A dishevelled George Banks (Michael Ashton) mopes to his wife Winifred (Chelsea Boychuk) about his fears he will lose his job as a banker when a host of chimney sweepers, led by their children, come dancing in and singing.
“Miss Poppins, do you have an explanation for this?” he shouts to Mary Poppins (Marissa Tabert) as she strides onto the stage.
She places her hands on her hips and looks at him sternly.
“I want to make one thing abundantly clear,” she says. “I don’t explain anything.”
The crowd erupts in laughter, the lights fall and the stage hands quickly transform the stage to the next scene as the cast and crew of Mary Poppins Jr., comprised of R.F. Staples School students, go all-out for their Nov. 16 production at the Cultural Arts Theatre. The show returns to the stage this week with performances from Nov. 22 to 24.
“The show just keeps getting better,” said Tabert. “It’s such a fun show to do, there’s lots of interesting ideas and tricks in it. There’s a lot of magical things in this show, lots of family fun ideas and heartwarming lines.”
Set in London circa 1910, Mary Poppins Jr. is a musically-focused version of the classic film with less script and more song to carry the story. It tells the story of an upper-middle class family with two rambunctious children, Jane (Marlea Seatter) and Michael (Ryker Latimer) who cannot keep a nanny for more than a few weeks.
Mary Poppins arrives and leads the family on a journey of self discovery, with the assistance of jack-of-all trades Bert (Shona Breitkruz), who doubles as the narrator of the story.
With 25 songs and almost as many set changes, the show, which is directed by Susan Bowsfield, is a delight for the eyes and ears.
George Banks (Michael Ashton) is skeptical as he hears Von Hussler’s (Josh Rohatyn) money-making scheme.
The 21-member cast is enhanced by an 11-person stage crew that not only keeps the show on track, but perform a number of special effects ranging from wire-frame tricks to helping Mary Poppins descend from the heavens by her umbrella.
All this is in addition to the 28-member production team who have worked tirelessly to construct the set, props, costumes and promote the show. An additional six school staff chipped to help with the Nov. 17 dinner theatre — in total, the cast and crew have invested over 100 hours of work.
“I’ve enjoyed developing my new character,” said Breitkreuz, who has been as pillar for the production both on and off stage. “It’s different to play a lead role for me, so this has been a fun new experience.”
Tickets are still available and can be purchased from R.F. Staples School’s office, or at the box office before showtime. A ticket costs $15, while kids under 12 get in for $10.
