Conway High School to present Mary Poppins

A magical nanny will fly onto the Conway High School stage later this month, taking the audience on a journey with her and the children in her care.

The Conway High School Theatre Department’s spring musical is Mary Poppins, which will be performed at 7 p.m. April 20 and 21; and at noon and 7 p.m. April 22 at the James H. Clark Auditorium, 2100 Prince St. Tickets, available at the door, are $10 for adults; $5 for students in kindergarten through the 12th grade; and $5 for district employees, who must present an ID.

The production will be directed by A.J. Spiridigliozzi, drama teacher at Conway High School.

As usual, the cast and crew are packed. A total of 160 people, including 70 actors, will make it all happen. Spiridigliozzi said that for the first time, all the lead roles will be performed by Conway High School seniors.

“We just have a super strong group of seniors this year. We’re all very close, and a lot of these kids have been in the [high school] musical since their freshman year. I’m dreading that last night, having to say goodbye. It’s been a really special year, getting to work with them.”

The role of Mary Poppins, performed by Julie Andrews in the 1964 film Mary Poppins, will be played by 18-year-old Savannah Raup, a veteran of the stage since she was in elementary school.

“I’ve been in musicals since fourth grade,” she said. “When I heard it was a Disney musical, I was so excited.”

She said that growing up, she watched the movie Mary Poppins.

“I had to go back and refresh on it,” she said. “There are some songs that people aren’t going to recognize because they’re not in the movie, but there are ‘A Spoonful of Sugar’ and ‘Let’s Go Fly a Kite.’”

Speaking of flying — yes, she does. “I haven’t tried it yet,” she said.

Spiridigliozzi said that at first, he wasn’t going to have Mary Poppins fly.

“The flying is great, but it’s very costly,” he said. “For the longest time, we were planning on not flying, and I thought about those little kids in the school shows — we’re having two school shows — and I thought it would be such an injustice not to see Mary fly across the stage. It’s not a lot [of flying], but those moments will be special for them,” Spiridigliozzi said.

“This is definitely the biggest role I’ve ever had,” Raup said, adding that she relates to the role a little bit. “I’m a very motherly person anyway, and she’s a nanny and caring for the children. My little brother is one of the children in the show.”

Spiridigliozzi said that in the classic story, George and Winifred Banks, who live at 17 Cherry Tree Lane in London, are looking for a nanny for their children, Michael and Jane. “ [The children] are difficult, to say the least, and no other nanny wants to work for the Bankses,” he said.

The stage production does differ slightly from the movie.

“The story arc between the father and mother is stronger in this one. It kind of focuses on their relationship and the roles they play in the family,” Spiridigliozzi said.

Joe Coker, who has had a lead role in musicals all four years of high school, is George Banks; Maggie Carroll fills the role of Winifred.

Reilly Mullaney is the Bankses’ daughter, Jane, and Andrea Beggs plays their son, Michael.

Another star of the show is the charming matchmaker, Bert, who was played by Dick Van Dyke in the movie.

Kaymon Neal, 18, was happy to land the lead role.

“I was really hoping I would get the part. I thought it would be a great part to end my senior year,” Neal said. “I really love Mary Poppins in the first place.

“My best friend is Mary Poppins, [played by Raup]. We don’t have to work on the whole chemistry part; we’ve known each other since second grade.”

Neal has been working on his cockney accent for the role.

In addition to acting, he sings and dances.

“And I have to have the accent because that’s a big part of it,” Neal said. “When I first learned I got the role, I was like, ‘Oh, I have to have the accent.’”

At first, it was difficult, Neal said, but he thinks he’s mastered it. Spiridigliozzi said one group in the movie that isn’t in the musical version is the penguins.

“I was talking with the choreographer, and I said, ‘We’ve got to throw a penguin in there.’”

In the “Jolly Holiday” song that Bert sings, a group of younger children perform as the penguins.

Olivia Stephens, the choreographer, is “unbelievably talented,” Spiridigliozzi said. A Conway High School and Central Baptist College graduate, she teaches at Central Arkansas Ballet.

She led them through practices last week and told them to make their movements “more dramatic” at one point. It was fast and furious.

“We’re actually doing Broadway choreography for ‘Supercal,’” Raup said. “It’s challenging, but awesome.”

Other cast members are sophomore Dallin Meyers as Robertson Aye, senior Neely Caudle as Mrs. Brill, senior Madeline Raup as the Bird Lady, senior Mathias Ference as Admiral Boom and sophomore Sidnie Thompson as Mrs. Lark.

“We also have a backstage choir involved, an ensemble and featured dancers that are all fantastic,” Spiridigliozzi said.

Spiridigliozzi said the production wouldn’t come together without the help of a lot of people. Senior Avery Glover is the student director, senior Megan Haase is head stage manager, and junior Delia Murry is a stage manager/

student costume assistant. Spiridigliozzi said he hired a company for lighting and set design this year — Panthera Leo Studios.

School-district employees participating include Kayla White, music director; Robin Ratliff, orchestra leader; Casey Griffith, assistant director and costumes; and Kara Branscum, who is helping with costumes.

Johnny Passmore, theater teacher at Conway Junior High School, is also helping out, Spiridigliozzi said. Also key to the production’s success, he said, are Patty Oeste, music specialist at Ruth Doyle Middle School, and Sam Huskey, high school choir director.

Spiridigliozzi said the production should be a crowd-pleaser, because all the students have put “their whole hearts” into it.

Senior writer Tammy Keith can be reached at (501) 327-0370 or tkeith@arkansasonline.com.