Chartiers Valley High School gears up for spring musical ‘Mary Poppins’
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Get ready for a magical weekend inside the Chartiers Valley theater, as “Mary Poppins” comes to life on stage from March 9 to 12.
“It’s going to be a great show. I’m very, very excited,” said senior Nicolas Sperandeo, 17, who plays Bert.
Kim Giffin, director, producer and choreographer, selects the show each year after auditions. This way, she can pick a production that fits the cast.
“This show really fits these kids, and they really bring these stories and these characters to life,” she said. “They’re embracing what this show is really about and the sentiment behind it.”
Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s “Mary Poppins” pulls from both the PL Travers books and the classic Walt Disney film for a show that tugs at the emotions.
“You have the humor and the love and the sentiment. There’s even a part where they’re in the nursery, and the toys come to life, and they’re trying to teach the kids a lesson,” Giffin said. “Then you have your fun songs, like ‘Jolly Holiday,’ all the way to your ‘Step in Time,’ that’s just like the movie.”
The show has something for everyone, cast members said.
“There’s a ton of magic,” said junior Alaina Halbleib, 16, who plays Mary Poppins. “For people of all ages, there are lessons and morals that they can take away from it — from kids to grandparents, there’s a lot of important messages.”
For Halbleib, performing in the show is a full-circle moment. Several years ago, she was first introduced to the theater when her sister performed in the Chartiers Valley Middle School production of “Mary Poppins.”
“It’s amazing. It’s been such a fun experience so far,” she said.
Sperandeo had never seen the movie before the show was announced. But, he went right home that day and watched it and immediately fell in love with it.
“I was so, so excited when I heard. I was like, ‘There’s flying. There’s magic,’” he said.
Yes, the show will include flying, something that Sperandeo is particularly excited about.
For him, his favorite part of the show is the dancing. He also loves the diversity of the cast, with freshman to seniors playing a variety of roles.
Halbleib, too, said the cast of this show is special.
“We’ve developed this deep connection and we really want to spread that magic,” she said. “As a cast, we’re unified to tell our story as a group and share the message of the show.”
Her favorite number in the show is “Anything Can Happen,” because of its message.
Both cast members and director are especially excited for this year’s musical, since last year, the state was under capacity restrictions for events, forcing them to have a very limited audience and stream to the masses for their spring musical, “Fame.”
“These kids have been living in a different world for the last two years. We’re just really excited. I want them to have applause and hear the laughter and really experience what live theater is – with people in the audience and people on stage – because that’s why you fall in love with theater,” Giffin said.
The show starts at 7:30 p.m. each night and tickets can be purchased at cvsdtheatre.com. Tickets are $15 for the reserved front section and $10 for general admission seats.