“Mary Poppins” production was enjoyable

GREENSBORO – Usually plays get turned into movies, but “Mary Poppins” followed the opposite sequence, as a classic Disney film turned into a hit Broadway musical. It first came out in 1964 with music by Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman, based on books by P.L. Travers, with Julie Andrews as the magical nanny, Mary Poppins, in her film debut, and Dick Van Dyke as Bert, the amiable chimney sweeper.

The Hazen Union Drama Club gave an enjoyable performance of the work last Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at the Highland Center for the Arts.

Marc Considine was the director and Mavis MacNeil the music director. The players consisted of 34 actors and actresses. The background orchestra music was recorded for the singers.

Scenes of a living room, park, church window and bank interior were projected onto the curtain behind, setting the scene.

Given the length of the musical (almost three hours) and the numerous set changes (reflecting the original medium of the film), makes it impossible to recount the whole of “Mary Poppins.”

The scenes all take place in London, focused on the life of the Banks family with their two young children. Mary Poppins has just been hired as their new nanny. Her vivacious personality brings merriment to an otherwise staid and emotionally frigid household. The children thrive but the English class system becomes a factor in the parents’ snobbishness about Mary Poppins and her lower class friends.

The workaholic father is a baker, but gets into trouble after refusing a loan to an entrepreneur and is threatened with dismissal.

Mary Poppins leaves without notice and the father’s old nasty nanny takes her place, the complete opposite in personality. But just when everything appears upside down and dismal for the family, their fortunes reverse. Mary Poppins returns and the father vows to make his family come first in the future.

The casting was excellent for all the parts, with Chloe Cloutier as Mary Poppins completely in character, moving about the stage and using her whole body expressively, as well as having a fine voice.

Her close friend, Bert the chimney sweeper, was played by Ethan Gann with impressive stage presence and dramatic skills, along with an admirable voice.

Adele Barsalow as the daughter Jane Banks showed talent far beyond her age in her animated acting, a delight to watch.

Both Charlie Lander (in the first half of the musical) and Dylan Meacham (in the second half) were very convincing in their portrayal of the son Micheal Banks, able to communicate a range of feelings.

Garret Sisk was quite professional in consistently embodying the father George Banks, so distant as a parent and consumed by his financial worries.

Sadie Gann, as the mother Winifred Banks’ well combined diffidence to her husband, with an exaggerated concern for her social position.

Lana Grant as the maid Mrs. Brill, and Will Helms, as the butler, Robertson Ay, had some humorous moments as servants in the difficult Banks household.

Juniper Book, as the Bird Woman and nasty nanny, conveyed her negative personality to fine effect.

Other supporting actors and actresses in the large cast were Izzy Grant as Katie Nanna, Errol Grant as Policeman, Lizzy Considine as Miss Lark, Nicholas Truett as Admiral Boom, Nathaniel Brandt as the Park Keeper, Owen Allen as the statue Neleus, Daniel Pougnier as the Bank Chairman, Errol Grant and Will Helms also as Bank Clerks, Quinn Molleur as the German entrepreneur Von Hussler, Ysabel DiMarco as Northbrook, Kassidy Gann as Mrs. Corry, Amelia Crank as Valentine and Juniper Book again as Miss Andrew.

An additional ensemble participating as a chorus and in group dancing consisted of Owen Allen, Juniper Bandit, Addy Bartlett, Phoebe Bunten, Scarlet Chernovetz, Madison Colprom, Amelia Crank, Ysabel DiMarco, Izzy Grant, Elfi Goldenrose, Madison Lapoint, Maranda Ryan and Aubree Smith.
Some of the memorable melodies in the musical were “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Feed the Bride,” a song with the word having the most letters in it (“Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”), “Chim Chim Cheree,” “Lets Go Fly a Kite,” “Step In Time and Anything Can Happen.”

This was a very ambitious undertaking theatrically but it managed to be entertaining and provide all the young students with a chance to discover their potential for acting. They were clearly having fun and the audience of parents and friends responded enthusiastically.