New York, NY (Top40 Charts) The "Mary Poppins Returns" original motion picture soundtrack is available today from Walt Disney Records. The album features all-new original songs by Tony Award and GRAMMY winning composer Marc Shaiman ("Hairspray," "South Park") and Tony winner and three-time Emmy nominee co-lyricist Scott Wittman ("Hairspray," "
Smash").
Directed by Oscar-nominated, Emmy® and DGA Award-winning director Rob Marshall, the film stars: Emily
Blunt as Mary Poppins; Lin-Manuel
Miranda as Jack; Ben Whishaw as Michael Banks; Emily Mortimer as Jane Banks;
Julie Walters as Ellen; Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh and Joel Dawson as the
Banks children; with Colin Firth as
William Weatherall Wilkins; and
Meryl Streep as cousin Topsy. "Mary Poppins Returns" will be released in U.S. theaters on December 19, 2018.
The Sherman brothers had a profound impact on Shaiman's career as both a composer and songwriter. "The movie and the soundtrack were everything to me as a child and taught me everything I know about film scoring," he says. "The songs from 'Mary Poppins' are, in a word, perfect. The music and the lyrics are perfectly joined and have such a wonderful, sparkling yet emotional, feeling to them, so it's quite a bar to even aspire to come close to."
Because the script is an integral part of any musical, the duo was brought on board to write the music and lyrics when the script was being written, allowing the score to function dramatically from its inception. Shaiman and Wittman crafted nine original songs, each one with a soulful quality that helps advance the plot and enhance the characters. "We didn't stray too far from the sounds of the first movie," adds Shaiman. "We wanted it to feel like we were picking up where the last film ended."
The new songs include: the film's central ballad, "The Place Where Lost Things Go," a lullaby performed by Mary Poppins; the boisterous dance hall number with Mary Poppins and Jack, "A Cover is Not the Book"; "Underneath the Lovely London Sky," the opening musical number performed by Jack at some of the city's most iconic landmarks; "Turning Turtle," a spirited number performed by cousin Topsy and the
Banks children; "The Conversation," a bittersweet song performed by Michael in which he tries to come to terms with his grief; and the buoyant "Nowhere to Go But Up."
Mary Poppins Returns track list:
"
Turning Turtle" - Performed by
Meryl Streep with Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Pixie Davies, Joel Dawson and Nathanael Saleh
"Trip a
Little Light Fantastic" - Performed by Lin-Manuel
Miranda with Emily Blunt, Tarik Frimpong, Pixie Davies, Joel Dawson, Nathanael Saleh and Leeries
"Trip a
Little Light Fantastic (Reprise)" - Performed by Dick Van Dyke with Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Pixie Davies, Joel Dawson and Nathanael Saleh
"Nowhere to Go But Up" - Performed by
Angela Lansbury, Ben Whishaw, Pixie Davies, Joel Dawson, Nathanael Saleh, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Emily Mortimer,
Julie Walters and Company
ABOUT "MARY POPPINS RETURNS"
In Disney's "Mary Poppins Returns," an all new original musical and sequel, Mary Poppins is back to help the next generation of the
Banks family find the joy and wonder missing in their lives following a personal loss. Emily
Blunt ("The Girl on the Train," "Into the Woods") stars as the practically-perfect nanny with unique magical skills who can turn any ordinary task into an unforgettable, fantastic adventure and Lin-Manuel
Miranda ("Hamilton," "
Moana") plays her friend Jack, an optimistic street lamplighter who helps bring light—and life—to the streets of London. "Mary Poppins Returns" is directed by Rob Marshall ("Into the Woods," "
Chicago"). The screenplay is by
David Magee ("Life of Pi") and the screen story is by Magee & Rob Marshall & John DeLuca ("Into the Woods") based upon the "Mary Poppins" Stories by PL Travers. The producers are John DeLuca, p.g.a., Rob Marshall, p.g.a., and Marc Platt, p.g.a. ("
La La Land"), with Callum McDougall serving as executive producer. The music score is by Marc Shaiman ("
Hairspray") and the film features all new original songs with music by Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman ("
Smash") and Shaiman. The film also stars Ben Whishaw ("Spectre") as Michael Banks; Emily Mortimer ("Hugo") as Jane Banks;
Julie Walters ("Harry Potter" films) as the Banks' housekeeper Ellen; Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh and Joel Dawson as the
Banks children, with Colin Firth ("The King's Speech") as Fidelity Fiduciary Bank's
William Weatherall Wilkins; and
Meryl Streep ("Florence Foster Jenkins") as Mary's eccentric Cousin Topsy.
Angela Lansbury appears as the Balloon Lady, a treasured character from the PL Travers books and Dick Van Dyke is Mr.
Dawes Jr., the retired chairman of the bank now run by Firth's character. PL Travers first introduced the world to the no-nonsense nanny in her 1934 children's book "Mary Poppins." However, the subsequent adventures of Mary Poppins remained only on the pages of the seven other PL Travers' books…until now. "Mary Poppins Returns" is drawn from the wealth of material in these additional books. The film takes place in 1930s Depression-era London 24 years after the first film was set. Michael
Banks works for the same financial institution that employed his father and still lives at 17 Cherry Tree Lane with his three children, Annabel, John and Georgie and their housekeeper Ellen. Carrying on in her mother's tradition, Jane
Banks campaigns for workers' rights and provides a helping hand to Michael's family. When the family suffers a personal loss, Mary Poppins magically re-enters their lives and with Jack's help, brings joy and wonder back into their home.
Mary Poppins Returns original motion picture soundtrack digital album and physical CD are available today. For more information on Walt Disney Records' releases, like us on Facebook.com/disneymusic or follow us at Twitter.com/disneymusic and Instagram.com/disneymusic.
