A Rousing Good Time at Mary Poppins in Suwanee!

The hit Broadway musical “Mary Poppins,” soon to be performed Lambert High School Theater, brings the timely message of the importance of family relationships. The production will feature more than 70 actors aged 10-22 singing and dancing in this family-friendly show, which will run June 11-13.

The musical, which is based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the Disney film, tells the story of the Banks family and their flying nanny, Mary.

Miriam Reynolds, chorus teacher at Riverwatch Middle School, said “I’ve always wanted to direct Mary Poppins! It is the ‘practically perfect’ combination of characters, songs, and story.” Carly Berg, co-director and choreographer for the show, agrees “It has such heart in it, and it’s real people rather than cartoon characters. And I think it caters to all audiences – the kids will enjoy it as much as the adults will”. Berg is co-founder of Play on Players Theater in Gainesville. Both programs have won prestigious awards at the Junior Theater Festival, which features over 100 groups from all over the country and internationally.

The production begins with onstage narrator Bert, portrayed (in alternating shows) by Jordan Fugatt and Riley Smith who we follow through various professions including chalk artist and chimney sweep. Bert introduces us to the pranking Banks children, Jane (Callie Skipper and Kailey Souder) and Michael (Jonathan Ingram and Jesse Hanks), who behave atrociously to their various nannies. Then, just when the audience starts to wonder when they’ll get to see the famous Mary Poppins (McKenzie Rivers and Tess Luman), she magically flies onto the stage, in what may be the most memorable entrance in the history of live theater! “Flying was a little scary at first” said Rivers, “But the audience reaction is amazing! Seeing the audience gasp and say ‘wow - she’s flying!’ is what really brought Mary to life for me”. Mary appears at the home of George and Winifred Banks (Tucker Buffington and Emily Crabtree) to care for the young children, and they embark on a series of incredible adventures, complete with dancing chimney sweeps, shopkeepers, and colorful characters.

The show has such favorite songs as “Spoonful of Sugar”, “Step in Time”, “Feed the Birds”, and everyone’s favorite “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”. And no production of Mary Poppins would be complete without Bert tapping on the ceiling! “It’s pretty intimidating. I’m afraid of heights, but also concerned with vocalization when upside down.” Said Fugatt, “I’ve been practicing, but it’s going to be a whole different ballgame when I’m actually hanging upside down and tapping on the ceiling!”

The production combines the top talent from a wide geographical area, including cast members from 11 area high schools, 8 middle schools, 6 elementary schools, and 3 universities. “We have so much incredible talent in the North Atlanta area. As a director, it’s exciting to be able to combine such a wide array of students onto a single stage!” exclaimed Reynolds, who has been teaching in the area for 26 years. “For the actors, it’s been a lesson in building community – it gives the older ones an opportunity to mentor younger ones, and inspires younger cast members to take their talents to the next level. And for the audience, it means that they’ll get to see the very best talent the area has to offer!”

Performances are Thursday, June 11 at 7:00 p.m., Friday, June 12 at 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p. m., and Saturday, June 13 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. at Lambert High School, 805 Nichols Road, Suwanee GA 30024. Tickets are $10-$15 and are available at www.showtix4u.com and at the door.

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