In January, at the beginning of the rehearsal process for Mary Poppins, the directing team and the designers sat down together to create the vision for this show. As we pondered the script and the story, we came to the conclusion that the show is about two very important things: the value of family and the magic we can find in everyday life.
Our team of teachers and students worked together to explore these concepts in the production, and what you see today is a reflection of that collaboration. Our student designs are based around Mr. CJ’s design concept of light and the absence of light. Wherever the Banks children find magic in the world of London, their inner worlds become illuminated with hope and joy. I encourage you to look for the moments of illumination our students have incorporated into their designs.
Mary Poppins is the most rigorous production RRPA has attempted to date. It is the first classic-style musical show we have produced, and with the new style came new challenges. The scale of the set is immense as the show has many different locations around the city of London and in the Bank’s house and required our scenic designer to explore creative options for locations. The combined historical setting of 1910 and fantasy elements of scenes such as Mrs. Corry’s Talking Shop challenged our costume designers and crew to balance historical realism and whimsy. Magical props, special effects, historical wigs, fantasy make up, and characters in flight are only a few of the other many design challenges our students have tackled. We are immensely proud of their hard work and creativity.
Additionally, we are so grateful for the support of the rest of our directing team, Mr. Markwood, Mr. Johnson, Mrs. Moulton, and Mr. Kunk, for the high caliber of their expertise, their enthusiasm for educating students, and their personal sacrifices in committing to this production. We are also thankful for the support of our administration. Mr. Duellman and the rest of our admin team allow the magic to happen for our students by supporting our vision as teachers and directors.
Finally, we are thankful for you, our audience members and local community. Your continued patronage allows our students to dream big and run after those dreams. Join us as we journey to the rooftops of London and learn to find the magic in the ordinary.
~Miss Hess and Mr. CJ
P.S. - This production is officially dedicated to the student founders of RRPA, class of 2018. We will greatly miss you but know that your journey will be filled with magic!
