield, Emma Williams, Stuart Matthew Price and Greg Castiglioni. Musical Direction was provided by Colin Billing and the show was directed by Stewart Nicholls. Lighting was designed by the show's Stage Manager Andrew Holton. In the 2017 version of the show, focus of the show's narrative shifted to both Sherman Brothers' lives as well as to the life of their father, Al Sherman.
School of Rock is a rock musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Glenn Slater and a book by Julian Fellowes. Based on the 2003 film of the same name, written by Mike White, the musical follows Dewey Finn, an out-of-work rock singer and guitarist who pretends to be a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. After identifying the musical talent in his students, Dewey forms a band of fifth-graders, in an attempt to win the upcoming Battle of the Bands contest.
