BROOKINGS The 1964 movie Mary Poppins, a simple story about a sort-of magical nanny to the Banks family in 1910 England, gave life to a delightful to say but nigh impossible-to-spell word: supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
Now the loveable nanny and her buddy Bert, a jack-of-all-trades; the Banks family; and a cast of other assorted wacky and wonderful characters are coming to the boards at Oscar Larson Theatre in the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center on the campus of South Dakota State University: Disney & Cameron Mackintoshs Mary Poppins: The Broadway Musical. (Thats a helluva lot of words. Just think Mary Poppins.). It played for more than 2,500 performances, earning nominations for nine Oliver and seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Now the Brookings Community Theatre players are bringing a big and challenging piece of Broadway to Brookings.
The 33 players in the cast are a mix of been-there-done-that and first-time rookies. Seven are adults; 26 are 17 year old and younger old, quite a few students on stage for this production.
Its been fun. Its just kind of neat to see these kids come together. It takes a village to get it done, said Mike Thompson, artistic director and production manager. The camaraderie of this cast that has developed has been second to none.
A real workhorse, Thompson has directed more than a dozen BCT shows. However, he hasnt acted since he played Oliver Warbucks in Annie, staged in July 2018 in the V.A. Bell Auditorium, Brookings High School. He likes being on the director side of the boards. Also with a big job in bringing to the boards such a demanding musical production is Noah Stremmel as music director and pit conductor.
Add to that the singing and dancing numbers that really bring the show to life: Welcome choreographer Olivia Davis, shes a sort of regular to BCT as a choreographer. By way of background, shes an SDSU alumna, class of 2022, with a bachelors degree in theater; she continued studying dance while she pursued her degree. She later moved to London, where she earned a master of fine arts at Trinity Laban, a dance and music conservatory.
This is my first big project that Im doing since finishing my masters (degree), she noted. Ive danced my whole life. Ive been dancing since I was 4 (years old).
Thompson knew of her skills and talent.
When I came back into town, he knew, because Id choreographed for BCT before: I choreographed Little Shop of Horrors in 2017 and helped choreograph Annie in 2018.
Choreography and being a choreographer is composing time, composing space and composing body, she said, explaining in simple terms just what that word means. Everyone who is in this production does choreography of some kind. That can be someone whos in the ensemble; they have several dances that theyre doing to support the main action. But as a choreographer I act as a movement coach for a lot of people.
It has been an undertaking and thats probably an understatement, she said, focusing on Mary Poppins. In addition to having a wide range of ages that were working with, for me I have been working with people with different skill levels: there are some people in the cast who have years of dance training; there are some who had none.
We had to find a level playing field for everyone. The choreography had to be challenging but also accessible for everyone: the people who didnt have as much technical strength and the people who have more experience could find a challenge.
Making her BCT debut
Jeanna Brandsrud, in the lead role of Mrs. Winifred Banks, brings acting and musical experience to the boards but its her first time in a BCT production. A native of Brandon, she now lives in Madison; teaches at Sioux Valley High School in Volga; and is choreographer and music director for SVHS theater.
The Brandon native is a University of South Dakota graduate who majored in voice. More than anything I just missed being on stage. I do a lot of music directing and choreographing but I dont get to do a lot of performing anymore. Im coming into BCT to be on the performing side of it again.
As a teacher Im somebody whos in educational theater. Its good for me to continue being a performer as well. She did note that her role demands very heavy singing.
Its been a really good stretch for me as an actor and as a performer, getting to work with kids especially, she explained. Interacting with the kids on stage has been super fun but also a stretch for me but especially as an actor. Its something different from what I normally do. I havent been in a speaking role in a long time, since high school. Its been a challenge to retrain my brain to learn lines again.
One of the many younger members of the cast is Lyric Stanley, 11. She plays Annie and is in her second BCT production. Her first show was in the ensemble of Roald Dahls Matilda: The Musical in August 2024. Come fall shell be a 6th -grade student at George Mickleson Middle School.
Look for about a dozen younger performers in the Ensemble doing choreography.
Show times are Aug. 7 through Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. and a 2 p.m. matinee on Aug. 10.
Second schedule of show times is Aug. 14 through 16 at 7 p.m. and a 2 p.m. matinee on Aug. 17.
For how to get tickets and learn more about the production, log on to Brookings Community Theatre and click on the Mary Poppins ad.
Contact John Kubal at [email protected].
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