My fondest childhood memories involve listening to music on my old portable record player while jumping on the bed, each energetic bounce punctuated by breathless, ever-so-heartfelt singing. The soundtrack to Mary Poppins was one of my favorites and to this day, I still know the words to every song and still get a tad bit misty-eyed when I hear "Feed the Birds." Seriously. To make matters worse, I find myself unwillingly drawn to the Sing-A-Long Mary Poppins event at Tampa Theatre. This interactive movie experience pairs a restored 35mm print of the classic 1964 Julie Andrews film with audience participation that's prompted by on-screen lyrics to all the songs. Every audience member receives a free prop bag with a kazoo, bird whistle, pinwheel, chocolate tuppence, umbrella and a kite, and attendees are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite Mary Poppins character or in a costume inspired by the movie. (I'll be going as Uncle Albert.) Through July 30, 7:30 p.m. Thurs.-Fri., 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun., 711 Franklin St., downtown Tampa, $10 adults/$8 students, seniors and military, 813-274-8981, www.tampatheatre.org.
This article appears in Jul 26 – Aug 1, 2006.