Mary Poppins Returns’ Lin Manuel Miranda Reveals The Hardest Part About Making Musicals

Lin Manuel Miranda in Mary Poppins Returns

With the trend of nostalgia continuing to prove endlessly profitable and popular, all that was old is new again. Plenty of reboots and long awaited sequels are being produced, and Disney is certainly no exception. In addition to creating live-action versions of their animated features, 1964's Mary Poppins will also be getting its very first sequel. Mary Poppins Returns will star Emily Blunt as the title character, acting alongside Hamilton writer/actor Lin-Manuel Miranda as newcomer Jack.

Through his work writing acclaimed Broadway musicals In The Heights and Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda is no stranger to stories that feature singing and dancing. Miranda recently expressed what makes a really successful musical, hopefully spelling out great things for Mary Poppins Returns. As he tells it,

One of the hardest things to do is to make a successful musical. I don't mean financially successful, I mean artistically. Where all the art forms --- the choreography, the music, the dancing, the sets, the songs, all build toward these moments. When they're all working in tandem, I do not think there is a more thrilling art form, full stop.

Rather than simply throwing together big musical numbers and cool effect, Lin-Manuel Miranda seems to think having a cohesive product and story is key to making a good musical. And considering his mass collection of Tony Awards, movie musical directors should probably take some notes.

Lin-Manuel Miranda's comments to The New York Times show how methodically the writer/actor approaches his work, and gives a glimpse into the process that has made him a household name with Hamilton. Disney made a brilliant casting choice by bringing Miranda in the cast for Mary Poppins Returns, although he's not responsible for writing any of the new music that will debut with the long awaited sequel. That honor goes to Hairspray composer Marc Shaiman.

There was a ton of excitement when Mary Poppins Returns was first announced, and that hype has only continued to grow as time went on. The first trailer for the musical adventure recently hit the web, and teased a big budget, musical and visual treat for all ages.

Mary Poppins will return to Cherry Tree Lane when she returns, decades after she helped out the Banks family in the classic disney movie. After a family tragedy, she must help bring Jane and Michael out of darkness. Michael's three kids are going to need help too, so Mary is going to have her hands full in that house. Luckily, Lin-Manuel Miranda's character Jack will be there along the way.

All of our questions will be answered when Mary Poppins Returns arrives in theaters on December 19th, 2018. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.