Class Act does it again with magical performance of Mary Poppins

THE WOODLANDS, Texas - Friday, July 10, marked the debut showing for Class Act Productions’ rendition of Mary Poppins, and to say the least, it was “Practically Perfect.” It comes as no surprise, as Class Act Productions has an upstanding reputation for amazing productions featuring local youth.

Directed by Keith Brumfield with the assistance of Julie Stobbe, the family-friendly musical will be nostalgic for any adult who is a fan of the film, and will have children wide-eyed as their imaginations are bursting at seams. Based on the books by P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney film, Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins has been a successful, award-winning Broadway musical. Class Act Productions, in its 19th year, performed the musical beautifully and was complete with well-known songs, amazing dance numbers, and an extremely talented cast that, wait for it, are all 18 years of age or younger.

Mary Poppins tells the classic tale of two young children, Jane (Greta Lamb) and Michael (Grant Bottorff) who are overlooked by their father, Mr. Banks (Jordan Rubio), causing them to act out. The Banks children meet their match when an English nanny flies in on her umbrella to Cherry Tree Lane when the Banks family needs it most. Mary Poppins not only has a surprise in store for the two children, but also teaches Mr. Banks that family is most important over everything, and that happiness is not accounted for by money, but instead can come from something as simple as flying a kite.

Katja Yanko plays the role of Mary Poppins in this production, and rightfully so. The recent College Park graduate portrays the nanny so effortlessly with her tremendous acting paired with a beautiful singing voice that does justice to the classic songs both young and old are familiar with.

One character not to be overlooked is Mary Poppins’ chimney sweep sidekick, Bert, played by Gabriel Kearns. Kearns’ performance is spot-on and hilarious, and is a crucial part in Poppins’ efforts to show the children the wonders of a magical world. Note: there is a strong possibility you will be singing “Chim Chim Cher-ee” the whole way home after the performance.

Add it all together and the dynamic of Mary Poppins, Bert, Jane and Michael is infectious. Lamb and Bottorff, both in the fifth grade, put on a fantastic performance of the two misbehaved children. The adorable duo will have you smiling throughout the show and will also leave you in awe as to the amount of talent they have.

The whole cast, consisting over 70 local youth, did an outstanding job. Whether on stage or behind the scenes, the production was truly amazing. Get ready to sing along to the songs you grew up listening to such as “A Spoonful of Sugar,” and “Step in Time.” One of the stand out moments of the show was the cast’s performance of “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” where the song was gradually increasing in speed and the dance moves grew to be more and more complicated, but executed flawlessly.

The set design was very well laid out and transferred smoothly throughout each scene: from the Banks’ house and the children’s bedroom to the oustide scenes, the sets only added to the production. Special effects are even involved so that Mary Poppins is able to fly across the stage, and Bert just might even get a chance to show off his moves in mid-air!

Set to run at the Nancy Bock Center for Performing Arts, located at 3800 S. Panther Creek Drive, this is a performance you won’t want to miss. Mary Poppins will be playing again on July 17, 18, and 19. For a list of showtimes and to purchase tickets, visit the link provided below.

The enchanting story of Mary Poppins captures the hearts of all ages, and teaches a lesson to children and adults alike that family is more important than any dollar amount, and that something as simple as flying a kite can mean so much more than it seems.