Mary Poppins’ first stop on the Jersey Shore will be the Axelrod Performing Arts Center (APAC) in Deal, with a “Practically Perfect” production featuring the children of the Rising Stars Youth Program, directed and choreographed by Lisa Goldfarb with associate choreographer Amy Hall and musical director Randal Hurst. The set is being designed by Fred Sorrentino with costumes by Jacquie Revier, Donna Silogy-Gigante and Joanne Deluca.
“Mary Poppins” plays for three days only at APAC, Thursday, April 30 at 7pm, Sunday, May 3 at 2 pm, and Sunday, May 10 at 2 pm. Ticket price is $18 for all shows. Prior to the final performance on May 10th, Mary Poppins and the cast are hosting a special Mother’s Day Tea Party with finger sandwiches, desserts and assorted teas for a premium ticket price of $24, including a ticket to the show. (Limited availability: reserve in advance.) Call 732-858-8106 for tickets or visit the website to purchase tickets online.
Few musicals have had such an impact on America’s youth as “Mary Poppins,” since the Disney film landed Julie Andrews—playing the first of her two famous singing nannies—in movie theaters some 40 years ago. The musical’s Oscar-winning score by Robert B. Sherman and Richard Sherman not only entertains audiences with infectious melodies (think of “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” “A Spoonful of Sugar” and “Step in Time”) but also teaches us a delicious new word: “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” Not many musicals have added a word to the English language!
Director-choreographer Lisa Goldfarb is thrilled to be the first to produce this Disney favorite for audiences in Monmouth County. “Rehearsals with this group of 46 young performers, ranging in age from 7 to 17, have been so exciting! In the seven years that I’ve been working with the Rising Stars program, we’ve never had such enthusiasm for a show. The parents love this show as much as the kids do, and we can’t wait to share all this sugar-coated fun with our audiences.”
The cast includes Carlie Goldfarb (Howell) as Mary Poppins, Joseph Grisanzio (Howell) as Bert, Hannah Cohen (Fair Haven) as Jane Banks, Jaiden Klein (Manalapan) as Michael Banks, Ariel Jacobs (Ocean) as Winifred Banks, Matthew Tobio (Marlboro) as George Banks, Mikayla Long (Howell) as Mrs. Brill, and Max Hanan (Ocean) as Robertson Ay.
The smash Broadway musical, which opened in 2006 and played over 2600 performances during its six-year run, was based on the 1964 Disney movie and the original children’s book series by P.L. Travers. Since the musical’s inception, it has been performed around the globe in dozens of languages. The Sherman brothers won two Academy Awards for “Mary Poppins” (Best Song for “Chim Chim Cher-ee” and Best Original Score). The prolific brothers songwriting team also wrote much-loved scores to other children’s favorites as “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” “Bedknobs and Broomsticks,” “The Jungle Book” and “The Aristocats.”
Axelrod Performing Arts Center is located at 100 Grant Avenue, Deal Park, NJ 07723. Make sure to secure your tickets today to enjoy Mary Poppins at the Axelrod Performing Arts Center in Deal by calling 732-858-8106 for tickets or visiting the website to purchase tickets online.
