Review: Adorable MARY POPPINS Soars at Stagecrafters Thru Dec 20

By Dr. Anton Anderssen and Marco Airaghi

Any visit to the Baldwin Theatre in Royal Oak is a treat, but the fantastic production now on stage, MARY POPPINS will blow you away. This show is super! [cali, etc.] Stagecrafters have made this show a delight from the very moment you walk into the room; here you will see a Mary Poppins Christmas tree, with ornaments of kites, crowned by a signature nanny hat. Of course, just walking into the theatre gives a sense of majesty with that beautiful English Wedgwood blue and gilded gold all around. The show is a holiday treat; it has great tunes, great costumes and sets, a wonderful plot, and lots of magic.

Performances are double cast; this was a great idea. You never know when someone is going to fall ill, and the extra hands allow the company to offer more curtain nights. Stagecrafters performances are always in high demand. On opening night, our performance starred Celeste So as Mary, Madilyn LaJoice as Jane, Spencer Clark as Michael. This show has all the bells and whistles - to our delight, Mary does fly, and on more than one occasion.

Allow me to brag a little about Jason Cooper, who plays Bert in the show. He is utterly sensational. His voice is heaven to listen to, he is lively and animated on stage, and he can dance like a pro. What an asset to Stagecrafters!

Tony Battle is sensational as George Banks, the driven bank officer who learns the true meaning of good living. He is poised and dignified, completely polished in his role as the well to do Englishman. Battle can often be seen in professional performances; he is adored no matter what role he plays or sings on a stage.

The older I get the more perturbed I get with the materialism and commercialism of Christmas. This show is so perfect in delivering the message that it is the relationships we have which matter most; Mammon and materialism have become my objects of disgust. Mary Poppins is my hero when she accompanies the children to give money to the bird woman to feed the birds; more shows should be written about the merits of giving charity.

Celeste So just melts my heart as the magical nanny who seems to know all the right things to say. She's pretty and charismatic and has the voice of a lark. What a joy it is to see her on stage for the holidays. From the moment she appears on stage, there is a feeling that everything is going to turn out all right.

Of course, the talented and wonderful people at Stagecrafters certainly do know how to turn out productions that are quite simply awesome. (I won't use that really long "s" word). All of the actors int his productions are stars; they are shining stars in my eyes.

There is still time to take in the magic of Mary Poppins at the Baldwin Theatre. Stagecrafters offers gift tickets for holiday gift giving or employee recognition/bonus and more. Senior and student $2 discounts are available on MARY POPPINS tickets for the Thursday performances. Call 248-541-6430 (Mon-Fri, 10 am - 4 pm). Walk-in sales welcome also. Stagecrafters is located in downtown Royal Oak at 415 S. Lafayette.

All photos courtesy of Stagecrafters and the immensely talented Ian Tadashi Moore.

Cast and Crew List by Community:

Bert - Jason Cooper, Belleville

Stage Manager - Justine Dearth, Berkley

Set Design - David McIntosh, Beverly Hills

Co-Producer - Bobbi McNally, Birmingham

Winifred Banks - Christine Kapusky Moore, Canton

Miss Lark/Birdwoman/Ensemble - Therese Wisnewski, Clarkston

Assistant Stage Manager - Becca Wisnewski, Clarkston

Sound Design - Clayton Bushmaker, Clawson

Ensemble/Fannie - Danielle Peck, Clawson

Ensemble/Teddy Bear - Ryan Quinn, Clawson

Ensemble/Ballerina Doll - Julie Wilson, Commerce Twp

Ensemble/Von Hussler - Andrew Szykula, Dearborn

Ensemble/Park Keeper - Michael Ameloot, Detroit

Ensemble/Mrs. Corry - Arielle Crosby, Detroit

Katie Nanna/Miss Andrew - Tan Mason, Detroit

Director/Choreographer - John Luther, Farmington

Jane Banks - Madilyn LaJoice, Farmington Hills

Co-Producer - Betsey Schrock, Farmington Hills

Props - Jenny Boyle, Ferndale

Jane Banks - Gabriela Moncivais, Grosse Pte Park

Mary Poppins - Celeste So, Huntington Wds

Michael Banks - Nathan Koss, Lake Orion

Michael Banks - Spencer Clark, Lincoln Park

Master Carpenter - Mark Clark, Lincoln Park

Technical Director - Jody Florkowski, Madison Hgts

Production Asst -Sandy Malotke, Madison Hgts

Set Dress - Rodel Salazar, Madison Hgts

Lighting Design - Lucy Meyo, Milford

Assistant Director - Stacey Kawa, Oakland Twp

Music Director - Jim Territo, Pontiac

Mrs Brill - Katherine Huyghe, Rochester Hills

Ensemble/Miss Smythe - Sandra Marselle, Rochester Hills

Ensemble/Constable - Bob Marselle, Rochester Hills

George Banks - Tony Battle, Royal Oak

Admiral Boom/Bank Chairman - Ed Berger, Royal Oak

Makeup Design - Christine Chubenko, Royal Oak

Hair - Kathleen Furlong, Royal Oak

Costume Designer - Dolly Scheibelhut, Royal Oak

Co-Producer - Linda Zublick, Royal Oak

Robertson Ay - Nasir Khawaja, Southfield

Ensemble/Northbrook - Mark Hinton, Sterling Heights

Ensemble/Valentine - Christine Maurer, Troy

Neleus - Zak Shugart, Troy

Mary Poppins - Hayley Pulizzi, Warren

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