(Above: Jodi Arend plays the title role in Cottage Theatre’s production of Mary Poppins.)
Edited by Randi Bjornstad
Some of the most recognizable and singable musical theater songs of all time will be belted out from the Cottage Theatre stage for four weekends beginning on April 4, as it puts on its production of Mary Poppins.
It’s a long list that includes A Spoonful of Sugar, Jolly Holiday, Step in Time, The Perfect Nanny, I Love to Laugh, Feed the Birds, Chim-Chim-Cheree, and of course, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
Members of the Banks family are played, l-r, by Izzy Lucas as Jane, Laurel Merz as Winifred Banks, Nathan Blakely as George Banks, and Faith Kupsick as Michael Banks in the Cottage Theatre production of Mary Poppins.
Nor do many people need to be told the plot, which involves the sudden appearance — seemingly out of nowhere — of a new nanny to take charge of the Banks children, Jane and Michael. In fact, Mary Poppins seems to be something of a magical creature who also takes the children on fantastical adventures, often in the company of her als0 somewhat magical chimney sweep friend, Bert.
The upshot is that Mary Poppins manages, through a sunny disposition and a lot of common sense, not only to care for the children but also to help the parents realize the importance of understanding priorities and cherishing family experiences.
But the Mary Poppins story is not just fiction. It actually originated from a story written by a British/Australian novelist named P.L. Travers, about her own great-aunt Ellie and her importance in their own real-life family. Travers wrote her story in 1941 and titled it Aunt Sass. It was an extremely limited edition, consisting of 500 copies that she distributed to family members and friends as a Christmas gift.
The Cottage Grove production is an adaptation of the 1964 Disney movie musical that featured Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins and Dick Van Dyke as Bert, featuring Jodi Arenz as the governess and Dylan Bunten as the sweep.
Jane and Michael are played by Izzy Lucas and Faith Kupsick, with Laurel Merz and Nathan Blakely in the parental roles.
The cast also includes Kaycee Lofgren, Seth Bailey, Jennifer Mandeville-Schulz, Susan Goes, Angela Pearson, Mark Allen, Daniel Borson, Matthew Chasen, James Kiser, Tom Perkins, Abigail Bonertz, Marc Siegel, Quinn Branstetter, and Audriahna Jones.
Bil Morrill directs the show, with Brittany Dreier as assistant director and Olive Bennett as stage manager. The music is performed by a live band directed by Chris Holt with vocal direction by Jaclyn Beck, with choreography by Janet Rust. The production crew includes Janet Whitlow (set design), Chris Carter (costume design), Trinity Riddell (lighting design), with special flying effects created by ZFX. The production is sponsored by Starfire Lumber Company.
Mary Poppins at Cottage Theatre
When: Evenings at 7:30 p.m. on April 4-5, 10-12, 17-19, and 24-26; Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m. on April 6, 13, and 27 (note: no performance on April 20, Easter Sunday)
Where: 700 Village Drive, Cottage Grove
Tickets: $35 for adults, $15 for youths, available by telephone at 541-942-8001 or online at cottagetheatre.org
Dylan Bunten, right, takes the role of Bert the chimney sweep opposite Jodi Arend’s Mary Poppins in the Cottage Theatre’s production of the classic musical.
