Presented by the Springfield Arts Council’s Youth Arts Ambassadors (YAA), the show will include a cast of 50 youths – from kindergarten to high school – for performances at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and a special matinee performance at 2 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are available online or at the door.
While stage shows always have a director, you can likely count on one hand how many have flying directors, and one is “Mary Poppins Jr.” To make certain characters appear to magically fly, a rigging process was required along with a flying director to supervise it, from ZXF, Inc.
“We wanted to do something for this group that was a new experience, something most of these kids haven’t done, which was the flying and having the cool technology in it,” said Krissy Brown, who is co-directing the show with Ian Williams. “Flying is the biggest challenge. It’s expensive and it’s an eight-hour process getting it set up and training people operate it.”
And since the equipment didn’t arrive until Sunday, that meant having a shorter window to block the scenes involving dancing and flying. But with the company that has kept superstars like Beyonce and Pink performing at great heights, it gave Brown confidence and said some of the cast members have really taken to it.
Some of the cast is also learning new skills including tap dancing, not common in most shows the YAA do. This title also involves a chance for a larger cast to get more kids involved, with several newcomers debuting.
“A lot of people have said they don’t recognize some of the names on the cast list, and this is exciting to introduce new talent,” said Brown.
Stepping into the title role is an actress who did the first YAA show, “Seussical,” back in 2014, left for a while and came back. Sarah Angell, a senior at Northwestern High School, is taking on her first lead role with Mary Poppins, calling for an actress to combine several qualities in the role.
“Mary needs to be prim and proper while posed, strict but sweet and kind, and Sarah had all those qualities,” said Brown.
Brady Castillo will play Bert, Mary’s friend with a versatile skill-set. Brown said Bert is a favorite character in the show and Castillo recently also performed in the most recent Summer Arts Festival Broadway in the Park production of “Pippin.”
Brown said Castillo really took to the flying scenes, doing back flips and having fun. Brown also mentioned versatile cast member Addie Powell, who will be all over the stage in various roles.
“These actors aren’t afraid to have fun and act ridiculous,” she said.
Helping behind the scenes are veteran Ambassadors including Landen Hilton as an assistant director and Noah Chesshire and Hannah Mattison on the tech crew.
Brown said the only real difference between this and the full version is some of the songs are shorter to fit the junior description.
As in the story, even after Mary Poppins land and packs off this stage, it won’t be the end. The YAA will be doing this as their show to present at the 2023 iTheatrics Junior Theater Festival in January, where the group has been successful and gained recognition each year.
Brown encourages everyone to step in from the autumn winds and swept in with “Mary Poppins.”
“We’re excited with so many new people and to share this show which is stunning and spectacular,” she said.
HOW TO GO
What: “Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins Jr.”
Where: The John Legend Theater, 700 S. Limestone St., Springfield
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21 and Saturday, Oct. 22 and 2 p.m. Saturday
Admission: Adults $16.50; seniors and students $9.50
More info: www.springfieldartscouncil.org/
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