FREE EVENT
HARTFORD, CT – The Bushnell will celebrate the imminent arrival of everyone’s favorite magical nanny, Mary Poppins, with a free family Block Party on Saturday, September 8, 2012 from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. The event precedes The Bushnell’s September 14 – 23 engagement of Disney and Cameron Mackintosh present MARY POPPINS, the national tour of the beloved hit Broadway musical.
Taking cues from both the Mary Poppins film and Broadway musical, featuring memorable numbers like “Let’s Go Fly a Kite,” “It’s a Jolly Holiday,” and “Step in Time,” Block Party activities will include:
- Let’s Go Fly A Kite
Using a free kite kit provided by The Bushnell, kids can assemble & decorate their own flying creations. Weather permitting they can stroll down to Bushnell Park and “send them soaring!” Also, the first 100 families to arrive will receive a free Mary Poppins logo kite. - Disney Cabaret
From the Great Hall balcony, Ensign-Darling Vocal Fellows will give free recitals of Disney music. - Step In Time
Kids of all ages can gather in the courtyard, learn a little choreography, and then dance along to a famous Mary Poppins song. - Chalk Drawings
o Professional chalk muralist Tracy Lee Stum will create a spectacular 3D mural at the entrance to the Bushnell courtyard. The mural will depict famous Broadway characters - including Mary Poppins - enjoying Bushnell Park as it might look like in years to come, thanks to the iQuilt Plan (www.theiQuiltPlan.org). Kids and parents alike will then be able to step into the mural and take pictures in the Bushnell Park of tomorrow.
o Families will have an opportunity to sketch their own chalk drawings on the Capitol Avenue sidewalk in front of The Bushnell. - Sing-Along Film Screening – Families can gather in The Bushnell’s Belding Theatre and sing along to a free screening of the film version of Mary Poppins – complete with on-screen lyrics. There are no tickets required for the film, it is free and open to the public. Sing along will begin at 1:00 p.m.
- Bushnell Park Carousel and Memorial Arch will open for business and tours.
- And much more
o A living statue artist, dressed as Mary Poppins, will engage and entertain the crowd
o Face painters
o Caricature artists
o Balloon animal artists
o Foam core cut-outs of Mary Poppins characters for family photos
o Button making activities - Food carts will set up along Capitol Avenue for the purchase of refreshments. Café tables & chairs will be available on the veranda outside the box office.
All Block Party activities are free and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.
THE BUSHNELL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
860.987.5900 TOLL FREE 888.824.2874
Tickets for the September 14 – 23 engagement of Disney and Cameron Mackintosh present MARY POPPINS are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.bushnell.org or by calling The Bushnell box office at 860-987-5900. Disney and Cameron Mackintosh present MARY POPPINS kicks off the 2012-2013 Broadway Series season, sponsored by Travelers and Webster Bank.
