Mary Poppins Auditions All students need to come prepared with their audition form, (found below), as well as vocal and acting selections. All music and audition sides can be found on the VSM website. Vocal Girls may choose one: Boys may choose one: ​ ​ ​ ​ a) Feed the Birds a) A Man Has Dreams b) The Perfect Nanny b) The Perfect Nanny c) Jolly Holiday c) Jolly Holiday Acting All auditioners should prepare two of the six audition sides (A, B, C, D, E, or F). Choose one ​ ​ character’s lines to read, and Mr. Michalowski will read the rest. You MIGHT NOT be able to read both prepared audition sides, but be ready for two. Tips 1) Be prepared! a) Know the lyrics and melody of your song and your audition side. 2) Smile and enjoy the audition process a) The director and the audition team want you to do well. b) Be confident! (even if you need to fake it!) 3) Show good behavior a) How you behave at an audition tells the director how you will behave in rehearsals. 4) Trust the director’s choices a) Do your best at whatever you are asked to do, even if you are reading for a role that you find challenging or awkward. b) It’s important for the cast to understand the importance of working together as an ensemble and to see the production as a whole - not as individual parts that seem less or more important than others. AUDITION FORM Name:____________________________________________________ Grade (2019/20):_________ Parent/Guardian Names:_____________________________________________________________________ Parent/Guardian Email:______________________________________________________________________ Number in Case Of an Emergency:______________________________________________________________ Role(s) interested in:_________________________________________________________________________ Do you have any formal acting or singing training? Do you have any special abilities? (ex. accents, juggling, gymnastics, etc.) Do you have any serious dance training? Please list type of dance: We only have a limited amount of time to stage this show, so attendance at rehearsals is INCREDIBLY important. Please list any scheduled conflicts from JUNE 25 - JULY 26 (such as vacations) that we need to know about. Failure to be at rehearsals could lead to recasting or removal from scenes/songs. __________________________________ _________________________________ Student Signature Parent/Guardian Signature Cast of Characters Leads (a lot of singing/speaking solos) Bert (m) - the narrator of the story, is a good friend to Mary Poppins. An everyman, Bert is a chimney sweep and a sidewalk artist, ​ among many other occupations. With a twinkle in his eye and a skip in his step, Bert watches over the children and the goings-on around Cherry Tree Lane. He is a song-and-dance man with oodles of charm who is wise beyond his years. Mary Poppins (f) - 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 she is always exciting. She is practically perfect in every way and always means what she says. George Banks (m) - husband to Winifred and father to Jane and Michael, 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 Miss Andrew, his cruel, strict childhood nanny, gave him the perfect upbringing. George’s emotional armor, however off-putting, conceals a sensitive soul. Winifred Banks (f) - is George’s wife and Jane and Michael’s mother. She is a loving homemaker who is busy trying to live up to her ​ husband’s social aspirations while striving to be a model wife and mother. She is a character with great warmth and depth of feeling. Jane Banks (f) - the high-spirited daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Banks, is bright and precocious but can be willful and inclined to ​ snobbishness. Michael Banks (f) - is the cheeky son of Mr. and Mrs. Banks. Excitable and naughty, he adores his father and longs desperately for his ​ attention. Mrs. Brill (f) - is the housekeeper and cook for the Banks family. Overworked, she’s always complaining that the house is ​ understaffed. Her intimidating exterior is a cover for the warmth underneath. Robertson Ay (m) - is the houseboy to the Bank’s family. Forgetful and clumsy, he often bungles simple tasks. He doesn’t do a lot of ​ singing, but he should be a good comedic actor. Featured (a few speaking and/or vocal solos) Neleus (f/m) - is a statue who, once brought to life by Mary Poppins, is very happy to befriend Jane and Michael. This role is a ​ wonderful opportunity to feature one of the strong dancers in your ensemble. Bird Woman (f) - is covered in a patchwork of old shawls, her pockets stuffed with bags of crumbs for the the birds. She tries to sell ​ the crumbs to Passersby, who ignore her as if she doesn’t exist. Chairman (m) - the head of the bank where Mr. Banks is employed, is an Edwardian stuffed shirt. ​ Von Hussler (m) - is a businessman seeking a loan from the bank for a shady business deal. ​ John Northbrook (m) - is an honest businessman seeking a loan to build a factory for his community. ​ Mrs. Corry (f) - owns a magical Talking Shop. She is a mysterious woman of indeterminate age, but has plenty of spirit and is sharp as ​ a tack. Miss Andrew (f) - is George’s overbearing and scary childhood 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. Supporting (one or two speaking/singing solos) Miss Smythe (f) - is the bank Chairman’s humorless secretary. ​ Katie Nanna (f) - 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 (m/f) - a neighborhood patrol officer ​ Messenger (m/f) - delivers a summons to George from the bank. ​ Chimney Sweep 1, 2, 3, and 4 - are Bert’s cheerful, friendly, and agile friends who keep London’s chimneys in working order. These ​ actors should be great dancers and good signers, capable of bringing the show-stopping number “Step in Time” to life. Park Keeper (m/f) - is the authority over the park. He/She likes to keep the park orderly but then finds his inner child when the kids ​ fly their kites. Admiral Bloom (m/f) - a friend of Bert’s ​ Miss Lark (f) - admonishes Admiral Bloom ​ Doorman (m/f) - announces Mr. Banks’s entrance to the bank ​ Ensemble Groups Park Strollers - are citizens of London who go from drab and dreary to bright and colorful as they get swept up in Mary Poppin’s ​ adventures in the park. They appear in “Jolly Holliday” Clerks - like George, are employees at the bank. They appear in: “Precision and Order” ​ Vagrants & Buskers - are citizens of London passing by the cathedral. They appear in: “Feed the Birds” ​ Mrs. Corry’s Customers - are bright, colorful British citizens visiting Mrs. Corry’s talking shop. They appear in: ​ Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” Kite Flyers - consist of families flying kites in the park. They appear in: “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” ​ Statues - are stone sculptures. Thanks to Mary Poppins, these works of art come alive and dance with Bert and the Park Strollers. ​.