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2016-2017 Season

Mary Poppins’ Novels, Movie And Musical

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Whenever you adapt a story from one medium to another, there are going to be changes. In the cast of Mary Poppins, taking the story in the original book to the silver screen and to the stage has resulted in too many changes to count!

A student dramaturg for a different production (Andrew Koenig) made the following chart to reveal some of the changes that have happened to the central characters. I’ve added a fourth column (BYU production) in hopes that you will think about the differences you see on our stage. After you’ve seen the show, I hope that you will come back and leave your insights in the comments below.

NovelsMovie Musical BYU Production
Creator P.L. TraversScreenplay by Bill Walsh
& Don DaGradi
Composition by the Sherman Brothers Directed by Robert Stevenson
Script by Julian Fellowes Music by The Sherman Brothers and George Stiles Directed by Richard EyreBased on Disney Musical. Directed by George D. Nelson. Musical Direction by Gayle Lockwood. Choreographed by Becky Phillips and Jenny Tingey Giauque
Mary Mary is very vain and strict. She frequently stops to stare at her reflection in shop windows.Mary Poppins is firm but kind, she disciplines the children but always maintains a certain warmth in her character.Mary is a quirky blend of fun, aloof and mysterious. She is on a mission to bring the Banks family together.Performed by Cassie Austin and Sariah Hopkin
Bert Bert is a minor character, appearing in only a few chapters as a chalk artist and a Matchman (match salesman) but not a sweep.Bert is Mary Poppins long time friend and something of a sidekick. He is an artist and a chimney sweepBert helps to open the eyes of the children to a social class outside their own and “sweeps” them up in Mary’s adventuresPerformed by Caleb Jensen
Mr. Banks Mr. Banks rarely makes an appearance. He shows up every now and then, frustrated by the children or terrified of Miss Andrew.Mr. Banks cares for his family but is distant from them, focusing instead on his jobMr. Banks is distant from his family because of the distance he felt from his own parents and the discipline he suffered under Miss Andrew.Performed by Nick Summers
Mrs. Banks Mrs. Banks is concerned with the duties of being a housewife in the early 1900’s, hosting parties and generally aiding Mr. Banks.Mrs. Banks is a suffragette fighting for women’s rights while still gently loving her husband and caring very much for her family.Mrs. Banks is an aspiring, yet unsuccessful actress who is struggling to discover what it means to be a good wife for her husband and mother for her children.Performed by Carolyn Keller
The Banks Children There are five Banks children, Jane is the oldest, followed by Michael and then their twin siblings, John and Barbara, and finally the youngest, Annabel.Jane and Michael are the only two Banks children. They are troublemakers, but the behavior stems from a desire to connect to their fatherJane and Michael are the Banks children. They have many preconceived ideas about how the world works that are not necessarily true.Performed by Elise Jones and Connor Phillips
Miss Andrew Miss Andrew is Mr. Banks old nanny who is hired after Mary Poppins leaves. Mary Poppins returns and locks her in a bird cage.Miss Andrew does not make an appearance in the filmMiss Andrew is the anti-Mary Poppins. She is a dictator who is partially responsible for the emotionally distant man that Mr. Banks has become.Performed by Alana Jeffery

Want to learn even more about the history of the theatrical production? Here is a wonderful (and short) clip from Disney Mary Poppins’ educational series: From Literary Inspiration to the Silver Screen.

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Opening Night of Midsummer Night's Dream!

July 26, 2022 12:00 AM
Last week, A Midsummer Night’s Dream opened in the Nelke Theatre and it was a great success! Eric and I were pleased to be a part of the opening night and celebrate not only the opening night of the production, but also the 40th anniversary of the Brigham Young University Young Company. In order to set the tone of the evening, patrons were encouraged to check out the lobby display that Eric and I had created for the show. We chose to do a puppet making station, aptly named “The Mechanicals Puppet Making Station” where guests and participants could make their own puppet out of a sock or paper bag. Other craft supplies were provided for the participants—allowing them to use their imagination and create a unique puppet that they could take home. Creating such a lobby display, we hoped to provide patrons, and especially children, with an opportunity to use their imagination and create something special, as well as connect with the style of the production before seeing the show. The role of puppetry is crucial to this adaptation of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream—and we wanted to capture this and incorporate it whatever lobby display we chose. The actor’s hard work and rehearsal, as well as that of the production team, paid off—they did a marvelous job in telling the story of these loopy lovers and the adventures that take place in the magical forest. The puppetry skills and acting chops of the actors, the enchanting costumes, simple set design, and energy from the whole cast was thoroughly enjoyed by the very diverse and supportive audience. It was a packed house: if not sold out, very close. And this definitely contributed to the energetic feeling that pervaded the evening. Perhaps it was the presence of so many alumni from the Young Company that had come to support the production and celebrate the 40th anniversary of the formation of Young Company. Among the guests at the premier were Harold Oaks, founder of the BYU Young Company. Following the play, a presentation was made outlining and honoring the history and legacy of Young Company. Young Company has done an outstanding job for the last 40 years in providing quality theatre (adaptations and original works alike) for children that may not be exposed to the performing arts. A wonderful reception followed the presentation and was well enjoyed by cast and crew alike. A Midsummer Night’s Dream closes at BYU this Saturday, the 14th. Make sure to get your tickets soon and catch this unique production while you can! It will then go on tour throughout Northern Utah, presenting its whimsical and humorous message to elementary school children. Following are some images from the Opening Night Gala!
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Margaret More Roper: Scholar and Daughter

July 26, 2022 12:00 AM
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="376"] Margaret Roper[/caption] Margaret More Roper: Scholar and Daughter by Adam White, dramaturg Thomas More was a family man; he was married twice and had four children with his first wife, Jane Colt. After being married for six years, Jane Colt More died, leaving More with four children: Margaret, Elizabeth, Cecily and John. However, More quickly remarried to the widow Dame Alice Middleton, marrying her within a month of his wife’s death. While many of his friends resisted the rapid nature of the arrangement, More went through with it. Thomas and Alice More would raise the four children Thomas More had with Jane, as well as Alice’s daughter from her previous marriage and a foster daughter. Certainly, More valued his family and the welfare of his children. More also valued the power of education. He insisted that his daughters be educated through rigorous schooling, and this was unusual in 16th-century England, as society at large believed women unfit for scholarly pursuits. Despite cultural and institutional norms, Margaret More, the eldest of the More children (and More’s favorite, some would argue), would grow to become one of the most educated people in all of England, a woman of great scholarly knowledge. Margaret More Roper was tutored at home and became well-known for her studies, particularly for her adeptness in Greek and Latin. Her skill in writing and speaking Latin would impress the clergy of England. This specialty is reflected in a scene in Bolt’s A Man for All Seasons where Margaret and King Henry VIII engage in a bit of Latin language sparring. She would also become the first woman who was not of royal birth to publish a translated book. In October 1524, Roper published an English translation of a book called ‘Precatio dominica’ written by Thomas More’s good friend Erasmus. This book was based on the Lord’s Prayer. Instead of translating the book directly from Latin to English, Roper would use her extensive knowledge of both languages to construct the themes and the meanings Erasmus had written in to the treatise with her own words. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="291"] Erasmus, Dutch humanist and good friend to Thomas More[/caption] It was Margaret who would visit the imprisoned Thomas More the most often. They were very close, writing letters to one another regularly the duration of their relationship. It was in a letter to Margaret that Thomas More confided, “I do nobody harm, I say none harm, I thinke none harm, but wish everybody good. And if this be not enough to keep a man alive, in good faith I long not to live.” We have good reason to believe that Margaret More Roper very well understood what would be her father’s fate. After Thomas More’s execution, Margaret More Roper and her husband William Roper would continue to carry on his legacy in their own ways. William Roper would write the first biography of Thomas More, a glowing and gracious document that would influence our understanding of More’s personality for hundreds of years to come. Margaret More Roper actually kept her father’s head after his beheading, pickling it to preserve it from decay. While many of us may find that historical tidbit a tad macabre, I would like to believe that Margaret More Roper had deep admiration for her father; perhaps it was out of this feeling she kept his head. Please stay tuned to the 4th Wall Dramaturgy Blog to catch clips of my interview with Mallory Gee, the actress who will portray Margaret More Roper in BYU’s A Man for All Seasons. Bibliography: Abernathy, Susan. "Margaret Roper, Daughter of Sir Thomas More." Early Modern England. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2014. Duerden, Richard. "A Man for All Seasons." Telephone interview. 31 Jan. 2014. "Margaret Roper." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Sept. 2013. Web. 02 Oct. 2013. "Sir Thomas More Quotes and Quotations." Sir Thomas More Quotes and Quotations. Luminarium. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
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July 26, 2022 12:00 AM
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