Spelling a snippet of supercalifragilisticexpialidocious are (from left) Latham Nance (Bert), Reese Overstreet (Mary Poppins), Francie LeDuff (Mrs. Crawley), Lucy Allen (Jane Banks), and Willis Thigpen (Michael Banks).
Two leading ladies are making appearances at Jackson Academy: Mary Poppins and Kerri Courtney Sanders.
Reese Overstreet, a junior at JA, is thrilled to portray Mary Poppins. “Every time I run a scene or a musical number, I feel as if I need to pinch myself to make sure I am not dreaming. I watched this movie nonstop as a kid.” Reese loves everything from wielding the iconic green-parrot umbrella to conveying the heart of the story. “Mary Poppins is about family. Mary doesn’t just come to the Banks’ household to be a nanny for Jane and Michael, she was trying to mend a broken family. George Banks gets lost when trying to decipher between important and insignificant things in life, but in the end realizes that family comes first,” she says. “I hope everyone who watches the show experiences a similar realization.”
After six years at New Stage Theatre, Kerri Sanders is directing Mary Poppins as her debut in the role of Director of Theatre at JA. “It has been such a joy for me to work with such a supportive staff, enthusiastic students, and dedicated parents on this huge project. I always say theatre is a team sport, and we definitely have a fantastic team here at JA,” she says. “Mary Poppins is certainly a production that presents many theatrical and technical challenges, and we have been able to rise to those challenges with our group of people willing to tackle them! The local theatrical community has also been so supportive of our production.”
With the JA family and local theatre community supporting our students as they prepare to tell the Mary Poppins story, the cast members themselves have become a family. “Being in a show is like being in one big family, so I love being able to embrace that aspect and having so many amazingly talented kids join in on the fun,” Reese says. For Sanders, overseeing the production has already proven to be an extremely rewarding experience. “The most enjoyable part of this production so far has been working with the talents and creativity of the students,” she says.
The classic story of familial love and conflict, adventure and imagination will come to life as a cast of 88 students presents the show in JA’s Performing Arts Center October 28-30 and November 4-5. After the October 29 performance, JA will host ‘A Jolly Holiday Tea Party’ where characters will spend time taking pictures and snacking on sugary snacks with guests. This family-friendly entertainment is available to the greater Jackson community, so bring your family, your friends, and your friends’ families. Eight hundred seats and five performances offer 4,000 opportunities to sweeten lives with a spoonful of sugar.
To select seats and purchase tickets, visit https://www.ticketsource.us/jacksonacademy.
