P.L. Travers’s Mary Poppins books are representative of the golden age of British children’s literature initiated by Lewis Carrol’s Alice in Wonderland. Like the Alice books, Peter and Wendy, The Wind and the Willows, and Winnie-the-Pooh, the Mary Poppins texts can be framed within the contexts of the Victorian and Edwardian eras: the periods when Britain reached the height of its global, cultural, and literary power. However, it took a uniquely American company with a uniquely American entrepreneur to transform the Mary Poppins books into one of the most beloved and acclaimed movie musicals of all time. This talk will contextualize the Mary Poppins books while also exploring the process of adaptation: how did the Walt Disney Company seek to contemporize, Americanize, and “Disneyfy” the original texts while endeavoring to preserve the aspects of the texts that made them such a beloved property in the first place? And how did the stage version reconnect the Disney adaptation to its literary roots?
This lecture coincides with the Theatre production Mary Poppins, showing from November 19, 2025 – December 28, 2025.
Themed Cocktail: Spoonful of Sugar
Lecturer: Marc Napolitano, Assistant Professor of English, United States Air Force Academy
Tickets: $24 ($18 for FAC Members), includes your first drink. Bar opens at 5 p.m.
About Libation Lectures
Libation Lectures is lecture series offering an educational twist to the traditional happy hour. Each lecture explores an aspect of the amazing art and artists from various FAC exhibitions and theatre shows, served up with a themed drink to help you really dive deep into the topic!
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