Mary Poppins Presented by CMT

Dec 2, 2015 | 2015 Articles, Lorie Lewis Ham, Theatre

This has been the year of Mary Poppins for theatre in the Valley, and this Mary Poppins year ends with Children’s Musical Theaterworks presentation of the show which opens on December 4. We took a moment to chat with the show’s director, Jenny Myers.

KRL: Why did CMT choose this show to do this December?

Jenny: Mary Poppins is a family show. It has several magical Disney moments that help send a kind, warm-hearted message during this holiday season.

KRL: Why did you want to direct this show?

Jenny: I love working with this broad age group. Mary Poppins also happens to be one of my all time favorite Disney characters.

KRL: What is the age range of the cast?

Jenny: The age range for this production is 10-20 with a couple invited CMT Alumni which portray the older characters.

KRL: How many people are in the cast?

Jenny: It is a large cast. We have over 40 cast members.

KRL: Is your production unique in any way from others?

Jenny: I believe so, yes. I have had to bring characters to life using much younger actors than usual.

CMT cast of MARY POPPINS

KRL: Are you using a live orchestra?

Jenny: We are not using life music for our production. This show is very musically complex and the consistency of the tracks really help our younger performers.

KRL: How does the musical differ from the movie?

Jenny: The musical has several songs and characters that are not in the movie. The stage production includes elements of PJ Travers novels that the movie did not.

KRL: What are you doing about the flying?

Jenny: We are not flying in our production. We are using awesome special effects and logging effects for those moments.

KRL: Other than the flying are there any other special directing challenges to this show?

Jenny: I would say the biggest challenge is the sheer number of scene changes. We have a beautiful set that is quite large. Sometimes we are changing location every 4 or 5 pages.

Mary Poppins will be on stage at the Fresno Memorial Auditorium December 4-13. Ticket prices range from $14-$22, and there is also a special $10 children’s ticket. They can be purchased on their website or by calling 866-973-9610.

You can find more theatre articles, and other entertainment articles, in our Arts & Entertainment section.

Lorie Lewis Ham is our Editor-in-Chief and an enthusiastic contributor to various sections, coupling her journalism experience with her connection to the literary and entertainment worlds. Explore Lorie’s mystery writing at Mysteryrat’s Closet.