Severna Park Middle Schoolers Bring “Mary Poppins” To Life

Plenty of seats are still available for the March 7-9 performances and can be purchased online.

Director and Choreographer Kylie Sjolie, and Musical Director Arden Titus, knew immediately from the auditions that “Mary Poppins Jr.” was going to be a special show.

According to Titus, casting “Mary Poppins Jr.” was more complex than other shows she has been involved in. It was more than just casting each individual character. It was important to make sure that there was good charisma between Mary and Bert, as well as between the two children. Additionally, all four actors needed to work well together since the quartet are onstage together for most of the show. She added that they were looking for a specific "vibe" from the core cast.

Despite the intricacy of the situation, Titus said, "This was one of the fastest castings we've ever done. Last year, it took us six hours to figure out our cast, but this year, it only took three."

It was evident quickly that Isabella Duckett and Zack Main had good chemistry as Mary and Bert. Titus noted that it was obvious that they knew each other, and that this connection really worked in their favor.

Titus added that Landon Latone and Cora Anderson, who were cast as the children, play off each other well. "Landon was just so precious, and the way Cora led him around made them fit the parts of Michael and Jane so effortlessly,” Titus said.

Ollie Christesen and Audrey Hopkins, who play George and Winifred, respectively, completed the family. Getting the right actors to make up the core six characters was important to the directors because of the show's focus on family dynamics.

"It is a show about childhood wonder, but it also touches on the social issues of the day, like classism, and the lesson of challenging one's beliefs about certain people. It's about being less judgmental and finding help in the unlikeliest of places," Titus pointed out.

The show's producer, Jamie Miller, who is no stranger to the rigors of a production, remarked, "That's why we have sleepless nights -- we do it for the kids."

With performances far beyond the kids’ years, whimsical costumes and plenty of heart, Severna Park Middle School’s production of “Mary Poppins Jr.” is proving that a middle school musical can be just as magical as the classic tale itself.