One of the most beloved classics was performed by our theater department last weekend, and on Friday, the high school auditorium saw a full house, filled with members of our community excited for the opening night of Mary Poppins. As the pit—led by choral teacher Erin Camburn—began to tune, the house lights dimmed, quieting the audience as they turned expectantly towards the stage. They clapped as the theater director, Tyler Kitchenman, said a few words about the show and the program, giving it up for the hardworking students who made this production possible.
The show opened with the narrator of the story, Bert, played by Tanner Sheridan, explaining the ins and outs of the Banks family and how they are disjointed. He commented that the “wind’s in the east, mist coming in,” like something is “brewin’ and ‘bout to begin,” hinting that the approaching arrival of Mary Poppins will change the Banks for the better. As the scene shifted, the exterior of Number 17 Cherry Tree Lane—operated by the cleverly-disguised stage crew, who were dressed like chimney sweeps—turned to reveal the interior of the Banks’ house, where the audience began to watch as their lives unfolded right on stage. The tensions between Winifred and George Banks were evident in the roles the actors embodied, as well as the playful and rambunctious personalities of Jane and Michael, and it truthfully felt as though one was standing alongside Katy Nana, watching the family dynamics unfold in their foyer.
Once Mary Poppins arrived, after receiving the supposedly burnt-up advertisement that Jane and Michael had made searching for a nanny, her no-nonsense yet cheerful demeanor brought smiles to the audience members’ faces. Katie Bell’s representation of the magical nanny was definitely spot-on, and it made me think fondly of Julie Andrews back in the original 1964 movie of Mary Poppins. Personally, the movie will always be a fond childhood memory of mine; I remember what an impression Andrews made on me as a child, and how I was spellbound by her gorgeous voice and the subtle magic of the movie. This rendition of the play was equally as charming, and the excellent casting of the characters was evident throughout the performance.
The cast of Mary Poppins needed to be able to step into the shoes of their characters to ensure that they were projecting their individual personalities. This insight was shared in an interview with Will Hansen, who played George Banks, the rigid and domineering father of Jane and Michael. “I’ve been a mean character for two…plays in a row,” Will said in the interview, “It’s a lot about finding the emotion that you want to convey, saving it throughout the day, and then depositing it into your character [while performing].” George’s character certainly needed this quality of acting, as he had an underlying sense of built-up resentment and frustration undermining his outwardly appearing personality. As with all of the other characters on stage, the actors and actresses portrayed their characters excellently and conveyed the emotions and personality quirks that the Mary Poppins cast needed to represent.
In regards to the production itself, musicals in general differ from regular plays in that they have the addition of a pit orchestra, singing, and choreography, and this performance hit all of these boxes. The orchestra, despite being faced with challenging music, succeeded wonderfully in creating an atmosphere during the show, making it feel as though one was standing in the doorway of Number 17 Cherry Tree Lane, watching the story of the Banks family unfold at their feet. They enabled the performance to come to life through the score, and honestly, it felt like you were watching a movie as the show went on. The choreography added a whole new dimension to the performance, and really made it come together, especially the chimney sweep scene, made famous by Dick Van Dyke in the original 1964 movie, allowing the theater program to highlight the many talented actors who double as dancers during these productions.
At the end of the night, Mary Poppins was able to part with Jane and Michael Banks after helping their family to see the cracks in their relationship and bring them back together again. She stayed their nanny as long as they needed her, and once she knew they were going to be fine on their own, she said her goodbyes and left through the fireplace, the very same place she came to them through. The final message that the audience was left with before the curtain call was that family is always more important than societal expectations and successful careers, and that through an imaginative mindset, anything is truly possible if you set your mind to it.