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Breakdown
Mary Poppins
Bert; The narrator of the story, is a good friend to Mary Poppins. An everyman, Bert has many occupations, including hurdy-gurdy player, sidewalk artist and chimney sweep. Bert watches over the children as well as the goings on in Cherry Tree Lane. He has charm, speaks with a Cockney accent and is a song-and-dance man.
Male, 30 - 39 yrs. old
Range: B2 - F#4
George Banks; The father to Jane and Michael Banks, is a banker to the very fiber of his being. Demanding precision and order in his household, he is a pipe-and-slippers man who doesn't have much to do with his children and believes that he had the perfect upbringing by his nanny, the cruel Miss Andrew. His emotional armor, however, conceals a sensitive soul. A baritone, George may speak-sing as necessary.
Male, 40 - 45 yrs. old
Range: Bb2 - Eb4
Winifred Banks; George's wife and Jane and Michael's mother. A former actress, she is loving and distracted homemaker who is busy trying to live up to her husband's desire to obnly associate with the best people as well as be the model wife and mother. She suffers from the conflicting feelings that she's not up to the job of being Mrs. Banks, yet, she is, and more. She has great warmth and simplicity to her tone.
Female, 30 - 40 yrs. old
Range: A3 - D5
Katie; Nanna Jane and Michael’s nanny at the beginning of the show. Overwhelmed and upset, she has absolutely had her fill of the Banks children.
Female, 30 - 40 yrs. old
Speaking Role
Policeman; A neighborhood fixture who is respected by and observant of households on his beat.
Male, 30 - 50 yrs. old
Speaking Role
Miss Lark; The haughty next-door neighbor of the Banks family who treats her dog, Willoughby, as if her were child.
Female, 30 - 40 yrs. old
Speaking Role
Admiral Boom; A retired Royal Navy man and neighbor of the Banks family. A physically large man with a loud and booming voice, he speaks in Navy jargon and has a soft spot for his neighbor, Miss Lark. Can be any vocal range as needed. If Admiral Bloom doubles as the Banks Chairman, he can be a baritone.
Male, 50 - 60 yrs. old
Speaking Role
Mrs. Brill; The housekeeper and cook for the Banks family. Overworked and harrassed, she's always complaining that the house is understaffed. Her intimidating exterior is a cover for the warmth underneath. Mrs. Brill doesn't have a high opinion of nannies in general and Mary Poppins in particular. She does not have to be a strong singer.
Female, 50 - 60 yrs. old
Range: F#3 - D#5
Robertson Ay; The houseboy to the Banks family. Lazy, sleepy and grumbling, he never gets things right and believes himself to be useless. He doesn't do a lot of singing, but his Spoonful solo can be a fun surprise.
Male, 20 - 30 yrs. old
Range: F3 - G#4
Mary Poppins; Jane and Michael Banks's new nanny. She is extraordinary and strange, neat and tidy, delightfully vain yet particular, and sometimes a little frightening but always exciting. She is practically perfect in every way and always means what she says. A mezzo soprano with strong top notes, she should be able to move well. She can have a more traditional soprano sound, but precision and diction is the key.
Female, 20 - 30 yrs. old
Range: Gb3 - C6
Park Keeper; Uniformed and officious, he makes sure no one breaks park regulations. His life is defined by rules, but he secretly hankers after his childhood.
Male, 40 - 60 yrs. old
Speaking Role
Queen Victoria; A statue in the park.
Female, 40 - 60 yrs. old
Bank Chairman; The head of the bank where Mr. Banks is employed, is an Edwardian stuffed-shirt. He can speak/sing his lines if necessary.
Male, 50-60 yrs. old
Range: C3 - D4
Miss Smythe; The Bank Chairman's humorless secretary.
Female, 40 - 50 yrs. old
Speaking Role
Ensemble Annie, Fannie, Valentine, Teddy Bear, Mr. Punch, Doll, Chimney Sweeps, Toys, Parkgoers.
Von Hussler; A businessman seeking a loan from the bank for a shady business deal. He speaks with a German accent.
Male, 30 - 50 yrs. old
Speaking Role
John Northbrook; An honest business man seeking a loan to build a factory for his community. He speaks with an accent from Northern England.
Male, 30 - 50 yrs. old
Bird Woman; Covered in a patchwork of old shawls, and her pockets are stuffed with bags of crumbs for the birds. She tries to sell her crumbs for the birds. She tries to sell her crumbs to passersby, who ignore her as if she doesn't exist. Sings Feed the Birds. There can be a gruff, folksy quality to her voice that reflects the hardness of her life.
Female, 50 - 60 yrs. old
Range: Gb3 - C5
Mrs. Corry; Owns a magical gingerbread shop. She is a mysterious woman of great age who speaks with a Caribbean accent (or any accent that would make her seem exotic).
Female, 40 - 50 yrs. old
Speaking Role
Miss Andrew; George's overbearing and scary nanny. With her bottle of nasty-tasting brimstone and treacle to keep naughty children in line, she is a bully who only knows one way of doing things - her way. A soprano with an alto belt, there can be some heaviness to her voice along with range.
Female, 40 - 60 yrs. old
Range: Gb3 - F5 -
A CHRISTMAS STORY
JEAN SHEPHERD/NARRATOR: Late 40s to early 60s. A charismatic storyteller who has the ability to weave a spell and draw an audience into his magical world. He is omniscient but not overpowering – a good-natured curmudgeon with a deadpan sense of humor. He holds the audience with his tremendous presence and spark. [Note: The framing device becomes a physical part of the storytelling, a narrator who comes in and out of the scenes. When he is onstage as the narrator, he is unnoticed by the other characters (except for a few occasions when he has a direct interaction with Ralphie). When Jean assumes an onstage role (e.g., the telegram deliverer), he is, of course, seen by the others as that character. When Jean is observing Ralphie, he feels and expresses everything just as Ralphie would, exactly paralleling the boy’s emotional state. The “Universal I” phrase that Jean uses in his opening speech is his way of distancing himself from the story, but it is truly autobiographical in nature.]
THE PARKERS:
MOTHER: 30s to 40s. More in charge of the family than the Old Man is, but she would never let him know it. She is warm and affable … at times a bit daffy … but not a pushover. A vibrant woman, she is always busy, especially anytime she’s in the kitchen. She is the secret engine that keeps the family running, keeping the household together with an impressive balancing act.
THE OLD MAN: 30s to 40s. A guy with a good heart, though it is buried beneath a sometimes gruff (and rough) exterior. He’s a devoted husband and father who loves his family but doesn’t overly show it. He usually expects the worst but is capable of excitement if the situation warrants (though it usually doesn’t). In his moments of fantasy, he is transformed from his usual grumbling blue-collar self to a true song and dance man.
THE ADULTS (may be doubled):MISS SHIELDS: Mid 30s to late 50s. The local elementary school teacher. A seemingly stereotypical 1940s educator – prim and proper. Stern when necessary, though warm – and even humorous – when the situation merits it. In Ralphie’s fantasy, she becomes a dynamic, show-stopping, brassy belter and tappy – a force to be reckoned with.
SANTA: Early 30s to early 60s. The Santa Claus at Higbee’s Department Store is decidedly unlike the typical “Jolly Old Elf” of legend and lore. Ill-tempered and slightly inebriated, he is unhappy with his job. He dismisses each child as quickly as possible in an attempt to put an end to the day and, perhaps, head for the nearest “watering hole.”
ELVES
CUSTOMERS
DELIVERY MEN (2)
CAN-CAN GIRLS
TOWNSPEOPLE
CAN-CAN GIRLFRIEND
PARENTS
POLICEMAN
VILLAIN
FIREMAN
BANKROBBERS
DOCTOR
ESCAPED PRISONER
NURSE
BARTENDER
WAITER
OLIVER CAST OF CHARACTERS
MR. BUMBLE – THE BEADLE (A large pompous man of 55)
WIDOW CORNEY (A sharp-tongued, domineering widow of 50 – the Workhouse Mistress)
NOAH CLAYPOLE (The Undertaker’s pimply apprentice)
MR. SOWERBERRY (The Undertaker)
MRS. SOWERBERRY (His oveer)
CHARLOTTE (Their sluttish young daughter)
THE ARTFUL DODGER (Fagin’s brightest pupil – an undersized 18)
FAGIN (An elderly receiver – runs training academy for young pickpockets)
NANCY (23 years old – a graduate of Fagin’s academy for young pickpockets)
CHARLES BATES, and other boys in Fagin’s establishment.
OLD SALLY (A Pauper)
OLD LADY
BILL SYKES (A villain in his prime)
MRS. BEDWIN (The Brownlows’ Housekeeper)
MR. BROWNLOW (An old gentleman of wealth and breeding)
DR. GRIMWIG (A Doctor)
FIRST WOMAN
SECOND WOMAN
NIGHT WOMAN
FIRST BOW STREET RUNNER
SECOND BOW STREET RUNNER
MAN
2ND, 3RD, AND 4TH MAN
CHARMAN
CHORUS OF (Workhouse boys: Workhouse assistants: Bow Street Runners: Street Vendors * (Criers) and Crowd, etc.)
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