'Mary Poppins' To Hit The Stage In Youth Theater Production

JOHNS CREEK, GA — Christian Youth Theater of Atlanta is preparing for its spring production of Mary Poppins, The Musical. This family favorite will feature 3rd grade to senior high students from over a dozen local schools. The show will run from April 26-29 in the main auditorium at Mount Pisgah United Methodist Church in Johns Creek.

“Having this amazing auditorium for our performances has given us the freedom to dream of BIG productions and what could be more magical and spectacular than producing Mary Poppins?” said CYT Executive Director Connie Matthews. “Classic musical favorites, picturesque settings, Victorian costumes, and special effects seemed positively perfect in every way!”

Plans are in the works to bring as much of the magic from the movie and Broadway show as possible to this community theater production.

“It is a dream to bring a personal childhood favorite to life on stage,” adds CYT Artistic Director Anna Kilbride. “My goal is to maintain the spirit of the movie, showcase the spectacle of the Broadway show, and still surprise the audience with some new ideas. I know that God has given me perfect cast, parents, and staff to make Mary Poppins soar!"

Mary Poppins is one of the most beloved movies in Disney history, so capturing the magic, joy, and warmth of such a popular film is no small task. Based on the books by P.L. Travers and the Disney classic, Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins delighted Broadway audiences for over 2,500 performances.

From Musical Theater International - the jack-of-all trades, Bert, introduces us to England in 1910 and the troubled Banks family. Young Jane and Michael have sent many a nanny packing before Mary Poppins arrives on their doorstep. Using a combination of magic and common sense, she must teach the family members how to value each other again.

Playing such iconic roles are not lost on Zoey Hackemar and Thomas McFerran, cast in the roles of Mary Poppins and Bert. Elena Araoz and Andrew McDonald will also play the lead roles during the four day run of the show.

“Mary Poppins’ character is actually based on a real person, so I really love being able to take inspiration from Julie Andrews’ portrayal and also add little touches that humanize her,” said Ms. Hackemar, a high school senior. "A couple challenges are that Mary quite literally leads the show, which is always a daunting task! And the other challenge would have to be balancing the original charm Julie Andrews added to Mary while also adding in my own ‘Zoey twists’ to her.”

“Bert is special though because he’s an emblem for fun and joy, bringing the childlike experience that you can have anywhere in life,” said McFerran, a high school senior at Lambert. “It’s not something that quits once you turn 18. You can take it with you and carry it all the days of your life to make life fun and exciting and never lose that spirit. It’s also challenging because it’s difficult to cross his different natures. Bert is like a quasi-magical being because he keeps that childlike nature. Another challenge is Bert’s accent. Ask Dick Van Dyke, it’s not the easiest thing to do and have it understandable on stage. It drives me to continue working hard until I have mastered it.”

For more information, please visit www.cytatlanta.com or email info@cytatlanta.com. You can also find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cytatlanta/

About CYT Atlanta

An affiliate of the largest youth theater network in the country, Christian Youth Theater Atlanta was founded in 2003 and offers after school theater classes along with professionally directed theatrical productions for the community. Each year, hundreds of students in the North Metro Atlanta suburbs experience character-grounded, arts education through weekly workshops, online courses, and summer camps.

These same students have the opportunity to participate in professionally directed and produced musicals.
Drawing from North Fulton, Forsyth, and Gwinnett counties, CYT benefits from the combined talents of students who are both new to theater and also well-seasoned, with many school and community shows on their resumes. Mount Pisgah United Methodist Church in Johns Creek will again provide a state of the art theater for this spring production of Mary Poppins.