ImagePhoto by features: Mike Bickerton, Vanessa featuring Sharron Sears. Matthews. 1 A Message from the Artistic and Executive Directors Welcome to YPT and our production of Mary Poppins! Whether this story is new to you… or whether this outing is a nostalgic trip down memory lane, we know you will enjoy yourselves immensely! This season, YPT’s theme explores how young people take matters into their own hands to repair things and to create change in their lives. Here is a prime example: two children write their own advertisement for a nanny. Because life in their home has become a little bit upside-down. Their inventive job-posting attracts the practically perfect – and just a bit tricky – Mary Poppins… who does more for them and their parents than they could ever have imagined. Thanks for joining us. We hope to see you throughout our season! ALLEN MACINNIS NANCY J. WEBSTER Artistic Director Executive Director YPT is situated on lands and waterways that have known human activity for more than 15,000 years. We acknowledge the ancestral lands of the Dish with One Spoon Territory, and more recently Treaty 13. This includes the Mississaugas of the Credit who are part of the Anishinaabe Nation, the Wyandot Nation, also the Haudenosaunee Confederacy of Six Nations, and any other Nation, recorded or unrecorded. Miigwech, Nya-weh, Thank you for letting us gather here today. Music Director/ Orchestral Adaptation & Keyboard Programming Young People's Theatre is a member of the Professional Association of Set Designer Canadian Theatres and engages, under the terms of the Canadian Theatre Agreement, professional artists who are members of Costume Designer Canadian Actors’ Equity Association. Lighting Designer Sound Designer Musician/Percussion EXCITED ABOUT THE SHOW? LOVE TO USE SNAPCHAT? TAKE A SNAP OR ADD TO YOUR STORY 2 USING THE YPT PRACTICALLY PERFECT FILTER! YOUNG PEOPLE’S THEATRE PRESENTS The YPT Production of A Musical based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney Film Original Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman Book by Julian Fellowes New Songs and Additional Music and Lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe Co-Created by Cameron Mackintosh Directed by Thom Allison Choreographed by Kerry Gage CAST Neleus/Northbrook/ JAK BARRADELL Robertson Ay KYLE GOLEMBA Von Hussler Bird Woman AISHA JARVIS Mrs. Banks JEWELLE BLACKMAN Michael HAILEY LEWIS Bert KYLE BLAIR Policeman JORDAN MAH Mr. Banks SHANE CARTY Mrs. Brill JADE REPETA Chairman JARRET CODY Mary Poppins VANESSA SEARS Jane JESSIE COX Miss Andrew SARAH LYNN STRANGE Mrs. Corry STARR DOMINGUE CREATIVE TEAM Music Director/ WAYNE GWILLIM Musician/Winds MICHELE JACOT Orchestral Adaptation & Musician/Bass ERIK LARSON Keyboard Programming Assistant Director DARWIN LYONS Set Designer BRANDON KLEIMAN Stage Manager ANDREA BAGGS Costume Designer WILLIAM LAYTON Assistant Stage Manager EMILY MEWETT Lighting Designer JASON HAND Apprentice Stage Manager MICHAELA STEVEN Sound Designer WILLIAM FALLON Dialect Coach JANE GOODERHAM Musician/Percussion GEOFFREY BRUCE Mary Poppins is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. New York, NY. Tel 212-541-4684. Fax 212-397-4684. www.MTIShows.com The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited. The performance will run approximately 90 minutes with no intermission. 3 Director's Note “Anything can happen if you let it.” Mary Poppins’ inspirational words to her young charges, Jane and Michael Banks, are at the heart of this timeless story. This simple statement gives us Mary’s motto in life - that the limits of our life experience are defined by what we believe is possible ...so why not believe there are no limitations? The magical nanny with the parrot-handled umbrella continues to fascinate us and stir children’s imaginations. Why? Mary is the loving “auntie” who won’t let our inner child get away with anything, but always makes sure we land on our feet. She has taught multiple generations to be respectful of possessions, to not judge a book by its cover, to clean up their own messes and most importantly, that a family can be changed for the better by even the youngest among them. Can you think of anyone you’d rather spend the holiday season with than everybody’s favourite nanny? Right then, off we go. Spit-spot. THOM ALLISON Director Original London and Broadway Production Credits: Produced by Cameron Mackintosh and Thomas Schumacher Co-Choreographer Lighting Design Stephen Mear Howard Harrison Scenic and Costume Design Bob Crowley Co-Direction and Choreography Matthew Bourne Directed by 4 Richard Eyre Cast JAK BARRADELL Importance (Robbie) and John & Jen (John), NELEUS/NORTHBROOK/ as well as Ross Petty’s The Wizard of Oz VON HUSSLER (Scarecrow). Kyle has spent 16 seasons between the Shaw and Stratford Festivals, Jak’s theatre credits most recently appearing at Shaw as Aslan include Joey, Bobby/us in The Magician’s Nephew. He has worked in the North American in many wonderful theatres across Canada tour of Saturday Night and has especially fond memories of Fever (Northcore playing the title character in Billy Bishop Productions); Anne of Goes to War (Merritt Award, Best Actor). Green Gables, Mamma Kyle grew up in London, Ontario and got Mia! (Charlottetown Festival); Peter Pan in his start in the arts with the Amabile Wonderland (Ross Petty Productions); Swing! Boys Choir and the Original Kids Theatre (Gravenhurst Opera House); Maometto II, Company. He begrudgingly concedes that Semele, Falstaff (Canadian Opera Company); his mom was right about the piano lessons Cabaret (MTC); Mary Poppins (Arts Club/ paying off. Citadel/Theatre Calgary); Anne of Green Gables, Cats (Theatre Calgary); Altar Boyz, White Christmas, Hairspray (Arts Club). Jak SHANE CARTY would like to thank his friends and family for MR. BANKS all of their endless love and support. @jakbarradell Shane’s theatre credits include eleven seasons at the JEWELLE BLACKMAN Stratford Festival, MRS. BANKS with roles in The Sound of Music, Jewelle is a Toronto- Crazy for You, Much based actor, singer- Ado About Nothing, songwriter, playwright The Duchess of Malfi, Love's Labour's Lost, and violinist. Her The Brothers Karamazov, as well as many credits include Nala and others. His other credits include: Onegin Shenzi in the original (Musical Stage/NAC); Sweeney Todd, This Canadian cast of The is How it Goes (Neptune Theatre); Beauty Lion King; We Will Rock and the Beast (Citadel/Theatre Calgary); Les You; Deena in Dreamgirls; Caroline, or Change, Misérables, The Red Priest, You Can't Take Sousatzka and Hadestown (directed by Tony It With You, Hockey Mom, Hockey Dad, Hay Award-nominee Rachel Chavkin); Acid Queen Fever (Thousand Islands Playhouse); Marry in Tommy, Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Me a Little, Venus in Fur (Theatre Kingston); Living in Paris, Cabaret, As You Like It and Pygmalion (Guild Festival); Sweeney Todd, A Fiddler on the Roof (Stratford Festival). Her Year With Frog and Toad (Sudbury Theatre other credits include Ti Moune in Once on This Centre); The Mikado, Sticks and Stones Island (Musical Stage Company) and Aldonza (NAC); Othello (St. Lawrence Shakespeare); in Man of La Mancha. Jewelle’s musical “you Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead know my name, not my story” is currently in (Touchmark); Einstein's Gift, It's A Wonderful development. Her film/TV credits include Nine Life, The Wizard of Oz, Gatsby (The Grand); Lives, Kim’s Convenience, Shadowhunters, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Rogue and Shoot the Messenger. Special Dreamcoat, Les Misérables (WCT); Treasure thanks to my family. @jewelleblackman Island (TNB); Romeo and Juliet (Resurgence); Assassins (MTC); Sunday in the Park With George (Talk Is Free). His television credits KYLE BLAIR include Anne with an E, Suits, Murdoch BERT Mysteries, Flashpoint and Reign. Shane is a graduate of Queen's University and the Kyle is thrilled to be Birmingham Conservatory at the Stratford making his YPT debut! Festival. Toronto audiences may remember him from Musical Stage Company’s productions of A Man of No 5 JARRET CODY (Mirvish); Charlaine in Ain’t Misbehavin’ CHAIRMAN (Canadian Stage); and Young Alberta in Cookin’ at the Cookery (Citadel, Alabama Jarret is thrilled to be Shakespeare Festival). A child at heart, making his YPT debut she is so excited to share the stage with in Mary Poppins this wonderful company comprised of so and hopes everyone many talented artists. Wishing everyone thoroughly enjoys the a supercalifragilistic holiday season full show. His previous of hope, love and laughter... Now, enjoy theatre credits include the show! Shrek (TUTS); Crazy for You (Gateway); Twist and Shout, Footloose (CTF); Mary Poppins, Mamma Mia! (Arts KYLE GOLEMBA Club); and Beauty and the Beast (Capitol ROBERTSON AY Theatre). He would like to say a huge thank you to the creative, production and Kyle is thrilled to be administrative teams here at YPT; everyone making his YPT debut! at DaCosta Talent; his friends and family; and He first appeared on his parents, Bruce and Tracy, for their never- stage at age seven as ending love and support. a bean in Jack and the Beanstalk. He found the experience truly JESSIE COX magical. Since then, JANE theatre has taken him from Nanaimo, BC to Summerside, PEI, including seasons at the Jessie is thrilled to Stratford, Shaw and Charlottetown festivals. be returning to YPT His favourite credits include Jack in five years