[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfiLrDXKmpA?showinfo=0&w=560&h=315]

From the desk of Glenn Ballard, Fine Arts Director:

It is no secret that I love musical theatre. I love almost everything about it, including the many hours of hard work necessary to produce a high-quality show. But the thing that I love most  about a good musical is the music; telling a great story with beautiful songs, inspiring lyrics and choreography is an amazing educational and artistic experience, and a real joy.

Mary Poppins has some of the most memorable and really fun music that you will ever hear. In a song that has become one of my favorites, Mary Poppins sings “Anything can happen if you let it. Sometimes things are difficult, but you can bet it doesn’t have to be so. Changes can be made. You can move a mountain if you use a larger spade! …Stretch your mind beyond fantastic. Dreams are made of strong elastic…” I think that lyric really captures the spirit of what we try to do on our stage. We help young actors to dream big. And we help young actors stretch. We want to produce a show that everyone will love; and one that makes people want to come again and  to tell their friends, and one that makes them proud of our school and our performers. Is it difficult? It is. Does it require lots of sacrifices and dedication and hundreds of hours of practice? You bet it does. Is it worth all the effort and hours of practice? Absolutely!

Mary Poppins is the Tony Award-winning musical named after the famous nanny created by P. L. Travers and immortalized in the 1964 film by Walt Disney. Brook Hill is the first school in East Texas to acquire the amateur rights to produce the play. The musical features a score of memorable tunes by Robert and Richard Sherman who also composed the music for the Walt Disney film. The stage musical version of Mary Poppins has been described as a ‘fusion’ of the work of Miss Travers and the classic Disney film. In our production the very familiar story is told by some really strong actors in the key roles and has some of the best music you will ever hear.  Claire Dixon, a senior at Brook Hill and veteran of six full-length musicals will be featured in the title role. Claire has been preparing for this role since she was in the sixth grade, and I can assure you, she is ready.

Songs that many of us grew up with like “Spoonful of Sugar,” “Let’s Go Fly a Kite,” and the ever popular “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” are interwoven with several new songs including Mary Poppins’ anthem to herself called “Practically Perfect,” and a couple of real show-stoppers, “Step in Time,” and “Anything Can Happen If You Let It.”

Every year when I select the spring show, I look for something that has a compelling story, fun and memorable music and something that will inspire my kids and our patrons. I believe that once more we have found the perfect show for this group of actors. Mary Poppins will make you laugh, it will make you cry, it will inspire you and very likely cause you to leave the theatre humming one or more of the incredible show tunes.

One more line from the song says it this way, “If you reach for the stars, all you get are the stars, but we’ve found a whole new spin. If you reach for the heavens, you get the stars thrown in.” I want my kids to reach for the heavens. I want them to dream big. And I want to do everything I can to help them realize their dreams. Come see the show, and let us know how we did!

The show will be performed on May 1, 2, 8 and 9 on the Brook Hill stage in Bullard with a 7:30 curtain time each evening. You can get your tickets on the school’s website or by calling the school at 903-894-5000.