Please be sure to read this entire announcement for important details throughout.

Founded originally by Beth Sholom Congregation and then joined by Congregation Adath Jeshurun, Beth Sholom and Adath Jeshurun Players is a community theater group open to all members of the greater Jewish community and beyond. Our focus is on joy, teamwork, and community. Our goal is to tell a compelling story, not to achieve some sort of unattainable perfection. Come join us!

Regular rehearsals will take place Sunday afternoons, and Monday and Wednesday evenings. See locations below.

SYNOPSIS The Mary Poppins musical is a delightful, heartwarming stage adaptation of the beloved classic story. Set in early 20th-century London, the musical follows the magical journey of Mary Poppins, a mysterious and enchanting nanny who arrives at the Banks household to care for Jane and Michael Banks. With the help of her friend Bert, a jack-of-all-trades, Mary Poppins takes the children on incredible adventures, teaching them valuable life lessons and bringing joy and wonder back into the lives of their busy parents. Through unforgettable songs, mesmerizing dance numbers, and a touch of magic, Mary Poppins is a charming and uplifting tale that appeals to audiences of all ages, reminding us of the importance of family, imagination, and finding the extraordinary in the ordinary.

Audition form - YOU MUST SIGN UP at https://tinyurl.com/BSAJMPform to provide your Information.

Audition dates - YOU MUST ALSO SIGN UP at https://tinyurl.com/BSAJMPsignup for an audition appointment in one hour blocks on Sunday, October 22nd (1PM-4PM at Beth Sholom) or Monday, October 23rd (7:00 PM-9:00 PM at Adath Jeshurun). If you aren’t available on these days, please contact our director, Max Minkoff at max@planetminkoff.com to make other arrangements. Three people may each select a ten-minute slot for individual singing and reading auditions. After several individual auditions, there will be a dance audition that everyone must participate in, subject to physical limitations. Your full audition may take up to an hour.

Orchestra - for a variety of reasons we have chosen to use pre-recorded tracks again this year. We miss our musicians and hope to be able to work with you again soon!

ROLES Vocal ranges are determined by the songs each character sings. You can determine your vocal range here: https://youtu.be/9IejHKpfHso.

Ensemble - all ages, all ranges welcome! The ensemble will be chimney sweeps, park-goers, animated statues, toys, and more! Featured ensemble members will take part in many scenes of the show, while others who can make less of a time commitment may be a part of fewer numbers.

Mary Poppins - Adult female mezzo-sop w/good high notes, Gb3 to C6. The magical and mysterious nanny who descends from the sky to take care of the Banks children. She is firm but kind, and her unique methods teach the family valuable life lessons while bringing joy and enchantment into their lives.

Bert - Adult male, baritone B2 to G4. A friendly and charismatic jack-of-all-trades who is MaryPoppins' close friend. He is a chimney sweep, street artist, and part-time kite salesman. Bert often serves as a narrator and provides comic relief in the story.

Jane Banks - Child female, soprano, A3 to F#5/Gb5. The older of the Banks children, a curious and adventurous young girl who longs for more attention from her preoccupied parents.

Michael Banks - Child male, treble/boy sop, A3 to E5. The younger of the Banks children, an imaginative and mischievous boy who often finds himself in trouble.

Mr. George Banks - Adult male, baritone. The stern and work-obsessed father of Jane and Michael. He struggles to connect with his children but ultimately learns the importance of family and imagination.

Mrs. Winifred Banks - Adult female, mezzo-soprano. The caring and understanding mother of Jane and Michael. She is supportive of her children and seeks a more balanced family life.

Mrs. Brill - Adult female, alto. The strict but good-hearted housekeeper of the Banks household.

Robertson Ay - Adult male, tenor. The cheerful but clumsy house servant who provides comedic moments.

Admiral Boom - Mature adult male, baritone. The eccentric retired naval officer living next door to the Banks family.

Miss Andrew - Adult female, Soprano F#3/Gb3 to F5. The overbearing and intimidating former nanny of Mr. Banks. She appears in "Brimstone and Treacle" as a formidable antagonist to Mary Poppins.

Bird Woman - Mature Adult female, Alto F#3/Gb3 to F5. 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.

Mrs. Corry - Mature Adult female, soprano. Owns a magical gingerbread shop. She is a mysterious woman of great age who speaks with an exotic accent.

Neleus - Younger male, tenor. A statue who comes to life and participates in one of Mary Poppins' magical adventures with the children.

Park Keeper - Adult male, tenor. A no-nonsense and grumpy character who enforces the rules in the park.

Bank Chairman - Adult male, baritone. A serious and authoritative figure in the bank where Mr. Banks works.

Miss Lark - Adult female, spoken. A friendly and wealthy neighbor who often interacts with the Banks family.

Katie Nanna - Adult female, spoken. Jane and Michael’s nanny at the beginning of the show. Overwhelmed and upset, she has absolutely had her fill of the Banks children.

DANCE Mary Poppins has multiple big production numbers, including “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” where shoppers at a letter store bring meaning to language amid joyous, colorful dancing; “Jolly Holiday,” where statues come-to-life and park goers bring a dreary day into beautiful color through very light, fluid movements in small and large groups; and “Step In Time,” which will include some tap dancing. Other numbers will be more stylized, such as “Precision and Order,” which will be just for the adult ensemble, and “Playing the Game,” which will involve mainly the ensemble children as toys come to life. All other choreography will be more movement than dance.

ACCENTS

We hope to have everyone speak with a British accent. For auditions (if you are reading for a character), please prepare with an accent if possible. We’ll be shooting for a relaxed RP accent for everyone but Bert. There’ll be more materials available, and there are many great resources on the web, but here’s one to get started: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdpvo4w0mZc

*BERT: Bert speaks with a Londoner/Cockney accent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WvIwkL8oLc

REHEARSALS

Our first rehearsal will take place at Beth Sholom on Sunday, November 5th (2-5PM). Regular rehearsals will generally take place Sundays (2-5PM at Beth Sholom), Mondays (7-10PM at AJ), and Wednesdays (7:00 PM-10:00 PM at Beth Sholom) starting Monday, October 24th, excluding Thanksgiving and winter break as needed. Not everyone will be called for all rehearsals until we begin running full sections of the show after the beginning of the year. Efforts will be made to have multiple groups rehearsing at the same time to maximize the value of our time together.

REQUIREMENTS

As a valued and valuable member of our team, you are responsible for preparing your role as well as supporting our show’s success, including:

Rehearsal attendance - with your audition sign-up you will submit a list of rehearsal conflicts. Once rehearsals begin you are expected at all rehearsals for which you are called, ready to begin 5 minutes before call time. Two further absences may require reducing your role in the show.

Final rehearsals & performances - “Hell week” begins the Sunday before our first performance. Call on that Sunday is at 10:30 AM. You will be expected at the theater all of Sunday afternoon at least until 6:00 PM (extended Dress Rehearsal), 6:00-10:30 PM Monday - Wednesday (Dress Rehearsal), and 1.5 hours prior to each performance.

Set construction/move-in/strike - All performers are required to participate in at least 2 construction/painting sessions (Sunday mornings TBA), moving the set from Beth Sholom to our theater at Gratz College (Sunday February 11th), and strike (dismantling and returning pieces to Beth Sholom) immediately after our final performance. Strike shouldn’t take much more than 1 hour with everyone’s participation.

Sales - our show simply cannot happen without financing from ad and ticket sales. Everyone on our team is expected both to promote ticket sales, especially to family and friends, and to sell ads in our show program.

COVID-19 - We strongly recommend, but do not currently require, being up to date with the latest vaccines available to you. Please understand that we are beholden to the policies of our host synagogues, which are subject to change.

AUDITION MATERIALS

Sheet music and script “sides” are available here: https://tinyurl.com/BSAJMPdrive

You only need to sing one song.

Music that you can use to learn the songs are linked below:

Everyone - Anything Can Happen: https://youtu.be/gtyNXJPOwlY?si=7xFTfnVSglCFsOWV

Bert - Jolly Holiday: https://youtu.be/3iv741Dl9Og?si=IOnPdyk7cylzLVLv&t=176>

Bird Woman - Feed the Birds: https://youtu.be/cf_feJWdLFk?si=b-du_yuTdYYlSGhs&t=25

George Banks - Cherry Tree Lane: https://youtu.be/ddsVrd5OhkM?si=AFoq4qNfqksQZvF1&t=304

Jane & Michael Banks - The Perfect Nanny: https://youtu.be/qhuJhT4Bmd4?si=jE0qk7iYuz7bIhg1&t=51

Mary Poppins - Practically Perfect: https://youtu.be/XT4Wy6qqgVo?si=Tmm4uoCuD2tgXMSp&t=196

Miss Andrew - Brimstone & Treacle: https://youtu.be/bhoUK-rV09A?si=rx6hiJqKIp3nYlZ3&t=254

Winifred Banks - Let’s Hope She Will Stay: https://youtu.be/WoOtsP48dgg?si=bfY5AlO8Abn2RHbQ&t=49

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Updated 9/11/2023

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