Interview: David Reuther, George Banks in MARY POPPINS at the Fox Performing Arts Center Riverside

On Friday, February 24, 2017 and Saturday, February 25th, Riverside's Fox Performing Art Center (Fox PAC) will present Theatre Royale's production of MARY POPPINS. David Reuther, known to Inland Empire audiences for his fabulous portrayal of Jean Valjean in Theatre Royale's 2015 production of LES MISERABLES, will play George Banks.

Broadway World interviewed Mr. Reuther by email about the show in general and his character in particular.

David Reuther is a veteran of both stage and screen, who has served as casting director for AMERICAN IDOL and logged 300 performances as Joseph in the national tour of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT. He was nominated for a Grammy award for his work as a musical educator. Mr. Reuther says MARY POPPINS is an "amazing show with an incredible cast and crew that I am proud to be a part of." He calls the production "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," a word that is, of course, familiar to anyone who has seen the Broadway musical or the 1964 Disney movie on which the stage show is based.

Here is the slightly edited interview:

Broadway World: Mr. Banks is portrayed quite differently between the 1964 movie (where he was shown as clueless) and the stage musical (where he appears to be emotionally troubled). How do you see him, and how do you bring your vision of him out in your performance?

David Reuther: Although I very much enjoyed David Tomlinson's portrayal of Mr. Banks in the movie, I think the stage version has a deeper transformation for Mr. Banks. I see him as a man who as a boy was full of wonderment and imagination. Unfortunately, in his world this was unacceptable behavior so it was taken from him. He never knew how to get it back but it was always there in front of him. With the help of Mary Poppins and his children he is able to get that wonderment and imagination back.
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BWW: Do you do anything different in your rehearsals and performance when you're mostly working with adults (such as in LES MIS) and working closely with kids (as in MARY POPPINS)?

DR: Working with kids you never know what you are going to get but I can tell you that Ben and Elise [who play the Banks children] are phenomenal and working with them has been a great experience. They give 100% every time they walk on the stage and I know they have the respect of everyone in the cast.

BWW: Are there differences in your preparation for a serious, highly emotional show (such as LES MIS) and a lighter-hearted production (such as MARY POPPINS)?

DR: These roles both have their challenges. Music is a huge part of my life so when I'm preparing for a role, I first sit down and listen to the entire score. The characters usually come to me after a few listens. I can tell you that at the end of the listenings for both shows I was teary eyed but for much different reasons. I think that speaks volumes for how much shows like LES MIS and MARY POPPINS can effect people in very different ways.

BWW: On Broadway, "Mary Poppins" had some expensive special effects, such as Bert walking upside down in magnetic shoes. How do you generate a sense of wonder in the audience, many of whom are likely to be kids, in a regional touring production?

DR: All I can tell you is that Scott King and Theatre Royale have a lot of tricks up their sleeves when it comes to creating a magical world for both kids and adults. They will not be disappointed.

MARY POPPINS will appear at the FoxPAC on Friday and Saturday, February 24th and 25th, at 8 p.m. both nights. The theater is located at 3801 Mission Inn Avenue, in Riverside. Tickets may be purchased at the box office, at Ticketmaster locations, online at www.Ticketmaster.com or www.foxriversidelive.com, and by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 during regular business hours. Ticketmaster's automated sales line is available 24 hours a day at 1-866-448-7849. Ticket prices range from $70 to $85 plus fees.

Photo Credit: Cary Anderson (MARY POPPINS picture)