Disney Legend Richard Sherman Accepts Saturn Award "Best Local Stage Production" on Behalf of Mary Poppins

LOS ANGELES ENGAGEMENT OF MARY POPPINS WINS SATURN AWARD FOR “BEST LOCAL STAGE PRODUCTION”

FIRST YEAR ACADEMY OF SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY & HORROR FILMS HAS RECOGNIZED THEATRE DISNEY LEGEND RICHARD SHERMAN ACCEPTS AWARD

The record-breaking Los Angeles engagement of MARY POPPINS was honored at the 36th annual Saturn Awards on Thursday, June 24 as the “Best Local Stage Production: Fantasy/Musical” at a ceremony held at the Castaway in Burbank, CA. This is the first year that the Saturn Awards, which are the official honor of the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, has recognized theatre. On hand to accept the award was Disney legend Richard Sherman who, along with his brother Robert, composed more than 150 Disney songs including those from the film and stage production of MARY POPPINS.

Throughout their nearly 50-year career, Richard and Robert Sherman were the recipients of two Academy Awards®, three Grammy® Awards, 24 gold and platinum albums and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Sherman brothers, who’s iconic song “It’s A Small World” is one of the world’s most translated and performed songs, were recently bestowed with Disneyland’s highest honor, a tribute window on Main Street, U.S.A.

The 13-week Los Angeles premiere engagement of MARY POPPINS played at the Ahmanson Theater from November 13, 2009 through February 7, 2010. During the engagement, the production played 100 performances, entertained over 188,000 theater patrons, grossed $13.7 million at the box office and achieved the milestone of being Los Angeles’ highest grossing theatrical event in 2009.

The MARY POPPINS North American tour is currently playing in Ft. Lauderdale, FL at the Broward Center through June 27. Following the Ft. Lauderdale engagement, the tour will begin performances at the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C. on July 1 and will play for eight weeks through August 22, 2010. The current tour schedule is listed below. For more information and dates, please visit MaryPoppins.com.

The MARY POPPINS North American tour celebrated its first anniversary on March 25, 2010 and announced that it had achieved the milestone of being the most successful touring theatrical event in 2009. Original UK touring company star, Caroline Sheen, reprises her role as “Mary Poppins” while original London and Broadway star, Gavin Lee, stars as “Bert.”

MARY POPPINS, a co-production of Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, opened on Broadway on November 16, 2006. Based on P.L. Travers' cherished stories and the classic 1964 Walt Disney film, MARY POPPINS the stage play features the Academy Award®-winning music and lyrics of Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. The stage production has been created, in collaboration with Cameron Mackintosh, by Academy Award®-winning screenwriter Julian

Fellowes, who has written the book, and the Olivier Award-winning team of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, who have composed new songs and additional music and lyrics.

Olivier Award-winning director Richard Eyre leads the award-winning creative team, with co-direction and choreography by Tony® and Olivier Award winner Matthew Bourne. MARY POPPINS features set and costume design by TonyÒ Award winner Bob Crowley, co-choreography by Olivier Award winner Stephen Mear, lighting design by Howard Harrison, orchestrations by William David Brohn, and music supervision by David Caddick. The tour’s creative team includes Tour Director Anthony Lyn, Associate Choreographer Geoffrey Garrett, and Music Director James Dodgson.