ROLE REQUIREMENTS TO AUDITION
**All auditions will need to practice the Dance Audition video**
Actors must know the dance audition moves – this production requires dance skills. Do not come to the audition unprepared for the dance audition portion if you are auditioning for a role that requires dancing.
Mary Poppins (Lead) – Female (Grades 9-12)
Jane and Michael Banks’s new nanny. She is extraordinary and strange, neat and tidy, delightfully vain yet very particular, and sometimes a little frightening, but she is always exciting. She is practically perfect in every way and always means what she says. The role calls for an excellent singer and actor who should be able to move well. Since she carries a majority of the show, precision and diction are key.
Solo singing? Yes
Vocal range: G3 – F5
Dancing? Yes
Bert (Lead) – Male (Grades 8-12)
The narrator of the story, is a good friend to Mary Poppins. An everyman, Bert is a chimney sweep and a sidewalk artist, among many other occupations. With a twinkle in his eye and a skip in his step, Bert watches over the children and the goings-on around Cherry Tree Lane. He is a song-and-dance man with oodles of charm who is wise beyond his years. **Our strongest male singer, dancer, and actor (combination of all three) will be cast in this role.
Solo singing? Yes
Vocal range: B2 – F4
Dancing? Yes
George Banks (Lead) – Male (Grades 8-12)
Husband to Winifred and father to Jane and Michael, is a banker to the very fiber of his being. Demanding "precision and order" in his household, he is a pip-and-slippers man who doesn't have much to do with his children and believes that Miss Andrew, his cruel, strict childhood nanny, gave him the perfect upbringing. George's emotional armor, however off-putting, conceals a sensitive soul.
Solo singing? Yes
Vocal range: Bb2 – F4
Dancing? Yes
Winifred Banks (Lead) – Female (Grades 8-12)
George's wife and Jane and Michael's mother. She is a loving homemaker who is busy trying to live up to her husband's social aspirations while striving to be a model wife and mother.
Solo singing? Yes
Vocal range: A3 – Eb5
Dancing? Yes
Jane Banks (Lead) – Female (Grades 6-9)
The high-spirited daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Banks, bright and precocious but can be willful and inclined to snobbishness. Casting a wonderful actor and strong singer who can take the audience on an emotional journey.
Solo singing? Yes
Vocal range: A3 – Eb5
Dancing? Yes
Michael Banks (Lead) – Male (Grades 4-8)
The cheeky son of Mr. and Mrs. Banks. Excitable and naughty, he adores his father and longs desperately for his attention. Both he and Jane misbehave in order to get the attention of their parents. Michael should be a great actor and singer.
Solo Singing? Yes
Vocal range: A3 - E5
Dancing? Yes
Mrs. Brill (Supporting) – Female (Grades 8-12)
The housekeeper and cook for the Banks family. Overworked, she’s always complaining that the house is understaffed. Her intimidating exterior is a cover for the warmth underneath.
Solo singing? No
Dancing? No
Robertson Ay (Supporting) – Male (Grades 6-12)
The houseboy to the Banks family. Forgetful and clumsy, he often bungles simple tasks. He doesn’t do a lot of singing, but we are looking for a good comedic actor. Note: his last name is pronounced like “eye.”
Solo singing? No
Dancing? Yes - Minimal
Ensemble and their Featured Roles
All ensembles require group singing and some dancing; featured roles require either solo singing or solo acting, or both, in conjunction with dancing.
Katie Nanna (Supporting) – Female (Grades 8-12)
Katie Nanna is Jane and Michael’s nanny at the beginning of the show. Overwhelmed and upset, she has absolutely had her fill of the Banks children. This role is perfect for a performer who is not quite ready for a larger role.
Park Strollers/Vagrants/Buskers/Passerby/Kite Flyers (Ensemble) – Females/ Males (Grades 4-12)
The Park Strollers are citizens of London who go from drab and dreary to bright and colorful as they get swept up in Mary Poppins’s adventures in the park.
Vagrants, Buskers, and Passerby are citizens of London passing by the cathedral during “Feed the Birds.”
Neleus and Statues x 2 (Ensemble) – Females/ Males (Grades 6-12)
The Statues are stone sculptures. Thanks to Mary Poppins, these works of art come alive and dance with Bert and the Park Strollers.
Neleus: Neleus is a statue who, once brought to life by Mary Poppins, is very happy to befriend Jane and Michael. This actor must be a strong dancer.
Solo Singing? Yes
Vocal range: Bb4 – Eb5
Dancing: Yes
Bird Woman (Supporting) – Female (Grades 8-12)
The Bird Woman is covered in a patchwork of old shawls, her pockets stuffed with bags of crumbs for the birds. She tries to sell the crumbs to Passersby, who ignore her as if she doesn’t exist. This actor is a good singer; there can be a gruff, folksy quality to her voice that reflects the difficulties of her situation.
Solo singing? Yes
Vocal range: G3 – D5
Honeybees x 5 (Ensemble) – Females/Males (Grades 4-5)
The Honeybees are conjured by Mary Poppins to help teach the children the benefits of “A Spoonful of Sugar.” These roles require good movers who can sing.
Chairman and Bankers/Clerks x 14 (Ensemble) – Females/Males (Grades 6-12)
The Bankers/Clerks, like George, are employees at the bank. These roles require actors who can sing.
Chairman: Chairman, the head of the bank where Mr. Banks is employed, is an Edwardian stuffed shirt. Looking for an actor with a strong stage presence and a good voice.
Miss Smythe – Female (Grades 6-12)
Miss Smythe is the bank Chairman’s humorless secretary. This smaller role is great for a performer who is new to the stage.
Von Hussler – Male (Grades 6-12)
Von Hussler is a businessman seeking a loan from the bank for a shady business deal. This is a great character role for a fantastic actor who can command the stage with pomposity.
John Northbrook – Male (Grades 6-12)
John Northbrook is an honest businessman seeking a loan to build a factory for his community. This is a great role for a good actor and solid singer who may not be ready to tackle a large part.
Solo singing? Yes
Vocal range: C3 – D4
Mrs. Corry and Customers x 14 (Ensemble) – Female/Males (Grades 4-12)
The Customers are bright, colorful British citizens visiting Mrs. Corry’s Talking Shop.
**Only available to those 4th and 5th graders who are able to keep up with the dancing.
Mrs. Corry: Mrs. Corry owns a magical Talking Shop. She is a mysterious woman of indeterminate age, but has plenty of spirit and is sharp as a tack. This actor is not afraid to be over the top in this fun role.
Solo singing? Yes
Vocal range: C#4
Dancing: Yes, including Ensemble
Miss Andrew – Female (Grades 6-12)Miss Andrew is George’s overbearing and scary childhood 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.
Solo singing? Yes
Vocal range: G#3 – D5
Dancing: Minimal
Chimney Sweeps x 14 (Ensemble) – Females/Males (Grades 6-12)
Chimney Sweeps (including Sweep 1, Sweep 2, Sweep 3, and Sweep 4) are Bert’s cheerful, friendly, and agile friends who keep London’s chimneys in working order. These actors should be great dancers and good singers, capable of bringing the show-stopping number “Step In Time” to life.
Dancing: Very much so!
Policeman, Patrol Officer, Messenger (Ensemble) – Females/Males (Grades 6-12)
The Policeman, a neighborhood patrol officer, and the Messenger, who delivers a summons to George from the bank, are great roles for students new to the stage that might not be ready for a large role.
