You May Find a You There (That You Never Knew Was Yours)

I have shared this information elsewhere, but with auditions now a month away, thought I should share it here also! What are all the roles in the show? You can read that information below and I have provided additional thoughts and information on each of them.

MARY POPPINS CASTING/CHARACTER INFORMATION

(Ages and types are fairly open; those given are merely guidelines) 

PRINCIPAL ROLES —

Mary Poppins: She is extraordinary and strange, neat and tidy, delightfully vain yet particular, practically perfect in every way, you know. Mezzo soprano with strong top notes and dances well. Precision and diction are key. Age: Ageless! (Somewhere between early 20s to mid-30s seems ideal). Vocal range: C6 -- Gb3 

Bert: The narrator of the story and friend to Mary Poppins. Bert has many occupations, and watches over the children and events happening on Cherry Tree Lane. He has charm, speaks with a Cockney accent and is a song-and-dance man nearly as mysterious as Mary Poppins. Age: 20s-? Vocal range: F#4 -- B2 

George Banks: The father to Jane and Michael Banks, a banker to the very fiber of his being. Demanding "precision and order" in the household, his emotional armor conceals a sensitive soul. Age: 35+ Vocal range: Eb4 – Bb2 (Baritone, but his singing is more “spoken”) 

Winifred Banks: George's wife and Jane and Michael's mother. She suffers from the conflicting feelings that she's not up to the job of "being Mrs. Banks". She has great warmth and simplicity to her tone. Age: 30+ Vocal range: D5 -- A3 

Jane: The high-spirited daughter of Mr. and Mr. Banks, bright and precocious yet willful and inclined to snobbishness. Age: 11 to 14 Vocal range: F#5 -- A3 

Michael: The cute and cheeky son of Mr. and Mrs. Banks. Excitable and naughty, he adores his father and tries to be like him. Age: 9 to 12 Vocal range: E5--A3 

SUPPORTING ROLES — These characters are heavily featured.

Mrs. Brill: The housekeeper and cook for the Banks family. Overworked and harassed, she's always flustered and complaining. Age: Open/older, Vocal range top: D#5--F#3 

Robertson Ay: The houseboy to the Banks family. Lazy, sleepy and grumbling, he never gets things right. Age: 20s-?, Vocal range: G#4 -- F3 

Neleus: A statue in the park who was separated from his father Poseidon. He should be a strong and graceful dancer. Age:youthful 

Bird Woman: Covered in a patchwork of rags, she sells her crumbs for the birds outside St. Paul’s Cathedral. Sings in "Feed the Birds." Vocal range top: C5--Gb3 

Mrs. Corry: A mysterious woman of great age who owns a magical “talking shop” and sings in “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”. Ageless! 

Miss Andrew: George's overbearing and scary nanny, with a bottle of nasty-tasting brimstone and treacle to keep naughty children in line. Age: ??? Vocal range: F5 – Gb3 

Principal Sweeps: 3-4 heavily featured chimney sweeps that will serve as sort of a protean "Greek chorus" for Bert throughout the show. Their presence is crucial to making the show magical and keep things moving. 

FEATURED ROLES — These actors will also appear in the Ensemble scenes. 

Katie Nanna: Jane and Micahel's nanny at the beginning of the show. Overwhelmed and upset, she has absolutely had her fill of the Banks children. 

Policeman: A neighborhood fixture respected by the households on his beat. 

Miss Lark: The haughty neighbor of the Banks family who treats her dog as her child. 

Admiral Boom: A retired Royal Navy man and neighbor of the Banks family. He often speaks in Navy jargon with a loud and booming voice. 

Park Keeper: Uniformed and officious, he makes sure no one breaks park regulations; he also sings a bit in “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” 

Queen Victoria: One of the statues in the park. 

Bank Chairman: Head of the bank where Mr. Banks is employed, an Edwardian stuffed-shirt. 

Miss Smythe: The Bank Chairman's humorless secretary. 

Von Hussler: A businessman seeking a loan from the bank for a shady business deal. Speaks with a German accent. 

John Northbrook: An honest businessman seeking a loan from the bank. 

Annie and Fannie: Mrs. Corry’s daughters, preferably tall. They also appear in the Ensemble. 

Valentine: Jane’s doll who comes to life with the other toys; he should be physically agile and sings a bit in “Playing the Game”. 

ENSEMBLE — We will cast a LARGE ensemble to appear in many roles and scenes. 

Adults: Parkgoers, Statues, Toys, Bankers, Customers, Kite Flyers, Chimney Sweeps and much much more! Ages: 15-100

Children: Mary Poppins is a show for children to see much more than it is for them to perform. However, in addition to the Banks children we will also cast 4-6 children for the Ensemble. Ages: 9-14.

Any questions? I'd love to hear them. See you again soon!

To sign up for an audition time, click HERE.