There were a lot of little children at the opening night of Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins on Tuesday, April 23. While I don't generally find myself entertained by the same things children are entertained by, Disney will almost always be—and in fact was—an exception. Mary Poppins took a collective hold of the audience, and if this is any indication of the captivating power of the show and Mary Poppins herself, I didn't notice just how many kids were in attendance until intermission (i.e. they were quiet). Mary Poppins, in many dimensions, has the power to control even the most problematic child, or at least make them sit still and watch.

Junauda Petrus is cofounder of Free Black Dirt, an arts collective for black women and women of color in the Twin Cities.

We’re all sick of snow. However, when it snows inside the theater, not just onstage, but in the audience, I’ve got to admit that’s kind of magical. Those kind of magical things happen a lot in Theatre Novi Most’s production of Something About a Bear, a whimsical romantic comedy and fairy tale for adults and children alike.