Cast Announced for MARY POPPINS at Barter Theatre

The beloved Disney musical, "Mary Poppins," comes to life on Barter Theatre's stage with, not only, the largest cast of 2015, but also, one of the largest casts ever.

In this Disney classic, Mary Poppins, the mysterious, wonderful nanny, magically appears at the Banks household to care for young Jane and Michael. Audiences will witness magic happen on stage as Mary and the children embark on adventures galore with dancing chimney sweeps, shopkeepers and colorful characters at Barter Theatre.

This musical, which will begin performances on May 23, will feature favorite songs like: "Chim Chim Cher-ee," "A Spoonful of Sugar," "Feed the Birds," "Step in Time" and, of course, "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."

"Mary Poppins" will feature long-time Barter actress Tricia Matthews as Mary Poppins and Nick Koesters as Bert, the singing, dancing chimney sweep with an eye for all kinds of fun. "Mary Poppins" will also feature several child actors from the community who will play Jane (Calliope Koesters and Rachel Meade) and Michael Banks (Emmitt Breeding and Parker Gray).

Nearly every member of the Barter Resident Acting Company will appear in "Mary Poppins." Barter has even brought in additional actors from as far away as New York just to complete the cast of "Mary Poppins." One of patrons' favorite actors, Sean Maximo Campos, will be performing a total of seven different roles throughout "Mary Poppins."

Producing Artistic Director Richard Rose is directing "Mary Poppins." Rose says, "Mary Poppins believes in being human, and that is what George, Winifred, Jane and Michael learn from her. They learn to look at what is really important: each other."

Even the set for "Mary Poppins" will be filled with grandeur, thrills and fun. Derek Smith, Barter Theatre's resident scenic designer, says, "The 'Mary Poppins' set is one of the most challenging and exciting sets I have ever worked on designing. To design a set that can hold it's own for a show like 'Mary Poppins' is no easy feat."

"Mary Poppins" is made possible by corporate sponsors Johnston Memorial Hospital and Strongwell. Barter Theatre is funded in part by The Virginia Commission for the Arts and The National Endowment for the Arts.