INFORMATION BOOK
WHO ARE FOOTLIGHT PRODUCTIONS? FOOTLIGHT PRODUCTIONS is a theatre company established in 2003 by Peter and Margaret Wills. The aim of Footlight is twofold to provide high quality theatre performances for the Geelong community, and to provide an enjoyable, challenging and memorable experience for performers on stage. Earlier this year we staged a highly successful production of Miss Saigon which was attended by over 4000 people. Other recent shows have included My Fair Lady, Cats and Les Miserables. PRODUCTION STAFF Producer... PETER WILLS Production Manager... MARGARET WILLS Director... DARYLIN RAMONDO Musical Director... JOHN SHAWCROSS Associate Producer... JON MAMONSKI Choreographer... JORDAN PUNSALANG Lighting Design... SCOTT ALLAN Set Design... NATHAN WEYERS Fundraising Co-ordinator... STEF SHAW Costume Design... RHIANNON IRVING Costume Coordinator... BRIDGET DUNSTAN & PETER WILLS Artwork & Design... DAVID WARD Properties/Set Coordinator... RAY FERGUSON Hair Design... MEL VAN KRIEKEN PERFORMANCE DATES PLAYHOUSE THEATRE, 2016 January 22nd, 23rd, 28th, 29th, 30th @ 7:30pm February 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th @ 7.30pm. January 30th & 31st and February 6th @ 2pm. A TOTAL OF 12 PERFORMANCES.
SYNOPSIS Mary Poppins is the story of the Banks family who live in a big house in London on Cherry Lane. Things are not going well for the family, the children, Jane and Michael, are out of control and are in need of a new nanny. Jane and Michael have their own ideas about what sort of caretaker they should have, while their parents and in particular Mr. Banks are insistent on someone strict for the job. When a mysterious young woman named Mary Poppins appears at their doorstep, the family finds that she s the answer to their prayers, but in the most peculiar way. Mary Poppins takes the children on many magical and memorable adventures, but Jane and Michael aren t the only ones she has a profound effect on. Even grown-ups can learn a lesson or two from the nanny who advises that anything can happen if you let it.
A U D I T I O N D A T E S SUNDAY 2ND AUGUST 10am 12noon Dance Auditions. (All adult auditionees required to attend) SUNDAY 2ND AUGUST 1pm onwards Adult Vocal Auditions MONDAY 3RD AUGUST 6pm onwards Adult Vocal Auditions C A L L B A C K S SUNDAY 9TH AUGUST 10am onwards Vocals & Script C H I L D R E N S A U D I T I O N S MONDAY 10TH AUGUST 5pm onwards Group Audition (Parents will not be permitted in the audition room) A U D I T I O N I N F O R M A T I O N Your audition piece needs to be a song from a Broadway musical or light opera that best shows off your vocal range as well as your acting skills. MODERN POP SONGS AND TOP 40 HITS ARE NOT PERMITTED. Songs from the Mary Poppins score are not permitted at the initial audition. You may use either a backing CD or provide sheet music at your audition. Sheet music must be in the key you will be singing in. Adult audtionees will be given script for a cold read on the audition day. Please make yourself familiar with the accents required.
R E H E A R S A L S The first rehearsal will be held on Sunday 11th October 2015. All subsequent rehearsals will be held on Monday & Wednesday evenings from 7pm onwards and Sundays from 10am 5pm. The final rehearsal prior to Christmas will be Sunday 20th December. The first rehearsal in 2016 will be Sunday 3rd January. All rehearsals will be held at Sacred Heart College, Aphrasia Street entrance. Sacred Heart is a smoke free venue. F E E S The fee for all cast members is $100 PER PERSON. This fee must be paid at the first rehearsal and includes the following: Insurance Speciality make-up Branded Mary Poppins t-shirt Entrance to the official after show party F U N D R A I S I N G Fundraising activities will be held throughout the course of the production and it is expected that cast members support them. The fundraising activities that have been arranged to help make Mary fly are: Chocolate Drive Raffle Trivia Night - SATURDAY 9TH JANUARY Sausage Sizzles
C H A R A C T E R D E S C R I P T I O N S BERT GEORGE BANKS WINIFRED BANKS JANE MICHAEL KATIE NANNA POLICEMAN MISS LARK ADMIRAL BLOOM The narrator of the story, is a good friend to Mary Poppins. An everyman, Bert has many occupations, including hurdy-gurdy player, sidewalk artist and chimney sweep. Bert watches over the children as well as the goings on in Cherry Tree Lane. He has charm, speaks with a Cockney accent and is a song-and-dance man. RANGE: B2 - F#4 The father to Jane and Michael Banks, is a banker to the very fiber of his being. Demanding precision and order in his household, he is a pipe-and-slippers man who doesn t have much to do with his children and believes that he had the perfect upbringing by his nanny, the cruel Miss Andrew. His emotional armor, however, conceals a sensitive soul. A baritone, George may speak-sing as necessary. RANGE: Bb2 - Eb4 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 obnly associate with the best people as well as be the model wife and mother. She suffers from the conflicting feelings that she s not up to the job of being Mrs. Banks, yet, she is, and more. She has great warmth and simplicity to her tone. FE RANGE: A3 - D5 The high-spirited daughter of Mr. and Mr. Banks, she is bright and precocious but can be willful and inclined to snobbishness. FE, TO LOOK 11 YEARS OLD RANGE: A3 - F#5 The cute and cheeky son of Mr. and Mrs. Banks. Excitable and naughty, he adores his father and tries to be like him. Both he and Jane misbehave in order to get the attention of their parents., TO LOOK 9 YEARS OLD RANGE: A3 - E5 Jane and Micahel s nanny at the beginning of the show. Overwhelmed and upset, she has absolutely had her fill of the Banks children. FE: 30-40 yrs old A neighborhood fixture who is respected by and observant of households on his beat. The haughty next-door neighbor of the Banks family who treats her dog, Willoughby, as if her were child. FE A retired Royal Navy man and neighbor of the Banks family. A physically large man with a loud and booming voice, he speaks in Navy jargon and has a soft spot for his neighbor, Miss Lark. Can be any vocal range as needed. If Admiral Bloom doubles as the Banks Chairman, he can be a baritone.
C H A R A C T E R D E S C R I P T I O N S MRS. BRILL The housekeeper and cook for the Banks family. Overworked and harrassed, she s always complaining that the house is understaffed. Her intimidating exterior is a cover for the warmth underneath. Mrs. Brill doesn t have a high opinion of nannies in general and Mary Poppins in particular. She does not have to be a strong singer. FE RANGE: F#3 - D#5 ROBERTSON AY MARY POPPINS PARK KEEPER NELEUS QUEEN VICTORIA BANK CHAIRMAN MISS SMYTH ENSEMBLE VON HUSSLER JOHN NORTH- BROOK The houseboy to the Banks family. Lazy, sleepy and grumbling, he never gets things right and believes himself to be useless. He doesn t do a lot of singing, but his Spoonful solo can be a fun surprise. RANGE: F3 - G#4 Jane and Michael Banks s new nanny. 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. She can have a more traditional soprano sound, but precision and diction is the key. FE RANGE: Gb3 - C6 Uniformed and officious, he makes sure no one breaks park regulations. His life is defined by rules, but he secretly hankers after his childhood. 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. A small and lonely being, he is very happy to befriend Jane and Michael. This role is a wonderful opportunity to feature one of the strong dancers in your ensemble. A statue in the park. FE The head of the bank where Mr. Banks is employed, is an Edwardian stuffed-shirt. He can speak/sing his lines if necessary. RANGE: C3 - D4 The Bank Chairman s humorless secretary. FE Speaking Role Annie, Fannie, Valentine, Teddy Bear, Mr. Punch, Doll, Chimney Sweeps, Toys, Parkgoers. A businessman seeking a loan from the bank for a shady business deal. He speaks with a German accent. An honest business man seeking a loan to build a factory for his community. He speaks with an accent from Northern England.
C H A R A C T E R D E S C R I P T I O N S 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. She tries to sell her crumbs to passersby, who ignore her as if she doesn t exist. Sings Feed the Birds. There can be a gruff, folksy quality to her voice that relfelcts the hardness of her life. FE RANGE: Gb3 - C5 MRS. CORRY MISS ANDREW Owns a magical gingerbread shop. She is a mysterious woman of great age who speaks with a Caribbean accent (or any accent that would make her seem exotic). FE George s overbearing and scary nanny. With her bottle of nasty-tasting brimstone and treacle to kepp naighty children in line, she is a biully who only knows one way of oing things - her way. A soprano with an alto belt, there can be some heaviness to her voice along with range. FE RANGE: Gb3 - F5 To book an audition for Mary Poppins, please contact: PETER WILLS on 0409 969 648 (after 5:00pm)