Page 38 January 2015 By Amanda Goossen In 1934 Mary Poppins famously arrived at the Banks’ residence, Number 17 Cherry Tree Lane in London, to care for the children. In this case, however, she landed at the Phoenix Theatre in 2014 to give two Arcadia         Mary Poppins, made popular by Walt Disney, Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke in 1964, was originally a series of eight children’s books by P.L. Travers, published from 1934 to 1988. With her whimsical ways and magic carpet bag, Mary Poppins takes the children on a series of adventures with chimney sweeps and store shop owners, eventually guiding the Banks children through childhood, teaching moral lessons along the way.         varied from the books, the spirit remained             an entirely new audience to the beloved childhood character. In 2004, Disney Theatrical produced a stage production also titled Mary Poppins in the West End theatre in London. The production eventually headed to Broadway in 2006 where it remained until closing in 2013. And then, after several national and international tours, the Phoenix Theatre             show locally beginning on November 19 and running until January 4, 2015. “A spoonful of sugar” brings two Arcadia kids on stage With 27 actors, including two Arcadia children as Jane and Michael Banks, this production of Mary Poppins was a proud moment for the local theater celebrating its 95th season. “My goal with Mary Poppins was to make the ordinary seem extraordinary. This show is all about the power of imagination and allowing yourself to see through the eyes of a child,” said Michael Barnard, producing artistic director and director of Mary Poppins. Katherine Brown, a 12-year-old Arcadia sixth-grader, played Jane. Bitten by the       production with her mom at Desert Stages, Katherine has worked with children’s theaters like Greasepaint and the Valley Youth Theatre. Last year, she even worked with Southwest Shakespeare Company on their version of A Christmas Carol. “When I heard about the auditions for Mary Poppins, I            the spunky, fun girl known as Jane Banks,” said Katherine. “I had never seen the play before, but I’ve always loved the movie,” said Katherine. “As soon as I got the role,          books in the Mary Poppins series, and they helped me get a feel of who Jane was and where all her actions come from.” Eight-year-old Isaac Speyer has lived his entire life in Arcadia, moving to his           Having a constant interest in movies, Isaac remembers making up stories to act out when he was only 3 years old. “Then when I was 5, I saw my friends perform in Annie with Art and Sol and I knew that I wanted to do it too,” said Isaac. Since then, Isaac has performed in four Art and Sol productions, including Willy Wonka Jr. as Augustus Gloop. He has also gone to Phoenix Theatre Summer Camp over the past two summers. “I learned about the auditions for Mary Poppins from summer camp at Phoenix Theatre. Marylou, the camp director, mentioned to my parents that it might be a good experience for me to audition,” said Isaac. “I had to perform a one-minute monologue and sing parts of two songs.” Being on stage, in such a large show, was an invaluable experience for both young Arcadians. “It was incredible to work with some of the most talented actors and actresses in the Valley!” said Katherine. “I also loved watching the show come together. Every single member of the cast played a huge role in ‘getting this puppy on its feet,’ as our director, Michael, would say.” Isaac explained, “I love rehearsals. Even when I’m tired, I always look forward to rehearsals. “And then once the show is up and running, I’m happy every day that I’m performing. I loved being on stage and entertaining the audience. I also loved it when I’d see people after the show and they’d tell me that they liked it,” said Isaac. For more information on the upcoming season at Phoenix Theatre go to: phoenixtheatre.com. Isaac and Katherine are two of the actors who played Michael and Jane Banks in Mary Poppins at The Phoenix Theatre in 2014.

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