Atlantis Productions to Open MARY POPPINS in The Philippines in 2014; Lea Salonga Considered for Lead?

Atlantis Productions has announced via Facebook that it will stage Disney's Mary Poppins in the Philippines in 2014. According to ABS-CBN News, among the actresses being considered for the title role are Pinky Marquez, Joanna Ampil and Lea Salonga.

Salonga has previously appeared in Atlantis' productions of God of Carnage, Proof, Baby and more. Her Broadway credits include Les Miserables, Flower Drum Song, Something Good and Miss Saigon (also on the West End).

BWW reported on January 8 that Mary Poppins would close on Broadway this Spring on March 3, 2013 at The New Amsterdam Theatre, after 2619 performances and more than six years.

With attendance totaling nearly four million guests, the show has been seen by more people in the last six years than any Broadway show except Wicked and The Lion King. Mary Poppins opened on Broadway in 2006, just two years after debuting in London's West End, where it had received nine Olivier Award nominations and won Olivier, Evening Standard and WhatsOnStage Awards. The Broadway production received 25 major theatrical award nominations, winning Tony and Drama Desk Awards.

Mary Poppins will rank as the 22nd longest-running show in Broadway history by the time its run is complete, ranking between Best Musical winners Hairspray and Avenue Q on the list of long runs.

Meanwhile, two successive North American tours of Mary Poppins have garnered critical praise and achieved box office success over their four years. Combined, they have played 73 engagements in 67 cities throughout the US, Canada and Mexico and by the time the tour concludes in Anchorage, Alaska this June, will have played 34 states plus the District of Columbia. Now in Orlando through January 13th, the current tour is a Disney / Cameron Mackintosh / NETworks Presentation.

Internationally, the title has proven equally strong with the 7th replica production worldwide - and the first Spanish language production - recently beginning performances in Mexico City in November with future first class productions yet to be announced. Licensed productions have already played Hungary, Estonia, Finland, Netherlands, Denmark and the Czech Republic to date, with upcoming productions scheduled in China, France, Japan, Iceland, Spain and The Philippines.