By Janice McIntyre
City Editor
EL DORADO — Supercalifragilist
icexpialidocious, is one word Andria Gleghorn and students at Barton Junior High hope those who attend their upcoming production of “Mary Poppins,” will use to describe this year’s theatrical performance. Barton students will present the musical three times for the public – at 7 p.m. on April 6, 7 and 8 at the El Dorado High School auditorium.
Mary Poppins is a magical nanny who sweeps into the Banks home on Cherry Tree Lane in London, England and takes charge of the Banks children. She never acknowledges her strange and magical powers and feigns insult when one of the children refers to her previous adventures. She first arrives to them when she is blown to Cherry Tree Lane by the East Wind. In the 1964 Disney film of the same name, Mary Poppins was portrayed by Julie Andrews and for the Barton production, Ella Langridge will portray the famous nanny.
Mary Poppins is a series of eight children’s books written by P. L. Travers and published over the period 1934 to 1988. Mary Shepard was the illustrator throughout the series. Encounters with pavement-painters and shopkeepers and various adventures follow until Mary Poppins abruptly “pops-out.”
The books were adapted by Walt Disney in 1964, into a musical film titled Mary Poppins, starring Andrews and Dick Van Dyke as Bert. In 2004, Disney Theatrical, in collaboration with Cameron Mackintosh produced a stage musical also called Mary Poppins in London’s West End Theatre. The stage musical was transferred to Broadway, New York in 2006, where it ran until its closing on March 3, 2013.
Cast members, singers and dancers for Barton’s upcoming musical production, led and directed by Andria Gleghorn, include Anzel Preston, Brody McKinney, Brooke McCoy, Brooklyn Wells, Camille Terry, Carmelo Brown, Caylin Gadberry, Chloe Caputo, DeShun Mims, Ella Langridge, Emily Huddleston, Emma Gaul, Haley Talley;
Haley Ellis, Hannah Wilson, Henley McAdams, Jackson Fite, Jamesia Sapp, Jana Powell, Journey Moreland, Kaleigh Nale, Karina Castanon, Karli New, Kennedy Langston, Khalia Sanders, Krystina Charles, Landon Langston, Layken Grimes, Macy Eads, Madi Bonsall, Maggie Toombs, Markayla McCree, Megan Walters, Melanie Miller, Nadia Vartenian, Olivia Floss, Patrick Mau, Rakivia Dunn, RJ Thomas, Sarah Faith, Shayla Smith, Sophia Anreder, Taylor Watkins, Tiffany Tran and Whitney Jones.
The film received widespread acclaim from critics and audiences, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture with Andrews winning the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance as Mary Poppins. The film won an additional four Oscars for Best Original Song (“Chim Chim Cheree”), Best film Editing, Best Visual Effects and Best Original Score. The movie takes place in the year 1910.
Barton students recently performed select scenes from the musical for members of the Prime Timers group at First Baptist Church in El Dorado. They also sang and danced to several “Mary Poppins” favorites, including “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” “Feed the Birds,” “Step in Time” and “Practically Perfect.”
Tickets to Barton’s production are $10 for adults and $5 for students and can be purchased at the Barton Junior High School office.