Ocean State Star Awards
Overview
The Providence Performing Arts Center is pleased to announce that high schools in the state of Rhode Island and within a 25-mile radius of the Performing Arts Center into Massachusetts are invited to participate in the 3rd annual Ocean State Star Awards during our 2024-25 season!
The Ocean State Star Awards is part of the Providence Performing Arts Center’s Education initiative which recognizes, honors, and encourages excellence in all aspects of musical theatre performance and production among area high school students.
Musicals of participating schools are reviewed by a panel of educators, theatre experts, and industry professionals. Based on tabulations, productions and individuals receive awards in specific categories at a ceremony that will be held each year at the Providence Performing Arts Center in the late Spring. Our panel of judges will select one male and one female Ocean State Star Awards winner to represent the state of Rhode Island in the National High School Musical Theatre Awards® competition held in New York City at the end of June.
Purpose
The Ocean State Star Awards program is designed to celebrate, support, and advocate for high school musical theatre education throughout Rhode Island. The program celebrates high school musicals, students, and teachers by formally recognizing the extraordinary achievements of our state’s high school productions. The Providence Performing Arts Center supports participating high schools by providing high-quality learning, performing, and creative experiences for students.
Goals of the Ocean State Star Awards
- To recognize, honor, and encourage excellence in high school students’ musical theatre performances through a constructive review process.
- To provide additional opportunities to high school students through the touring Broadway shows that come through our venue.
- To provide professional development and networking opportunities for students, directors, and school programs.
- To further develop audiences for the Providence Performing Arts Center
For more information, please refer to the Ocean State Star Awards Handbook, which outlines the program in detail.
Video created by: Aaliyah Fuentes, Julian Irizarry, Emily Floyd, Brook Salvador, Aly-James Ibarra, Trevor Emma, Darlene Gomez, Aaron Aguilar, and Marnie Scholten
The Ocean State Star Awards serves all high schools in the state of Rhode Island and 25 miles into Massachusetts.
2024-2025 Ocean State Star Awards Participating Schools Show List
JOSEPH CASE HIGH SCHOOL
GODSPELL
October 18, 2024 @ 7:30 PM
October 19, 2024 @ 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM
October 20, 2024 @ 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM
NARRAGANSETT HIGH SCHOOL
ONCE UPON A MATTRESS
November 15, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
November 16, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
November 17, 2024 @ 2:00 PM
ST. MARY ACADEMY – BAY VIEW
THE ADDAMS FAMILY (SCHOOL EDITION)
November 21, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
November 22, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
November 23, 2024 @ 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM
SAINT RAPHAEL ACADEMY
GODSPELL
December 5, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
December 6, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
December 7, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
December 8, 2024 @ 2:00 PM
BISHOP HENDRICKEN HIGH SCHOOL
ELF THE MUSICAL
December 6, 2024 @ 10:00 AM & 7:00 PM
December 7, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
December 8, 2024 @ 2:00 PM
COVENTRY HIGH SCHOOL
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
December 12, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
December 13, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
December 14, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
JOSEPH CASE HIGH SCHOOL
CINDERELLA (ENCHANTED EDITION)
CAST A
December 12, 2024 @ 7:30 PM
December 14, 2024 @ 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM
CAST Z
December 13, 2024 @ 7:30 PM
December 15, 2024 @ 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM
NORTH PROVIDENCE HIGH SCHOOL
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (MUSICAL)
December 12, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
December 13, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
December 14, 2024 @ 1:00 PM & 7:00 PM
BRISTOL-PLYMOUTH REGIONAL TECHNICAL SCHOOL
THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL
December 13, 2024 @ 6:30 PM
December 14, 2024 @ 6:30 PM
December 15, 2024 @ 1:00 PM
EAST GREENWICH HIGH SCHOOL
BACK TO THE 80’s
EMPIRE CAST
December 13, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
December 14, 2024 @ 1:00 PM
JEDI CAST
December 14, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
December 15, 2024 @ 1:00 PM
CRANSTON HIGH SCHOOL WEST
SHREK THE MUSICAL
December 13, 2024 @ 7:30 PM
December 14, 2024 @ 12:00 PM & 7:30 PM
WEST WARWICK HIGH SCHOOL
HADESTOWN: TEEN EDITION
January 24, 2025 @ 7:00 PM
January 25, 2025 @ 7:00 PM
January 26, 2025 @ 2:00 PM
CUMBERLAND HIGH SCHOOL
THE ADDAMS FAMILY
February 28, 2025 @ 7:00 PM
March 1, 2025 @ 7:00 PM
WEST WARWICK HIGH SCHOOL
MAMMA MIA!
March 14, 2025 @ 7:00 PM
March 15, 2025 @ 7:00 PM
March 21, 2025 @ 7:00 PM
March 22, 2025 @ 7:00 PM
March 23, 2025 @ 2:00 PM
DIGHTON-REHOBOTH REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
HADESTOWN: TEEN EDITION
April 10, 2025 @ 6:30 PM
April 11, 2025 @ 6:30 PM
April 12, 2025 @ 1:00 PM
The 2024 Ocean State Stars Awards
Click Here to see the full Photo Gallery!
Congratulations to the Winners of the 2024 Ocean State Stars Awards!
Outstanding Leading Female Performer: Abby Tuchon - West Warwick High School - Cady Heron in MEAN GIRLS
Outstanding Leading Male Performer: Sebastian Rosa - West Warwick High School - Chip Torentino in THE 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE
Click to view the list of schools participating in the 2023/2024 program!
2023-24 OCEAN STATE STAR AWARDS PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS SHOW LIST
JOSEPH CASE HIGH SCHOOL
URINETOWN
October 13, 2023 @ 7:30 PM
October 14, 2023 @ 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM
October 15, 2023 @ 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM
BISHOP HENDRICKEN HIGH SCHOOL
THE DROWSY CHAPERONE
November 17, 2023 @ 7:00 PM
November 18, 2023 @ 7:00 PM
November 19, 2023 @ 2:00 PM
FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOL
LEGALLY BLONDE
November 17, 2023 @ 7:30 PM
November 18, 2023 @ 7:30 PM
November 19, 2023 @ 2:00 PM
COVENTRY HIGH SCHOOL
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
December 7, 2023 @ 7:00 PM
December 8, 2023 @ 7:00 PM
December 9, 2023 @ 7:00 PM
JOSEPH CASE HIGH SCHOOL
SEUSSICAL
CAST A
December 7, 2023 @ 7:30 PM
December 9, 2023 @ 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM
CAST Z
December 8, 2023 @ 7:30 PM
December 10, 2023 @ 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM
EAST GREENWICH HIGH SCHOOL
DISNEY’S DESCENDANTS: THE MUSICAL
ISLE CAST
December 8, 2023 @ 7:00 PM
December 9, 2023 @ 1:00 PM
AURADON CAST
December 9, 2023 @ 7:00 PM
December 10, 2023 @ 1:00 PM
ST. MARY ACADEMY – BAY VIEW
THE LITTLE MERMAID
January 18, 2024 @ 6:30 PM
January 19, 2024 @ 6:30 PM
January 20, 2024 @ 12:00 PM & 6:30 PM
WEST WARWICK HIGH SCHOOL
THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE
January 19, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
January 20, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
January 21, 2024 @ 2:00 PM
SOUTH KINGSTOWN HIGH SCHOOL
9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL
February 8, 2024 @ 6:30 PM
February 9, 2024 @ 6:30 PM
February 10, 2024 @ 6:30 PM
February 11, 2024 @ 1:00 PM
NORTH KINGSTOWN HIGH SCHOOL
KISS ME KATE
BLUE CAST
March 1, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
March 3, 2024 @ 2:00 PM
March 9, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
RED CAST
March 2, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
March 8, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
March 10, 2024 @ 2:00 PM
ROCKY HILL COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL
THE LITTLE MERMAID
March 1, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
March 2, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
March 3, 2024 @ 2:00 PM
WEST WARWICK HIGH SCHOOL
MEAN GIRLS
March 8, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
March 9, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
March 15, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
March 16, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
March 17, 2024 @ 2:00 PM
SEEKONK HIGH SCHOOL
MAMMA MIA
March 22, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
March 23, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
March 24, 2024 @ 2:00 PM
DIGHTON REHOBOTH REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
EMMA! A POP MUSICAL
April 4, 2024 @ 6:30 PM
April 5, 2024 @ 6:30 PM
April 6, 2024 @ 1:00 PM
BISHOP FEEHAN HIGH SCHOOL
SHREK THE MUSICAL
April 5, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
April 6, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
April 7, 2024 @ 1:00 PM
PONAGANSET HIGH SCHOOL
MAMMA MIA!
CAST A
April 5, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
April 6, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
CAST B
April 6, 2024 @ 2:00 PM
April 7, 2024 @ 2:00 PM
SOMERSET BERKLEY REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
MEAN GIRLS
April 25, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
April 26, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
April 27, 2024 @ 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM
MT. HOPE HIGH SCHOOL
ONCE UPON A MATTRESS
April 25, 2024 @ 7:00 PM
April 27, 2024 @ 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM
Previous Ocean State Star Awards
2023
- Check out the full 2023 Ocean State Star Awards performance HERE!
Callista DeFeo and Thomas Jaques were selected as nominees for the National High School Musical Theatre Awards® (The Jimmy Awards®) competition held in New York City at the end of June! Callista and Thomas were honored along with other extraordinary High School performers at the Ocean State Star Awards held on the PPAC stage on June 4, 2023.
Check out OSSA Reviews by Nicole Labresh!
Review of Seekonk High School's production of Mamma Mia
Of the jukebox musicals, Mamma Mia may be the most iconic–as well as the most fun. An assemblage of ABBA hits, the show lends itself well to high-energy choreography, and though the story leaves much to be desired, there are some very memorable characters. While the music predates its cast by a few decades, it still presents a fun opportunity for the Seekonk High School Drama Club.
There is a bit of history with this particular show choice for Seekonk. Mamma Mia was to be their 2020 musical, but was shut down one week prior to opening for reasons you might be able to guess. Those original cast members received a special dedication and shoutout in the program for this production.
The vehicle for the ABBA score is the story of Sophie’s wedding to Sky (a “Kenergetic” James Clark; Sky’s job truly is just beach). Her mother, Donna, the former front of a girl group named “Donna and the Dynamos”, has raised Sophie by herself while also running a hotel on a small Greek island. Having been raised by a single mother, Sophie does not know who her father is–and upon reading her mother’s old diary, she finds out Donna is not entirely sure either. Unbeknownst to Donna, Sophie invites the three men who might be her father–the adventurous Australian lone wolf Bill (Marcel Gendreau), the British banker looking to reclaim the spontaneity of his glory days Harry (Sam Cabral, who impresses with his guitar-playing in “Thank You For the Music”), and Sam, the architect most responsible for breaking Donna’s heart (Jack Hoskins). With three dads and a wedding, naturally, drama ensues.
Perhaps the biggest challenge a high school production of Mamma Mia faces is a generational one. At its core is a mother-daughter relationship, which essentially splits the cast down the middle in terms of age–half are playing close to their own age as young adults, and half are playing middle-aged. Creating 20 years of difference between cast members who are roughly the same age is certainly tough to pull off. In terms of facing this challenge, this cast was wildly fortunate to have Alena Matos as their Donna. From her first entrance, she is immediately believable as an overworked, middle-aged single mother–an impressive feat for a senior in high school. The work she did on portraying age physically is aided by her mature, earthy voice. She brings the house down with her 11 o’clock number “The Winner Takes It All” in which she rebuffs one of her exes in a rare moment of vulnerability.
Opposite Matos is Madison Ohigren as Donna’s daughter, Sophie. Ohigren instantly wins the audience over in the opening “I Have a Dream.” Her voice is lovely, and she beautifully portrays Sophie as an optimistic spirit, albeit not without her neuroses–the way she plays Sophie’s growing anxiety throughout her bachelorette party as things come to a head adds a greater depth to the character and also shows just how alike she and her mother truly are.
As members of Donna’s girl group from back in the day, Felicia DaSilva’s Tanya and Eva Marie Neary’s Rosie are both a delight. Both shine in their respective featured numbers–Neary in “Take a Chance on Me” shows great physical comedy chops in her pursuit of Bill, and DaSilva in “Does Your Mother Know?” commands the stage as she teases Pepper.
Athan Toprac’s Pepper is surprisingly endearing. Instead of the typically borderline-creepy hotel employee who is incorrigible in his pursuit Tanya, Toprac’s interpretation is a lovable doofus who is truly smitten. He makes you want to root for a character who is typically pretty unlikable, an original choice that definitely deserves some kudos. Speaking of choices deserving kudos, Harry’s sexuality is treated with due respect–this production doesn’t play into stereotypes for laughs as some others have historically, a much-needed change to keep with the times.
Overall, director Ranee Csigay’s staging is fantastic. There are great moments of physical comedy, like a drunken Sky trying to climb the stairs in a pair of scuba diving flippers, and it’s clear a lot of care has been taken in establishing characters’ relationships with background acting as well as their featured moments–a moment that comes to mind is Tanya and Rosie silently arguing over how to comfort a distressed Donna directly behind her back. This is furthered by Amanda Csigay’s choreography, which is every bit of a fun as befits an ABBA score. One of the most ambitious staging moments is the nightmare sequence that opens act two, as Sophie is haunted by her predicament on the eve of her wedding. Under red lighting, a black-clad ensemble torments Sophie, and a mock wedding procession features her three possible fathers all escorting the bride. The staging certainly plays into the creepy, though there are limits to how frightening it can be when accompanied by an ABBA song–then again, the tonal mismatch sort of works in a dreamscape where things are scary but in sort of a ridiculous way.
The setbacks of this production come in technical form–and this likely has more to do with the resources available than any human error. It’s clear Mason Martin’s lighting design had great ambitions, and there are some neat lighting moments, but there were also some moments where performers were not adequately lit or would get stuck in a random dark spot on stage. The sound also encountered some issues, particularly in balance. At times, the band would overpower the performers, and for the first few ensemble numbers, the higher voices far overpowered the lower voices–though this improved over time. On the other hand, the set, built by Ranee Csigay and Laela Cabral Dasilva immediately transports the audience to an island resort–a welcome respite on a cold March night. The costumes further the setting with island vacation wear–and, of course, some disco flair.
While not the most thought-provoking and deep night of theatre, Mamma Mia is undoubtedly fun for audience and cast alike. The unique choices and attention to detail, as well as the talented leads, make this production a great one.
Mamma Mia ran through March 24 at Seekonk High School.
Review of West Warwick High School’s production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Of all the strange topics to make a musical about, a spelling bee may be the strangest. And yet, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a delight of a show. It is in equal parts riotously funny and unexpectedly heart-wrenching–and many audiences will be pleased with the short-and-sweet intermissionless 90-minute runtime. If the strangeness of the subject matter hasn’t put you off, you’re in for a treat.
After pulling out all the stops last season with their exclusive production of Frozen, West Warwick High School is keeping it lowkey with their production of Spelling Bee (then again, with a second musical just two months away, undoubtedly things have been anything but quiet in their theatre department). Compared with the ginormous cast of Frozen, Spelling Bee is a much smaller show with a cast of only nine. The technical elements are also much simpler–after all, the setting of a spelling bee would be a school auditorium, so not much is required to transport the audience to the world of the show.
While the tech and the premise are quite simple, the show is carried by its quirky cast of characters. A lot of the character work is supplied by the costumes, provided by Emerald City Theatricals. With one glance, audiences already have a good sense of the characters, from zany Leaf’s (Michael Humphry) colorful, dinosaur-adorned getup to precocious Logainne’s (Addison Noret) presidential campaign trail-ready suit.
Spelling Bee is by nature an ensemble show. Each character gets their chance to shine–and shine, many of them do. Some of the standout performances include Sebastian Rosa as Chip Tolentino, particularly in a perfectly executed “My Unfortunate Distraction” (fans of the musical will know this is a toned-down version of the song from what was on Broadway)–not to mention his brilliant physical comedy as his attraction to a fellow-speller’s sister ultimately leads to his elimination–and Sophia DaSilva as Marcy Park, a Wednesday Addams-esque perfectionist who learns to let go and fail for once, in “I Speak Six Languages.”
As the comedic backbone of the show, we have Lucas Martins as the unstable Vice Principal Panch. In addition to the wacky antics of the kids, the bulk of the humor comes from the crazy words and especially the example sentences (“In the schoolyard, Billy protested that he wasn't cockeyed. ‘I suffer from strabismus,’ he said, whereupon the bullies beat him harder.”). There is also some improv called for with the addition of guest spellers: ambitious audience members have the option of signing up to compete in the bee as well. The antics of the guest spellers on opening night led to some hilarious, non-scripted moments with Martins.
Rounding out the cast is Jake Gregson as William Barfee, the lugubrious and cocky runner-up from last year with a particularly unique spelling strategy: his “magic foot”; Tirrell Robinson as Mitch Mahoney, an ex-convict doing his community service by consoling eliminated spellers; and Sarah Tourville as Rona Lisa Peretti, the bee host reliving her glory days when she won the the 3rd annual bee.
While every cast member gets their moment, no one brings the house down quite like Abby Tuchon as the sweetly tragic Olive Ostrovsky. Audiences may remember her as Anna in Frozen last year, and she brings a similar “adorkability” to this role. Tuchon delivers an absolute masterclass performance in “The I Love You Song,” one of the most heart-wrenching moments in the show in which Olive imagines her absentee parents telling her they love her as she spells the word “chimerical”–meaning wildly fanciful, highly realistic. You’d be hard-pressed to find a dry eye in the house as we glimpse her tumultuous homelife.
Such is the beauty of this show. The premise may raise some skepticism, but by the end, audiences are fully invested in, of all things, a spelling bee and in the lives of these geeky adolescents. Each elimination of a speller elicits a gasp or an “aww” from the audience, as we’re made to feel the stakes and the pressure these young spellers are under–pressure to be perfect or to bear the emotional brunt of a dysfunctional family. Spelling Bee makes audiences laugh, cry, and remember how tough adolescence can be.
West Warwick High School’s 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee runs through Jan 21.
Review of West Warwick’s production of FROZEN
When I arrived for opening night of the West Warwick High School Players’ latest production, the parking lot was almost at capacity. Now, that may be a natural consequence of having a whopping cast of 50. It may also be the unique circumstances around this particular production that is packing the auditorium. While productions of Frozen Jr. are all the rage among schools, West Warwick High got to skip the “junior” part after winning a nationwide contest for the exclusive rights to put on the full, unshortened edition of Frozen, rights that will not be made widely available for another few years, making this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all involved. The contest involved submitting a vision for the production pertaining to the theme “Love is an Open Door,” in other words, inclusivity and community. With the sheer number of students involved with the production, several of whom had never been in a show before, it seems that vision was upheld.
Audiences will be familiar with the 2013 smash hit Disney film about two sisters, magical ice powers and a sentient snowman (especially if all of the little girls wearing Elsa dresses in the audience are anything to go off of). The stage version expands on the film by adding some new songs to the familiar ones, like “What Do You Know About Love,” a fun, upbeat duet expanding on the meeting of Anna and Kristoff as he first criticizes her decision to marry a man she just met and then learns to respect her bravery, “Dangerous to Dream” in which Elsa makes it through coronation and considers a future in which she and Anna can be close once again, and “Hygge,” the comedic second act opener that provides a bit of education on Danish culture, connecting the story back to its Nordic origins.
A stage filled with a huge cast can be a spectacle in itself, especially when adorned with some fabulous costuming provided by Emerald City Theatrical Costumes; the ensemble sounds solid together, especially in the pretty choral number “Queen Anointed,” but with their manpower, their vocals could pack more of a punch and really blow the roof off of the place in numbers like the opening and the finale. This production is also lucky enough to have live orchestral accompaniment–something of a rarity in amateur theatre. The big concern that comes with the benefit of a live orchestra is the sound balance: it can be easy for the instrumentalists to overpower the vocalists. In this case, however, sound engineer Jill Fisher kept everything in check.
Disney has never been known to do anything by halves, and when it comes to creating ice magic on stage, no one is better prepared to supply the pixie dust. Naturally, on a high school budget, the magic isn’t quite what you would see on Broadway (or on the incoming national tour hitting PPAC next season), but there are still some impressive tech feats, including a few snow effects
and Elsa’s glove flying away in the wind. Most of the magic is provided digitally through projections. Broadway-level or not, these effects still wow the audience.
In bringing Frozen to the stage, Disney borrowed from their most popular stage show to date, The Lion King, in bringing its anthropomorphic characters to life through puppetry. The Sven puppet (brought to life by Robert Williams and senior Lucas Gallaher with help from Minio Pinque of Big Nazo, and operated in the show by Gallaher) is particularly reminiscent of the giraffe puppet, with just a touch of the endearing charm that launched the latest Broadway production of Into the Woods’ Milky White into bovine stardom. The Olaf puppet (crafted by Zachariah Clarke) looks appropriately soft and cuddly. The huggable snowman is played and puppeteered by senior Korina Daniels, who brings across Olaf’s lovable charm without directly mimicking the film version.
Rounding out the main cast, we have junior Sebastian Rosa as the deceptive Prince Hans of the Southern Isles. Rosa has a great voice, and his duet with Anna, “Love is an Open Door,” is the epitome of “adorkable,” especially their quirky dance break, though the sinister plot twist is played a bit more casually than one might expect from a Disney villain. Our actual good guy is senior Nicolas Meier as the somewhat socially inept mountain man Kristoff. Meier excels in background acting, particularly in reacting to the antics of Olaf and his found troll family.
Speaking of the trolls, one of the standouts in the cast is senior Kayla Carlson as Bulda. Both her stage presence and vocals are out of this world, and she is a delight to watch in both the opening and “Fixer Upper,” which in terms of choreography (Rikki Spelman) and energy is a highpoint of the show.
But the night truly belongs to the Abigails: senior Abigail Saccone as Elsa and junior Abigail Tuchon as Anna. Both have stellar, strong voices and are well up to the challenges of vocal behemoths “Let It Go,” “Monster,” and their lovely, heartfelt duet “I Can’t Lose You” (the first of these, of course, being the crowd favorite; there was audible excitement at the familiar tinkling of the piano intro and awe at the stage magic of Elsa’s blink-of-an-eye costume change). The chemistry between the sisters is fantastic, and that goes for their younger counterparts, 4th graders Aubrey Cordeiro and Alexandra Anglin, as well, as best befits the real love story at the center of the show. Saccone beautifully brings out Elsa’s inner conflict and her anguish any time she hurts her sister, while Tuchon supplies Anna’s awkward charm and plucky determination.
The excitement around this production and its truly unique circumstances is palpable, and not just among the cast, but it extends to the audience, too–and with Frozen’s astronomical popularity, it’s no wonder the audience is hanging on every moment, wildly enthusiastic from start to end. For everyone involved–audience, cast and crew alike, and particularly the seniors– this show is truly an unforgettable experience.
WWHS Players’ production of Frozen runs through March 19.
Review of the Saint Raphael Academy production of Mary Poppins Jr
In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun, and in the feat of taking on roles made iconic by the likes of Julie Andrews and Dick van Dyke, there is plenty of fun to be had. As daunting as the task may be, the leads in Saint Raphael Academy’s production of Mary Poppins Jr. have taken in stride the chance to fill those monumental shoes.
Few audience members will be unfamiliar with Disney’s take on P.L. Travers’ stories about a magical nanny who upends the life of a well-to-do British family and reminds them of what truly matters. Multiple generations have grown up watching Julie Andrews getting upstaged by her own reflection and Dick van Dyke abusing animated penguins. The challenge in taking on such roles is paying homage to the giants whose shoulders you stand upon without trying to beat those giants at their own game. As Mary Poppins and Bert respectively, Calista Aguinaldo and Nathan Corbett have struck the “practically perfect” balance. Corbett radiates charisma as the lovable jack of all trades who also serves as narrator with his recurrent refrains of “Chim Chim Cher-ee.” He sets the stage audience-side before the curtain rises on the Banks family, posed solemnly as though for a family portrait. The image of propriety is immediately shattered as yet another nanny is driven to quit by the antics of the children, Jane and Michael (Emily Panas and Brennan Carraher). In this brief exchange, Haley Jackson quickly proves herself to be a standout as the fierce and opinionated maid Mrs. Brill, and she continues to be a joy to watch throughout, from bossing around the eager but incompetent butler, Robertson Ay (Joe Donatelli), to her indignant rage at the disrespect of Mr. Banks’s former “holy terror” of a nanny, Miss Andrew (Jennifer Rodrigues).
Enter Mary Poppins in a whirlwind, securing the position of nanny much to the bewilderment of the family (Mrs. Brill: “She passed her interview, then?” Winifred: “Or I did.”). It is clear from Aguinaldo’s performance that she is having the time of her life in this role. Her Mary has a winning albeit enigmatic smile and no-nonsense confidence: her claim to be “practically perfect in every way” is not a brag so much as a simple statement of fact. She brings such a commanding presence to this role, as well as vocals as sweet as a spoonful of sugar and some dancing chops as well–including tap dancing with the chimney sweep ensemble in “Step In Time.”
As the uptight George Banks, Joshua Greenberg does a fantastic job of showing his transformation, gradually revealing the chinks in the armor that hides a tender heart. The pivotal moment wherein the audience first glimpses his secret sentimentality comes when he makes the risky decision to invest in a kindhearted man’s factory rather than a German businessman’s soulless venture–a decision that may cost him his job.
Michaela Clark beautifully delivers a nuanced performance of Winifred Banks, a woman torn between what she believes in and Edwardian societal expectations for women. She struggles to be the wife she is supposed to be to George, to be dainty and submissive and host tea for fellow upper crust ladies, when in reality, she is headstrong and capable. One of the triumphs of the stage version over the film is the expansion of her character to allow her to harness her fiery personality to help her husband, even negotiating with his boss on his behalf (though with a performance like Clark’s, it seems a shame that the junior version cuts out her solo, “Being Mrs. Banks”). By the end, it is clear who wears the bloomers in this relationship.
On the subject of bloomers, the costumes (designed by director Moira Costigan Carraher and production jack-of-all-trades Heather Gaffney-Hsu) add to the vibrancy and whimsy Mary Poppins brings. Particularly impressive is the dress worn by shopkeep Mrs. Corry (Sophia Patino), which opens to reveal a cage of shelves containing various knick knacks and letters out of which Mary constructs the word “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” (seamstress Joan Hepburn receives her own credit in the program for this feat of engineering).
Heather Gaffney-Hsu’s choreography features a few stand out moments, including the elaborate and rapid-fire gestures that accompany the spelling of “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” the tapping chimney sweeps in “Step in Time,” and unexpectedly, the deceptively simple but nonetheless impressive-looking podium work in “Precision and Order” (which indeed must have taken some precision and order to avoid collisions). Vocally, the cast is solid overall (musical direction by Ray Santos, assisted by Tess Heinrichs). The family unit in particular sounds great together, particularly in “Anything Can Happen.” The accompaniment is provided by a backing track, which, although the most practical option for a high school production, comes with its own pitfalls. For the most part, the cast does well with it, with only a few instances of falling out of sync, especially if the ensemble is singing from backstage. The climax of “Feed the Birds” does unfortunately get a bit drowned out by the church bells on the track.
Overall, St. Ray’s production of Mary Poppins Jr. is a joyful, heartwarming nostalgia trip featuring some highly talented young performers who successfully put their own spin on some iconic characters.
Saint Raphael Academy’s production of Mary Poppins Jr. runs Nov. 17-20 at the Saint Raphael Academy Coutu Theater.