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Being the Director of Mary Poppins has been a dream come true for me. Not only is it my first musical as a Director, but it is also my first Disney show as a Director! And anybody who knows me, knows that I am a Disney fanatic! Walt Disney was my role model for me; he believed in and created magic with almost everything he did. One of his most famous quotes was ‘If you can dream it, you can do it’, and I have tried to live and create with that philosophy. I told my cast and crew early on in the process that I am dedicating our show to the memory of Walt Disney, to honor the man who has been responsible for making so many dreams come true.

Putting a musical together is a daunting, but rewarding task. The most important thing, I have found, is to surround yourself with the right people to help with the creative process. And that, I think, is something that happened for Mary Poppins. I’d like the thank the following people for all of their hard work and contributions to making our show so wonderful: Laura Pinnix, Music Director; Quincey Newsome, Choreographer; Melissa Lawson, Assistant Director (and so much more); Haley Gray, Stage Manager; Carolyn Adelsperger, Pit Coordinator; Jared Dudley, Lighting Design; Marty Ford, Sound Design; Jackie Blesedell, Props Master; and Riley Houser, Dance Captain. Without all of them, Mary Poppins would not have happened. I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to my cast and crew for the hard work and dedication it has taken to put this show together. Everybody has done an incredible job, and you will see the benefits of all that hard work tonight onstage.

I would like to thank Staci Shanton from Transitions School of Dance for allowing us to have dance rehearsals at her studio. And I would also like to thank Audrey Schiesser from Appalachian Marketing and Media for taking the cast and crew’s headshots. I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to Debbie Swinehart and her staff at Chillicothe City Schools for all of the help they provided to make the auditorium available to us in advance. And finally I would like to thank my family and friends who have supported me since I began doing theatre. I won’t call you out by name, but you know who you are… your encouragement, support, and friendship has been a great inspiration to me. Thank you for coming to see our show tonight, and I hope that Mary Poppins brings you great joy to your heart.

- Todd Tinker,

July 2022

ADDITIONAL THANKS