A Contagious Joy

Unlike the New York Times, the Ashland Times-Gazette doesn’t have its own Arts Section or resident theater critic, so I’ll weigh in today from that corner of my world. No, I’m not entering the debate as to whether Moonlight or LaLa Land was the best film of 2016 (not sure I’d get the correct envelope anyway). Instead, some thoughts on Mary Poppins, performed last weekend by students from Ashland High School.

Our first year in Ashland, we climbed the steps to McDowell Auditorium to experience our first high school musical in Ashland. The immediate draw for us was that our youngest son, a newbie at AHS, was playing percussion in the pit band, but we were quickly mesmerized by the magic unfolding on the stage. “Damn Yankees” was followed by “Oliver!,” another wonder-filled performance. Now, ten years later, Larry and I double-dated with Dan and his wife Becky – how quickly the time passes.

We ended up with a quintet of theater-goers, as the lovely Madelyn Simone joined us for the evening. She attended her first musical (Cinderella) back in 2012, but it was not a successful visit to McDowell, as her spirited two-year-old self was more interested in kicking her light-up sneakers than watching the actors on stage. We departed at the intermission. Needless to say, I learned my lesson, and this year, I left her toddler sister with her parents. 

How fun it was to dress up for the evening. With her floral print dress, (borrowed) pearls, and a touch of blush, Madelyn was a gorgeous date for the night.

I encountered Mary Poppins for the first time when she appeared on the silver screen in 1964. My mom bought me a piano book containing the movie’s favorite songs, and I would sit for hours at the piano, painstakingly practicing the songs which were a couple of levels above my lesson book. But I kept at it, singing along to my favorites and aggravating my younger brother.

Until we saw the musical last weekend, I hadn’t realized the differences between the stage version and the Disney film. I missed the suffragette song that Mrs. Banks marches to in the movie, as well as the sleep-inducing “Stay Awake,” an example of reverse psychology from the inimitable Mary Poppins. But the inclusion of Miss Andrew, the formidable childhood nanny to Mr. Banks, was a brilliant addition to the stage narrative, and Julia Picking’s gait made her a true “holy terror.”.

I was glad that both the movie and the stage show included the poignant song, “Feed the Birds.” As I listened once again as Isobel Merkel (the Bird Woman) and Mikayla Myers (Mary Poppins) sang those familiar words, I thought about how the Bird Woman’s plight had stirred something within my childhood spirit, a compassion for a poor woman, a woman dependent on the kindness of others for her sustenance, who in turn sustained the life of her birds.

As I thought of the Bird Woman, I remembered a similar song from Oliver, as the young women sang of sweet red roses, of milk, of ripe strawberries. Again, in the midst of the joyful singing and dancing, the reminder is there to see beyond ourselves, to taste the ripe strawberries and to feed the birds.

As for the singing and dancing, we agree with Bert (Jackson Cleland) as he sang, “Ain’t it a glorious day?” for it was a glorious presentation. From Jane and Michael’s plea for a nanny with no warts to the energetic tap dance scenes, the show was performed with excellence and enthusiasm, what we’ve come to expect from AHS productions. As for Madelyn’s reaction to the night, she was entranced by the flying Mary Poppins, who soared higher than the “up to the highest heights” kites. “How did they do that, Nana?” “It’s the magic of the theater, Madelyn.”

Actor Chris Pine understands: “Musical theater is great; you get painted up, you get to play princesses and witches, and you sing. The joy alone of that can really carry a lot.” It’s a contagious joy, for as we left Archer Auditorium, our hearts echoed the words of the Four Seasons: “Oh what a night!” Bravo, AHS!