After wrapping up their day with an activity period like the rest of the Lower Schoolers, four fifth graders have a second project on their mind: heading to the VST for musical rehearsal with the high schoolers. Billy, Kieran, Rosa and Clara play the roles of the Banks siblings in the upcoming production of “Mary Poppins, the Musical” with the girls alternating the role of Jane and the boys splitting the role of Michael.
When director Jamie Stires Hardin first flipped through the script for Mary Poppins, she found the songs performed by the young characters of Jane and Michael were designed for children’s voices. To best emulate the magic of the children’s songs and stories, Hardin knew that younger kids would fill the role well.
“The point of the story is to see childhood through a child’s eyes, and there’s all this magic that Mary Poppins brings with her that we as adults have forgotten,” Stires Hardin said. “A walk in the park sounds boring, but Mary makes it magical and fun and brings the statues to life. And the only way that we can really see that appreciation is through a child’s eyes.”
To recruit actors that were still youthful but could handle themselves with maturity in a high school production, Hardin turned to the fifth grade class.
“There’s still a sense of magic in Lower School, but I also wanted to have some kids that brought the ability to learn on their own and follow directions,” Stires Hardin said. “I figured our fifth grade students were the most adept.”
Fifth graders interested in performing gathered in the Fine Arts Annex to audition. Billy, Kieran, Clara and Rosa were selected out of the dozens of kids and joined the high schoolers in their weekly rehearsals, working alongside them even on long Sunday afternoons.
While all four kids took part in the “Spring Show,” a Lower School-wide choir performance, they have varied backgrounds with the performing arts.
“This is my first time doing a show, besides plays when I was in second and third grade and the Spring Show,” Billy said.
Meanwhile, Clara recently performed onstage in a different manner, taking part in the Houston Ballet’s Nutcracker. As for Rosa and Kieran, they both enjoy doing theater outside of school.
The kids have noted their favorite parts of their work in “Mary Poppins, The Musical,” including making new, older friends and having fun with their parts.
“Ms. Stires Hardin has introduced what she calls the Brato-meter,” Clara said. “There’s a scale, at the beginning of the play, where we get to be very bratty onstage, and towards the end, it’s less because Mary Poppins is there to keep us in line.”
Outside the annex, the kids have formed meaningful connections with their older cast members.
“Seeing the seniors interact with the fifth graders has been magical in itself,” Stires Hardin said. “It’s sweet to see them interacting in the hallways or at carpools.”
Junior Conrad Moore, who plays the role of Admiral Boom and dances in the ensemble, says he and the other cast members have “rallied around” the kids, enjoying the new dynamic and creating lasting bonds.
“I think casting the kids was a really good decision,” Moore said. “The kids are talented, respectful and easy to work with when taking notes.”
Moore fondly recounts watching the journey of the younger theater kids as they join the high schoolers in creating the production.
“I’ve noticed that they’ve become more confident in their abilities, and I think that’s a really nice adjustment,” Moore said. “It’s interesting to watch the younger kids’ experiences and their interest in the production.”
While there may be some time before younger cast members join another high school production, the cast and crew cherished the magic of “Mary Poppins, The Musical.”
“I get reports that the kids come home and they’re singing ‘Supercal’ or teaching everyone their choreography from a specific number,” Stires Hardin said. “They’ve been working really hard and I’m proud of them; they’re all in.”
