There’s something supercalifragilistic going on at Beal Secondary School.
The school’s year end production of Mary Poppins left its opening audience in awe and full of nostalgia.
Year after year Beal puts on phenomenal musical theater productions and this year’s show is no exception. You can list this 2016 production of Mary Poppins as one of the best the school has ever staged in their plus-100 years of history.
The entire cast is absolutely brilliant in the high school Sherman brothers inspired rendition featuring a family desperately in need of a nanny who can supply their children with discipline and order and instead discover that a practically perfect nanny would eventually find them.
Ashley Kippax plays the role of Mary with absolute echoes of Julie Andrews – in both appearance and performance.
She absolutely knocks the part out of the park and does an amazing job bringing out the gentle but firm nature that makes Mary Poppins the invigorating character that she is. Easily the apple of the audience’s eye is when she ascends across the stage (via cables strapped on) and floats away with the help of her magical umbrella.
Another standout is Mitchell Gosse who plays the role of Bert – the lovable scamp working multiple occupations to make a decent wage. Gosse steals the spotlight in a few scenes with his charm and clear ability to adapt into the character – especially with his opening and reprisals of “Chim chim Cher-ee”.
Band warms up in preparation of opening night.
The Banks children are played by the delightful Carley Otter and Royce Dier whilst parents, George and Winifred – played respectively by Peter Nye and Isabelle Nagel are a clear example of the school’s ability to cast great talent.
Nye in particular shines with a deep and booming voice along with a very well-done standard London accent.
It doesn’t end there either. The brilliant cast also features Kihanna Becke as the cook, Mrs Brill – and Justin Eddy as the butler, Robertson Ay – both of whom are gut-busting hilarious.
Other prominent scenes are stolen by the likes of Colleen Moodie as the terrifying Miss Andrew, David Nelson as the eccentric Mr. Corry and Danielle Dixon as the ‘Bird Woman’.
Moodie’s duet with Kippax on Pt. Two of Brimstone and Treacle is particularly riveting as the actors battle it out note for note in a fight for nanny supremacy.
A great job is also done by the ensemble who nail their choreography and are spot on for every chorus.
A Fog machine accompanied by clever set design makes it a breeze to distinguish dreary, foggy London from the imaginary and beautiful colourful countryside.
The show ends on a splendid reprisal of “Spoonful of Sugar” – which left the crowd feeling in the most delightful way of a standing ovation.
You can still see Beal’s year end production of Mary Poppins at the school’s beautiful auditorium this weekend with curtains rising at 7:30 PM.
Tickets can still be purchased for weekend shows online through the Grand Theatre Box Office or at the door.
