AUDITIONS ARE NOW CLOSED.
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Please check back later for future Auditions
Show Synopsis
"Mary Poppins: The Musical" is a delightful stage adaptation of the beloved children's book series by P.L. Travers. Set in London, the musical follows the story of the Banks family and their magical nanny, Mary Poppins. Through her enchanting adventures and whimsical personality, Mary Poppins brings joy and wonder into the lives of the Banks children, Jane and Michael. The musical features iconic songs such as "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and "Chim Chim Cher-ee," as well as dazzling choreography and stunning set designs that transport audiences into a world of imagination and magic. With its heartwarming story and unforgettable characters, "Mary Poppins: The Musical" continues to captivate audiences of all ages around the world.
Production Team
Directors - Janelle Simpson, Laura Dahl, Diane Webb
Vocal Directors - Amy Appleton, Cindy Simpson
Choreographers - Megan Holman, Laura Dahl, Janae Davies
Stage Manager - Nicole Gurney
Assistant Stage Manager - Cindy Smith, Erika Bergh
Audition, Rehearsal and Show Information
Show and Audition Information
Audition Ages: 8 and up
Audition Address: 49 Kirklees Rd, Sherwood Park AB, T8A 5H8 (Please use side door)
Audition Date: September 5th and 6th 2024 5:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Further Auditions and Call Back Date: September 7th, 2024 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Show Dates: February 7th & 8th, 2025 (evening show on 7th, matinee and evening on 8th) at the Shell Theatre in Fort Saskatchewan
Rehearsal Schedule
September - December:
Soloist and small group vocal rehearsals*:
Tuesdays 6:00pm-9:00pm
Full Cast Rehearsals
Thursdays 6:00pm-9:00pm & Saturdays 9am - 12pm
January - February:
Full Cast Rehearsals
Tuesdays 6:00pm-9:00pm
Thursdays 6:00pm-9:00pm
Saturdays 9am-12pm (10 am - 4pm Jan 11, Jan 18 & Feb 1)
Show Week(Feb 3rd - 8th):
As requested and/or scheduled. Please do not plan anything during this week.
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*Soloist and Small Group Vocal Rehearsals will be held on Tuesdays, but will be scheduled by character or song. Not all vocalists will be needed each week or for the full rehearsal period.
It is important that cast members attend all rehearsals. Actors will be called for rehearsal as required, but ensemble and named characters should plan to be available for all rehearsals.
Mary Poppins, Bert, Jane and Michael must be available for all rehearsals.
We will only be scheduling small groups and optional rehearsals over Elk Island Public School's Fall Break (Nov 6-12) and between December 22nd and January 5th.
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Individual and Ensemble Auditions
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Ensemble/Group Auditions
If you are auditioning to be a member of the ensemble, you do NOT need to prepare a monologue or solo song, however you will need to perform the dance explained in the video below. The audition will consist of small groups doing improv games, working on the short dance combination above, and singing the Ensemble Section in the Vocal selections link above (including harmonies).Please show up on time and ready to move. Comfortable clothing, solid footwear, and a water bottle are recommended.
Individual Auditions
Individual auditions will be booked as individual 10 minute time slots. These auditions will include cold reads from the script, one vocal selection(see button above)and the dance selection in the video (above). Each character has been assigned a specific vocal selection, if you are auditioning for a specific character, please sign that selection.
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Audition Sides
Audition sides will be cold reads with a member of the directing team. Sides will be available at the audition sign in table.
Dance Section
All prospective cast will be asked to demonstrate movement. We will be teaching the section in the video linked at the top of the page and other choreography as well.
Online Auditions
If you are not available the night of auditions, Please contact setmarypoppins@gmail.com for Online Audition information and instructions.
Online Auditions can be sent to setmarypoppins@gmail.com NO LATER THAN Friday September 6th, 2024 at 4 pm.
Call Backs
You may be asked to return for a callback on Saturday, Sept 7th between 1pm & 4pm, where we will be going over more music and scenes to see who is the best fit for each lead role. The final cast list will go out Saturday/Sunday that weekend.Whether you are able to make it to the audition or will be sending one in digitally, please fill out the appropriate audition form.
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A Note on Accents
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Mary Poppins is a show with a variety of accents we encourage you to discover what accent your character should have in the excerpt below and audition using that accent or a variety of accents.
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SPEECH: ACCENTS AND CLASS DISTINCTIONS
Just about everyone in Mary Poppins speaks with a British accent. In this musical, dialect (pronunciation along with regional-based word choices) illuminates a person’s status in society – whether she is from the upper, middle, or lower class. An accent reveals if a person is from somewhere else in the world, which can make him seem strange or exotic. More than just creating the right sound, employing accents and dialects help create character. Speaking with an accent is actually a mindset!
Most of the characters in Mary Poppins will speak either with Received Pronunciation (RP), which is a standard British accent that sounds very well-to-do (think of actors like Sir Patrick Stewart or Dame Judi Dench), or with Cockney accents. One character, John Northbrook, speaks with a Northern English accent, such as Cumbrian, Yorkshire, or Geordie (think Billy Elliot).
How an character speaks is important in Mary Poppins because it influences how others treat her. Prime examples of this are those characters that employ the Cockney dialect: the shabbily dressed Bird Woman who passersby deliberately ignore as she tries to sell her bags of birdseed; Bert, who performs manual labor (what would be considered blue-collar work in the present day); Mrs. Brill and Robertson Ay, servants; and the Park Keeper and the Policeman. All these characters are part of the lower class and speak with Cockney accents. Keep in mind, however, that the Bankses’ servants and the Park Keeper speak with a Cockney accent that is not quite as harsh as the chimney sweeps.
The Bankses, with their house on Cherry Tree Lane and George’s profession as a banker, would be considered upper middle class, along with their neighbors, Admiral Boom and Miss Lark. None of them would speak with a Cockney accent, but rather with the more plummy-toned Received Pronunciation. Mary Poppins is the only servant in the Banks household who speaks in this way. The importance of her duties in bringing up “proper” English children from a “good family,” coupled with the way she speaks and comports herself (she is practically perfect, after all), puts her at a higher status than Mrs. Brill.
Two characters in Mary Poppins do not have British accents. Herr Von Hussler speaks with a German accent, while Mrs. Corry was originally played with a Caribbean accent, though that is not an ironclad rule. Whoever plays Mrs. Corry should speak with any accent that makes her seem strange and special. Make sure your Mrs. Corry picks one with which she is comfortable. The women playing this role have chosen accents from all over the globe, including French, Filipino, Irish, Spanish, and Indian, making Mrs. Corry a rare and magical woman of the world.
The easiest way to learn an accent is to listen to it over and over again. YouTube clips are excellent resources to get started.
https://www.mtishows.com/sites/default/files/mp_prodhand_digitalcopy.pdf
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Thank you!
Mary Poppins/ Stage Eaters Production Team