Community Players

Music & Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
With additional Music & Lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe
Book by Julian Fellowes

Click here (Act 1)

Click here (Act 2)

6-7pm on Monday and Tuesday will be reserved for those wishing to audition for the parts of Jane or Michael Banks. Auditions will follow the same format as adult auditions outlined below.

Note: These characters are being considered for double casting.

The staff of Mary Poppins are looking to cast a well rounded and diverse group of around 30 individuals to bring this production to the Community Players stage. We welcome all genders, races, and ages over 10 years at the time of auditions. Several parts in this magical production are open to non-traditional casting, though vocal ranges listed in the character descriptions reflect the keys of the music for this show.

The audition will consist of 3 parts including a vocal audition, dance audition, and reading scenes from the script. The scenes (along with a tentative rehearsal schedule) will be made available closer to the audition dates of May 20-22. These auditions will be open and held in the theatre starting at 7pm for adults. Please come a bit early to fill out an audition form and have your picture taken. Please bring a list of ALL conflicts to include in your form to help the production staff in their planning.

If you are unable to attend the audition dates, but still wish to audition, please contact our producers (Latrisha Green [email protected] and Dani Wipperman [email protected]) to coordinate a video submission. All video submissions must be submitted no later than midnight on the Sunday before auditions (May 19th).

Vocal Audition

Please prepare 16-32 bars (about a minute) of music that showcases your range and acting ability. Bring sheet music for the provided accompanist that is clearly labeled with starts/stops, preferably in a three-ring binder. For examples of comparable songs, see soundtracks from these musicals: Aida, Beauty and The Beast, Cinderella, Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Little Mermaid, Tarzan. We ask that auditions are not performed to tracks but a cappella auditions are okay if sheet music is not available. We want to see your character shine during the show so don't be afraid to really go for it.

After you perform your selection, we may test your vocal range if we need to hear more.

Dance Audition

Once all vocal auditions are completed, everyone will learn a routine to a song from the show taught by the choreographer. Once the dance has been taught, you will be separated into small groups and perform the routine twice. Please wear flat, closed toed shoes and flexible clothing. There will be time for you to change after the vocal audition if you wish to do so.

Those with tap abilities will stay after all other dance auditions are complete to run through a small tap audition.

Acting Audition

Although full of iconic songs and wonderful dancing, Mary Poppins is very much an acting piece. After all dance auditions are complete, we will break you into groupings to read scenes from the script. We will try to get through everyone at least once.

Callbacks

7pm-8pm on Wednesday night will be reserved for those auditioning who cannot come on Monday or Tuesday. Callbacks, if needed, will then be held Wednesday night after all new individuals have auditioned. Those who audition Monday and Tuesday will be notified Tuesday night via email if they need to return on Wednesday for a callback. Please remember that if you do not receive a callback it does not mean that you are not cast in the show, only that we do not need to see anything additional from you.

Director’s Note: This breakdown denotes how CHARACTERS identify on the gender spectrum based on traditional casting. The ACTOR does not need to identify the same way a character does, but you should be comfortable portraying that character’s gender when accepting a role.

The roles with the most stage time in Mary Poppins are not Mary and Bert, but Jane and Michael Banks. Jane and Michael are being considered for double casting.

Principal Characters

MARY POPPINS is Jane and Michael Banks’s new nanny. She is extraordinary and strange, neat and tidy, delightfully vain yet very particular, and sometimes a little frightening, but always exciting. She is practically perfect in every way and always means what she says. A mezzo soprano with strong top notes leaning towards a more traditional soprano sound. Gb3-C6

BERT, the narrator of the story, is a good friend to Mary Poppins. An everyman, Bert has many occupations, including hurdy-gurdy player, sidewalk artist, and chimney sweep. Bert watches over the children as well as the goings on in Cherry Tree Lane. He has charm, speaks with a Cockney accent, and is a song-and-dance-man. Baritone: B3-F#4

GEORGE BANKS, father to Jane and Michael Banks, is a banker to the very fiber of his being. Demanding “precision and order” in his household, he is a pipe-and-slippers man who doesn’t have much to do with his children and believes that he had the perfect upbringing by his nanny, the cruel Miss Andrew. His emotional armor, however, conceals a sensitive soul. Baritone: Bb2-E4

WINIFRED BANKS is George’s wife and Jane and Michael’s mother. A former actress, she is a loving and distracted homemaker who is busy trying to live up to her husband’s desire to only associate with “the best people” as well as be a model wife and mother. She suffers from the conflicting feelings that she’s not up to the job of “being Mrs. Banks,” yet she is, and more. She has a great warmth and simplicity to her tone. Mezzo Soprano: A3-E5

JANE BANKS, the high-spirited daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Banks, is bright and precocious but can be willful and inclined to snobbishness. Child soprano: A3-F#5

MICHAEL BANKS is the cute and cheeky son of Mr. and Mrs. Banks. Excitable and naughty, he adores his father and tries to be like him. Both he and Jane misbehave in order to get the attention of their parents. Male child voice; A3-E5

MRS. BRILL is the housekeeper and cook for the Banks family. Overworked and harassed, she’s always complaining that the house is understaffed. Her intimidating exterior is a cover for the warmth underneath. Mrs. Brill doesn’t have a high opinion of nannies in general and Mary Poppins in particular. Alto: F#3-D#5

ROBERTSON AY is the houseboy to the Banks family. Lazy, sleepy, and grumbling, he never gets things right and believes himself to be useless. His “Spoonful” solo is a fun surprise. Tenor: F3-A4

Featured Characters

Actors may be asked to take on more than one featured ensemble role if they are able.

MISS ANDREW is George’s overbearing and scary nanny. With her bottle of nasty-tasting brimstone and treacle to keep naughty children in line, she is a bully who only knows one way of doing things – her way. A soprano with an alto belt: Gb3-A5

NELEUS is the statue of a young boy posed with a dolphin in the park. Neleus was separated from his father, Poseidon, and misses him very much. A small and lonely being, he is very happy to befriend Jane and Michael. Strong dancer.

BIRD WOMAN is 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. Alto: Gb3-DB5

MRS. CORRY: owns a magical gingerbread shop. She is a mysterious woman of great age who speaks with a Caribbean accent (or any accent that is definitely not British). Soprano: C4-D5

BANK CHAIRMAN is the head of the bank where Mr. Banks is employed, is an Edwardian stuffed-shirt. He can speak/sing his lyrics if necessary. Baritone: C3-D4

VON HUSSLER is a businessman seeking a loan from the bank for a shady business deal. He speaks with a German accent. Baritone: C3-D4

JOHN NORTHBROOK is an honest businessman seeking a loan to build a factory for his community. He speaks with an accent from Northern England. Baritone: C3-D4

PARK KEEPER Uniformed and officious, they make sure no one breaks park regulations. Their life is defined by rules, but he secretly hankers after their childhood. Tenor

ANNIE and FANNIE are Mrs. Corry’s daughters.

VALENTINE is a stuffed boy doll belonging to Jane. A2-D4

KATIE NANNA is Jane and Michael’s nanny at the beginning of the show. Overwhelmed and upset, she has absolutely had her fill of the Banks children.

POLICEMAN (PERSON) is a neighborhood fixture who is respected by and observant of the households on his/their beat.

MISS LARK is the haughty next-door neighbor of the Banks family who treats her dog, Willoughby, as if he were her child. Mezzo soprano

ADMIRAL BOOM is a retired Royal Navy man and neighbor of the Banks family. A man with a loud and booming voice, he speaks in Navy jargon and has a soft spot for his neighbor, Miss Lark.

MISS SMYTHE is the Bank Chairman’s humorless secretary.

QUEEN VICTORIA is a statue in the park.

TEDDY BEAR, MR. PUNCH, and DOLL are toys belonging to Jane and Michael.

Ensemble Characters

DANCING ENSEMBLE comprises tap, jazz, and ballet dancers and strong singing voices (all vocal ranges) that can understudy the principal roles if necessary. The ensemble will be divided as needed f in order to play chimney sweeps, toys, park goers, bank tellers, fantastical customers, etc.