B-OHS thespians bring Disney musical, ‘Mary Poppins,’ to the stage in southwestern Minnesota
It was a spit spot supercalifragilisticexpialidocious performance by Butterfield-Odin Public High School (B-OHS) thespians as they brought the Disney musical, “Mary Poppins,” to the stage in southwestern Minnesota this past Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25.
The tale of Mary Poppins, Bert the Chimney Sweep, the Banks family, including parents George and Winifred and children Jane and Michael – along with the rest of the cast of characters – is based on a series of eight children’s books by P. L. Travers. Their story was told on the B-OHS gymnasium stage with Friday afternoon matinee and Friday and Saturday evening shows.
The storyline of Mary Poppins focuses around an English magic nanny named Mary Poppins who comes to work for a cold banker’s unhappy family. Mary flies in with her umbrella in response to the request of the Banks children to make their home a happy home – and proceeds to put things right – with the aid of her rather extraordinary magical powers. She is blown by the East wind to Number Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane, London, and into the Banks household to care for their children.
From that point, encounters with sweeps, shopkeepers and various adventures follow until – with a happier father, Mr. Banks and less preoccupied mother, Mrs. Banks, at home, Mary abruptly “pops-out.”
With her work done, Mary flies away with Bert bidding her farewell, telling her not to stay away too long.
Well-known songs from the musical include, among others, “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” “I Love to Laugh,” “Feed the Birds,” “Fidelity Fiduciary Bank, ” “Chim Chim Cher-ee,”and “Let’s Go Fly a Kite.”
Taking the lead roles in the production was a duo of young talent, freshman Julie Saunders as Mary Poppins and eighth-grader Ethan Sykes in the role of Bert the Chimney Sweep.
Director the production is Lisa Shellum, with Sarah Cartwright as musical director.
“Mary Poppins” Cast and Crew
* Mary Poppins – Julie Saunders.
* Jane Banks – Mackenzie Blickem.
* Michael Banks – Devon Aguliar.
* George Banks – Dylan Hovdet.
* Winifred Banks – Hayley Johnson.
* Bert the Chimney Sweep – Ethan Sykes.
* Mrs. Brill the Banks’ family Housekeeper – Chelsea Sykes.
* Mrs. Corry – Kylie Fisch.
* Bird Woman – Krisana Xayaphonesongkham.
* Katie Nanna – Julia Hiebert.
* Robertson Ay the Banks’ family Butler – Aidan Hiebert.
* Neleus the Statue – Aaron Rodriguez.
* Miss Andrews – Brianna Ringen.
* Valentine – Brenda Rodriguez.
* Miss Lark – Heather Pankratz.
* Admiral Boom – Austin Heffele.
* Von Hussler – Glenda Hector.
* Northbrook – Danny Sanchez Ambrocio.
* Policeman – Austin Heffele.
* Queen Victoria – Mercedes Lenning.
* Fannie – Rachel Joramo.
* Annie – Kylie Fisch.
* Tannie – Kaliana Xayaphonesongkham.
* Dannie – Stephanie Kotten.
* Teddy Bear – Aaron Rodriguez.
* Cat – Stephanie Kotten.
* Doll – Elisabeth Pankratz.
* Park Keeper – Jordan Dougherty.
* Bank Chairman – LaMar Sengsouvanh.
* Bank Clerks – Elisabeth Pankratz, Madyson Heffele, Brenda Rodriguez, Kylie Fisch, Mercedes Lenning, Brianna Ringen, Krisana Xayaphonesongkham, Stephanie Kotten and Kaliana Xayaphonesongkham.
* Chimney Sweeps – Aaron Rodriguez, Rachel Joramo, Brianna Ringen, Brenda Rodriguez, LaMar Sengsouvanh, Elisabeth Pankratz, Madyson Heffele and Danny Sanchez Ambrocio.
* Stage Crew – Derek Meyer and Jordan Clark.
* Lights – Cody Steinbrink.
Below is a photo gallery from the show’s Friday afternoon matinee:
STOPPING THE RUNAWAY Banks children, Jane (Mackenzie Blickem), left and Michael (Devon Aguliar), right, to return them to their parents, is the Police Officer (Austin Heffele), center.KATIE NANNA (Julia Hiebert), right, takes her leave as the nanny for the Banks family as one more stunt by the children, Jane and Michael, was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The housekeeper, Mrs. Brill (Chelsea Sykes), left, gives her “good riddance” to the now former nanny.JANE BANKS (MACKENZIE Blickem), left and her brother, Michael Banks (Devon Aguliar), right, read off the list of “wants” they hope to see in their new nanny.GRUMPY GEORGE BANKS (Dylan Hovdet) is set for another no-fun day of work at the bank.SUPER-NANNY MARY Poppins (Julie Saunders) arrives at the Banks home, blown in with her umbrella by the East wind to Number Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane in London.MARY POPPINS (JULIE Saunders), left, discovers how the personality of Michael Banks (Devon Augliar), right, “measures up.”NEXT, MARY POPPINS (Julie Saunders), left, uses her tell-all measuring tape to learn what there is to know about Jane Banks (Mackenzie Blickem), right.WHEN MARY POPPINS takes the Banks children, Jane and Michael, to the park on an outing, they meet up with Bert the Chimney Sweep (and part-time artist). Together they all travel on a “Jolly Holiday,” and many strange and wonderful things happen. Above, Bert (Ethan Sykes) puts to lyrics the specialness of Mary, “When Mary ‘olds your ‘and, you feel so grand. Your ‘eart starts beatin’ kike a big brass band.”BERT (ETHAN SYKES), left and Mary (Julie Saunders), right, take a swing through the park, followed by Michael Banks (Devon Aguliar), behind and Jane Banks (Mackenzie Blickem), back right, along with a host of other dancing couples.ONE OF THE magical moments on the outing is when the statue, Neleus (Aaron Rodriguez), center, “comes to life.” Michael (Devon Aguliar), left and Jane (Mackenzie Blickem), right, are about to be amazingly shocked to experience such a thing happening.WITH MANY STRANGE things occurring in his park, the Park Keeper (Jordan Dougherty), left, confronts Bert (Ethan Sykes), center and Mary (Julie Saunders), right.A SLIGHT STAFF problem in the Banks household. The housekeeper, Mrs. Brill (Chelsea Sykes), left, assigns the butler, Robertson Ay (Aidan Hiebert), right, the job of making the frosting for the cake – with an emphatic emphasis on doing it right.MICHAEL (DEVON AGULIAR), left and Jane (Mackenzie Blickem) right, swoop into the kitchen to “assist” Robertson Ay with the frosting – making a mess of the whole room instead.IN COMES MARY (Julie Saunders), right, with the children’s medicine, and with some sweet talk – “Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down” – Michael (Devon Aguliar), left, finds the taste not too bad. Behind, Jane (Mackenzie Blickem) keeps a keen eye on her brother to see what is his reaction.WITH THEIR MEDICINE taken, Jane (Mackenzie Blickem), left and Michael (Devon Aguliar), right, take heed of Mary’s very knowledgeable words in order to clean up the kitchen mess – “In ev’ry job that must be done, there is an element of fun, You find the fun – and snap – the job’s a game!”MARY (JULIE SAUNDERS), right, is even able to lift the spirits of Jane and Michael’s mother, Winifred Banks (Hayley Johnson). left.WITH HIS NOSE to the grindstone at his no-fun job at the bank, George Banks (Dylan Hovdet), right, barely has time for a meeting with the Bank Chairman (LaMar Sengsouvanh), left.WORKING IN UNISON, with well-timed precision, the Bank Clerks (from left, Kylie Fisch, Mercedes Lenning, Brianna Ringen and Madyson Heffele) know that they, too, are to have no time for fun at work.FOUR MORE BANK Clerks (from left, Kaliana Xayaphonesongkham, Elisabeth Pankratz, Brenda Rodriguez and Stephanie Cotten) dutifully crunch the numbers.SEATED ON THE steps of St. Paul’s in downtown London, the Bird Woman (Krisana Xayaphonesongkham) encourages passers-by to “Feed the birds, tuppence a bag. Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag.”MARY (JULIE SAUNDERS) gleefully shares with her park friends “the biggest word you’ve ever heard” – “It’s supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Even though the sound of it is something quite atrocious, if you say it loud enough, you’ll always sound precocious. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”MRS. CORRY (KYLIE Fisch), front left – along with her store employees (back, from left, Glenda Hector, Brenda Rodriguez, Brianna Ringen, Mercedes Lenning, Rachel Joramo and Madyson Heffele – get that “super” feeling and break out into a dance.AND THEN, THE entire group of park-goers gets involved, following the lead of Bert (Ethan Sykes), left and Mary (Julie Saunders), right.JANE (Mackenzie Blickem), front left and Michael (Devon Aguliar), front right, have a tug-of-war over control of the teddy bear, Valentine, At back are the children’s giant Toy Soldiers (Jordan Dougherty, left and Danny Sanchez Ambrocio), right.AFTER THE CHILDREN’S temper tantrum fit over Valentine, the teddy bear, toys in the nursery come to life to teach the Banks’ children a lesson, “Temper Temper think of the cost of a temper once it’s been lost, you cannot get it back.” From left, Annie (Kylie Fisch), Tannie (Kaliana Xayaphonesongkham, Doll (Brenda Rodriguez), Teddy Bear (Aaron Rodriguez), Michael (Devon Aguliar) and Jane (Mackenzie Blickem).WITH MARY POPPINS – and the children’s toys – taking their leave from the Banks’ home, the nanny who cared for George Banks, Miss Andrews, comes take over those same duties for his children. Above, Miss Andrews (Brianna Ringen), left, is set to give the children liberal doses of brimstone and treacle (a form of sulphur used as a domestic medicine, given as a laxative and “blood cleanser” – and the taste is horrible! However, Winifred Banks (Hayley Johnson) second from right, stands up for the rights of her children, Michael (Devon Aguliar), second from left and Jane (Mackenzie Blickem), right – staring down Miss Andrews and her ideas.FOLLOWING THAT HORRIFYING experience with Miss Andrews – and the brimstone and treacle – Michael (Devon Aguliar), left and Jane (Mackenzie Blickem), center, once again run away from home. This time, however, they meet up with Bert (Ethan Sykes), kneeling right, in the park – and discover he has a special treat – a kite to fly up to the sky.MICHAEL (DEVON AGULIAR) finally gets his long-sought-after opportunity to. “Let’s go fly a kite up to the highest height! Let’s go fly a kite and send it soaring up through the atmosphere, up where the air is clear. Oh, let’s go fly a kite!”MARY POPPINS (JULIE Saunders), left, returns to the Banks household just in the nick of time to shoo Miss Andrews (Brianna Ringen), right – and her brimstone and treacle – right out the front door.MARY, THE CHILDREN – and Bert (Ethan Sykes) go on another adventure – this time “over the rooftops” of London, meeting a cadre of chimney sweeps along the way.LINKING ARMS, THE night sky “mateys” kick their knees up and, “Step in time, step in time, step in time, step in time. Never need a reason, never need a rhyme. Step in time, you step in time!” From left, Jane (Mackenzie Blickem), Bert (Ethan Sykes), Mary (Julie Saunders) and Michael (Devon Aguliar).
SECRETLY SLIPPING IN as a cast member – a chimney sweep – for the number “Step In Time,” is the musical’s director and Butterfield-Odin Public School Superintendent Lisa Shellum.
