Roles for ages 8+

January 18 & 22

Thank you for your interest in auditioning for a GREAT show! If you’ve auditioned for us before, welcome back! If this is your first time auditioning at GREAT, we’re thrilled to have you! We are in our 27th season and are excited to add new people, new talent, and new voices to our company as well as welcome returning volunteers to our stages! Whether you’re a seasoned performer or you’ve never been on stage before, we encourage you to audition!

 

BE PART OF THE STORY 

More information about Mary Poppins auditions will be posted January 1st, and the initial audition will consist of singing, dancing, and reading for all auditionees. Vocal selections, monologues, and a choreo combination will be posted online, along with more information about how to prepare so you can be your most confident! 

 

KEY DATES

Information Session: January 8th from 7-8pm (via Zoom) SIGN UP HERE

Audition Sign Up: Link will be posted January 1st

Auditions:
Located at our Helgeson Learning Lab– 710 Sundial Drive, Waite Park
Saturday, January 18th (10am-3pm) and Wednesday, January 22nd (6pm-9pm)

Callbacks: Saturday, January 25th (10am-3pm)

Cast Meeting: Wednesday, February 12th (6pm – 9pm)

Rehearsals: Every Monday, Tuesday, & Thursday (6-9pm) and some Saturdays (10am-3pm) starting on February 17th. Please note that not everyone is called for every rehearsal.

Tech/Dress Rehearsals: April 7th-10th (5-10pm)

Performances: 

  • Friday, April 11th from 6:00p-10:00p (7:30p Performance)
  • Saturday, April 12th from 12:30p-4:30p (2:00p Performance)
  • Saturday, April 12th from 6:00p-10:00p (7:30p Performance)
  • Sunday, April 14th from 12:30p-4:30p (2:00p Performance)
  • Tuesday, April 15th from 8:00a-11:30a (9:30a Student Matinee)
  • Tuesday, April 15th from 11:00a-2:00p (12:00p Student Matinee)
  • Thursday, April 17th from 6:00p-10:00p (Hold) (2:00p Performance)
  • Friday, April 18th from 6:00p-10:00p (7:30p ASL Performance)
  • Saturday, April 19th from 12:30p-4:30p (2:00p Performance)
  • Saturday, April 19th from 6:00p-10:00p (7:30p Performance w/Fundraiser)
  • Tuesday, April 22nd from 8:00a-11:30a (9:30a Student Matinee)
  • Tuesday, April 22nd from 11:00a-2:00p (12:00p Student Matinee)
  • Friday, April 25th from 6:00p-10:00p (7:30p Performance)
  • Saturday, April 26th from 12:30p-4:30p (2:00p Performance)
  • Saturday, April 26th from 6:00p-10:00p (7:30p Performance)
  • Sunday, April 27th from 12:30p-4:30p (2:00p Performance)

WHAT TO PREPARE

1.) CHOREOGRAPHY COMING SOON

2.) Please prepare a MUSIC SELECTION from the provided options.
Please prepare a song from our provided list that best showcases your voice and demonstrates a connection to the character. Remember to sing the story – you’re acting while singing. Please click on the link below for song options.

Character List & Descriptions:

A Note On Theatrical Intimacy:

Theatrical intimacy is any action on stage where the given circumstances of the scene or the overall production calls for touch, both physical and imaginative, or moments between actors of simulated sexuality or sexual violence.

GREAT has been learning from Intimacy Directors & Coordinators (IDC) to improve processes and incorporate safer practices for theatrical intimacy in our rehearsals.

All scenes with intimacy follow a specific set of staging and rehearsal protocols rooted in consent and safety for the actors.

*Dialect work will be required of all characters. 

Mary Poppins – Will Fly, May be Double Cast/Have Alternate. She is extraordinary and strange, neat and tidy, delightfully vain yet particular, and sometimes a little frightening but always exciting. She is practically perfect in every way and always means what she says. A mezzo soprano with strong top notes, she should be able to move well. British dialect required. Vocal range top: Gb3-C6.

Bert – Will Fly,  May be Double Cast/Have Alternate. The charming narrator of the story, Bert is a chimney sweep, and artist, and long time friend of Mary Poppins. He speaks with a Cockney accent and is a song-and-dance man. Vocal range: B2-F#4.

Jane Banks –  May be Double Cast/Have Alternate. The high-spirited daughter of Mr. and Mr. Banks, is bright and precocious but can be willful and inclined to snobbishness. Vocal range: A3-F#5. 

Michael Banks – May be Double Cast/Have Alternate. The cute and cheeky son of Mr. and Mrs. Banks. Excitable and naughty, he adores his father and tries to be like him. 

George Banks – The father to Jane and Michael Banks, is a banker to the very fiber of his being. Demanding “precision and order” in his household. A baritone, George may speak-sing as necessary. Vocal range: Bb2-Eb4. 

Winifred Banks – George’s wife and Jane and Michael’s mother. A former actress, she is loving and distracted homemaker who is busy trying to live up to her husband’s desire to only associate with “the best people” as well as be the model wife and mother. Vocal range: A3-D5. 

Mrs. Brill – The housekeeper and cook for the Banks family. Overworked and harrassed, she’s always complaining that the house is understaffed. 

Robertson Ay – The houseboy to the Banks family. Lazy, sleepy and grumbling, he never gets things right and believes himself to be useless.

Admiral Boom – A retired Royal Navy man and neighbor of the Banks family. Baritone. 

Miss Lark – The haughty next-door neighbor of the Banks family who treats her dog, Willoughby, as if her it were her child.

Katie Nana – Jane and Micahel’s nanny at the beginning of the show. Overwhelmed and upset, she has absolutely had her fill of the Banks children.

Bird Woman – Covered in a patchwork of old shawls, and her pockets are stuffed with bags of crumbs for the birds. She tries to sell her crumbs for the birds. Sings “Feed the Birds.”

Park Keeper – Uniformed and officious, he makes sure no one breaks park regulations. His life is defined by rules, but he secretly hankers after his childhood.

Neleus – The statue of a young boy posed with a dolphin in the park. Neleus was separated from his father, Poseidon, and misses him very much. Strong dancer. 

Miss Andrew – George’s overbearing and scary 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. Strong soprano. 

Mrs. Corry – Owns a magical gingerbread shop. She is a mysterious woman of great age who speaks with her own unique accent. 

Other Named Roles – Fannie, Annie, Von Hussler, Northbrook, Queen Victoria, Bank Chairman, Miss Smythe, Police Man, Valentine, Teddy Bear, Mr. Punch, Doll

Ensemble – Statues, Park Strollers, Talking Shop Customers, Kite Flyers, Chimney Sweeps Clerks, Bank Board

Whether it’s illness, injury, family emergencies, or one of the many unpredictable things thrown our way–life happens. Having alternates, understudies, swings, and double-casting helps cast members feel they truly have an option to take care of themselves while ensuring performances can go on smoothly and audiences receive a high-quality experience without cancellations.

Double Cast – Two actors are cast in the same role, and will perform an equal number of times (switching on and off). They may also be called upon to perform on select days if the other cast member is sick.

Alternate – An alternate does not cover any other roles in the show; they only play one character for select performances. They may also be called upon to perform on select days if a main cast member is sick.

Understudy – An understudy is typically an actor that’s in the main company of a production. Usually, understudies are part of the ensemble of a show but can also be called upon to perform another specific role on select days if another cast member is sick.

Swing – A swing is someone in a cast who will often learn an additional ensemble number on top of their own, so that they can step into specific moments of the show. Every large production number in Mary Poppins will have its own designated set of swings who are prepared to perform the number if needed. 

PRODUCTION TEAM
Director/Choreographer: Nickie Kromminga Hill & Kyle Weiler
Music Director: Brandon Nordhues
Scenic Designer: Mark Hennigs
Lighting Designer: Grant E. Merges
Costume Designer: Risa Alecci
Sound Designer: Steven Sanders
Properties Manager: Bonnie Bologna
Stage Manager: Grace Wright

Calendar for Audition for Mary Poppins

  • 10:00am CST
  • 6:00pm CST