Pinehurst Theatre was transformed into Cherry Tree Lane this week as our Year 5 and 6 students brought the magic of Mary Poppins JR.to the stage.
Performing to a full house on both Tuesday 25 and Thursday 27 August, the students delivered an incredible production filled with music, colour, humour and some extraordinary young talent.
From the moment Mary Poppins arrived at the Banks family home, the audience was drawn into the story. The principal cast gave confident performances, with beautiful voices shining through the solos, duets and group numbers. Grace Lu took on the role of Mary Poppins alongside Braeden Tan as Bert, with Sheldon Chan and Jessica Kou as George and Winifred Banks, and Chloe Ma and Mikel Palliser as Jane and Michael.
The ensemble was equally impressive. With a large cast of chimney sweeps, buskers, clerks, bees, dancers, kite flyers and park strollers, the production gave our Year 5 and 6 students plenty of opportunities to take to the stage. The strength of the chorus was a real highlight, filling the Theatre during much loved numbers including A Spoonful of Sugar, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, Let’s Go Fly a Kite and Step in Time.
There was plenty happening beyond the performances too. Colourful costumes, choreography, lighting, projections, props and sets brought each scene to life, from the Banks family home and Mrs Corry’s shop to the rooftops of London. The different elements came together seamlessly and gave the students a wonderful setting in to perform.
A production of this scale takes an enormous amount of work behind the scenes. A special thank you goes to Director and Musical Director Eugenie Middleton, Producer Keeva Shaw and Co Director Michael Cox, together with the staff involved in choreography, costumes, lighting, sound, projections, props, makeup and front of house. It was very much a team effort, with many people contributing their time and expertise to bring the production together.
Most importantly, our students rose to the occasion. Whether taking a lead role, singing as part of the ensemble or dancing across the stage, they performed with confidence and enthusiasm and clearly enjoyed every moment. The result was a production that had two full houses smiling, laughing and enjoying songs many have known for years.
Congratulations to everyone involved in Mary Poppins JR. It was a very special two nights in Pinehurst Theatre and a wonderful showcase of the talent within our Primary School. With our Year 6 students heading into Junior College next year, there is plenty of young performing arts talent coming through. We can’t wait to see what they bring to the stage next.
