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Mary Poppins Audition Announcement

 

Step in time with us and audition for our upcoming Mary Poppins Musical! Join us on March 10th and 12th for a practically perfect audition experience! Don't miss this chance to be part of a magical production that will have you flying high with joy! Please sign up here for an audition time.

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AUDITION TEAM:

Director: Jackie Grigg 

Music Director: Rebecca Caron 

Choreographers: Adelyn Bell and Kate Whalen 

 

LOCATION: Portland Players, 420 Cottage Road, South Portland

 

AUDITION DATES:

Sunday, March 10th (9am-12pm)

Tuesday, March 12th (6:30pm-9:30pm)

Callbacks will be on Sunday, March 17th (9am-12pm).

 

PERFORMANCE DATES:

June 7th - 23rd, 2024

Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm

Sundays at 2:30pm

 

REHEARSALS:

Rehearsals start March 25th and are Sunday - Thursday evenings from 6:30-9:30pm.

You must be available for all tech week rehearsals and performances to be cast.

 

What you need for the audition:

• Please sign up for an audition slot here!

• Please prepare 32 bars of a song in the style of the show. 

• If you plan to audition for the roles of Mary, Bert, Neleus, or wish to be considered for the ensemble, please wear tap shoes and be prepared to show your time step after your singing audition.

• Please be prepared to list all conflicts between March 25th, 2024 and June 23rd, 2024. 

• Please arrive a few minutes before your scheduled audition time to fill out the audition form that will be provided.

 

Show Description:
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. Mary Poppins takes the children on many magical and memorable adventures, but Jane and Michael aren't the only ones upon whom she has a profound effect. Even grown-ups can learn a lesson or two from the nanny who advises that "Anything can happen if you let it.”

 

Character Breakdown:

 

Mary Poppins is Jane and Michael Banks’ new nanny. She is extraordinary and strange, neat and tidy, delightfully vain yet very particular, and sometimes a little frightening, but always exciting. She is practically perfect in every way and always means what she says. She must be a strong singer and graceful dancer. Range Gb3-C6.

 

Jane Banks (to portray 10/11), the high-spirited daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Banks, is bright and precocious but can be willful and inclined to snobbishness. Treble voice. Range A3-F#5.

 

Michael Banks (to portray 9/10) is the cute and cheeky son of Mr. and Mrs. Banks. Excitable and naughty, he adores his father and tries to be like him. Both he and Jane misbehave in order to get the attention of their parents. Treble voice. Range A3-E5.

 

Bert, the narrator of the story, is a good friend to Mary Poppins. An everyman, Bert has many occupations, including hurdy-gurdy player, sidewalk artist, and chimney sweep. Bert watches over the children as well as the goings on in Cherry Tree Lane. He has charm, speaks with a Cockney accent, and must be a strong dancer. Range B3-F#4.

 

George Banks, father to Jane and Michael Banks, is a banker to the very fiber of his being. Demanding “precision and order” in his household, he is a pipe-and-slippers man who doesn’t have much to do with his children and believes that he had the perfect upbringing by his nanny, the cruel Miss Andrew. His emotional armor, however, conceals a sensitive soul. Range Bb3-Eb4.

 

Winifred Banks is George’s wife and Jane and Michael’s mother. A former actress, she is a loving and distracted homemaker who is busy trying to live up to her husband’s desire to associate with “the best people” as well as be a model wife and mother. She suffers from the conflicting feelings that she’s not up to the job of “Being Mrs. Banks”, yet she is, and more. Range A3-D5.

 

Admiral Boom is a retired Royal Navy man and neighbor of the Banks family. He has a large and booming voice and speaks in Navy jargon, and holds a soft spot for his neighbor, Miss Lark. This track will also portray the Bank Chairman. Range C3-D4.

 

The Bird Woman is covered in a patchwork of old shawls, and her pockets are stuffed with bags of crumbs for the birds. She tries to sell her crumbs to passersby, who ignore her as if she doesn’t exist. Sings “Feed the Birds." This track will also portray the role of Katie Nanna, Jane and Michael’s nanny at the beginning of the show. Range Gb3-C5.

 

Miss Lark is the haughty next-door neighbor of the Banks family who treats her dog, Willoughby, as if he were her child. This track will also portray Miss Smythe in the bank scene and will be utilized as a dancer in ensemble numbers.

 

Robertson Ay is on staff for the Banks family. Lazy, sleepy, and grumbling, he never gets things right and believes himself to be useless. Must have excellent physical comedy skills. This Track will also portray the Park Keeper. Range F3-G#4.

 

Mrs. Brill is the housekeeper and cook for the Banks family. Overworked and harassed, she’s always complaining that the house is understaffed. Her intimidating exterior is a cover for the warmth underneath. Mrs. Brill doesn’t have a high opinion of nannies in general and Mary Poppins in particular. Range F#3-D#5.

 

Miss. Andrew is George’s overbearing and scary nanny. With her bottle of nasty-tasting brimstone and treacle to keep naughty children in line, she is a bully who only knows one way of doing things - her way. Must be a strong singer. This track will also portray the role of Mrs. Corry, who is one of the principle singers in Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Range Gb3-F5.

 

Neleus is the statue in the park. Neleus was separated from his father, Poseidon, and misses him very much. A lonely being, he is very happy to befriend Jane and Michael. Neleus is a featured dancer and requires strong dance skills. This track will be utilized as a dancing ensemble member in other scenes.

 

Policeman is a neighborhood fixture who is respected by and observant of the households on his beat. This track will also portray the Messenger and the Doorman.

 

Ensemble comprises good tap, jazz, and ballet dancers and strong singing voices.

 

UNDERSTUDIES: We hope to offer five understudy tracks. When not called upon to perform in the roles they are covering, they will be utilized in performances in streamlined ensemble tracks. The tracks include Mary Poppins, Bert, Winifred/Mrs. Brill, George/Roberson Ay, and The Bird Woman/Mrs. Corry/Miss Andrews.