Cast Photo by Joan Marcus

Though it seems that Mary Poppins is the perfect conceit for a stage musical, that's not the way it started. In fact, Mary Poppins began in the 1930s as a series of children's books, written by P.L. Travers. In 1964, it became a successful, Disney-produced movie musical starring Julie Andrews. It wasn't until 2004 that Mary Poppins debuted on London's West End as an extravagant live event. Two years later, a Broadway production premiered; it went on to earn a Tony Award as Best Musical.

Now the nanny with supernatural inclinations has landed—flighty umbrella and all—at Los Angeles' Ahmanson Theatre, through February 7, and it is a dazzling spectacle. Minimally altered from the London and Broadway productions, the L.A. version remains magically captivating. What's more, nothing has been lost in terms of performance power. Ashley Brown as Mary and Gavin Lee as Bert, the enchanting chimneysweep, have together been the recipients of a bevy of New York honors for their Broadway incarnations; and, oh, do they prove their player's mettle in this two- hour-and forty-five minute marathon of a musical.

Moreover, the entirety of Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman's Oscar-winning score—including the oh-so-sweet "A Spoonful of Sugar," as well as a new take on the term-twisting "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"—are on delightful display here. Plus, George Stiles and Anthony Drewe have added compositions—such as "Anything Can Happen" and "Brimstone and Treacle"—that only enhance the whimsy and otherworldliness that is Mary Poppins.

Valiantly directed by Richard Eyre, with sublime musical direction by James Dodgson and kaleidoscopic-like choreography by Matthew Bourne, Mary Poppins is played on a magnificent and versatile set designed by Bob Crowley—who also costumed the huge cast in an array of fetching Victorian outfits. Meanwhile, the show is bathed in the mood-altering lighting motif of Howard Harrison.

Like the lead actors—Brown and Lee—the long list of support players is first rate. Still, several deserve standout attention, including Ellen Harvey as the frightful Miss Andrew; Karl Kenzler as George Banks; and Andrew Keenan-Bolger as Robertson Ay. And just as the children under the tutelage of Mary Poppins come to rely on their nanny's mysterious majesty, this staging depends on adept child actors. Thankfully, Mary has them. Though the young performers work as a double cast at alternating performances, on the night reviewed, Katie Balen and Bryce Baldwin were pitch-perfect in the challenging roles of Jane and Michael Banks.

The show's book was penned by Julian Fellows (who won an Oscar for scripting Gosford Park), and it comes across as a relevant scenario with a heartfelt moral. Indeed, Mary Poppins ranges from engaging to phantasmagoric in a multitude of ways, managing to be both a cerebral and sensorial experience. The plot, for example, is centered on a financial crisis, but there's also a jaw-dropping instance of upside-down dancing on the ceiling, as well as Mary's high flying and ascendance under a parasol. It's truly and thoroughly mesmerizing. Don't miss it.

"Mary Poppins," a Disney / Cameron Macintosh Production, continues at the Ahmanson Theatre—135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles—through February 7. Show times are Tuesday – Saturday at 8 p.m., and at 6:30 p.m. on Sundays. Matinees are at 2 p.m. on Saturdays and 1 p.m. on Sundays. For reservations, dial (213) 972 – 4400. For more information, visit www.CenterTheatreGroup.org.