“Glow for the grow”

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PALMER- The Valley Performing Arts (VPA) center has been preparing to premiere their rendition of Mary Poppins for almost two years and everyone is excited to utilize the illustrious Glenn Massay Theater. With about 50 cast members - many doubling as crew - donning multiple roles, Director, Larry Bottjen expects this to be the “biggest and best production the Valley has ever seen!”

“I know it’s the biggest and we’re doing everything we can to make it the best,” Bottjen said.

Over 150 auditioned for Mary Poppins, according to Bottjen. Music will be provided by a live orchestra with about 18 people collected from around the Valley. This VPA production has a lot of moving parts, with elaborate set pieces, props and numerous set, costume changes, and special effects. Due to time restraints, the set pieces had to be built offsite at a shop off Leatherleaf loop in Wasilla.

“Hopefully no one in the audience is color blind because there will be a lot of color for the supercalifragilisticexpialidocious scene,” Bottjen said.

Logistically, this play has been one of the most complicated and nerve racking to date, according to the carpenter duo/set designers, Jack Foster and Darin Kilbourne. They said that the massive set pieces barely made it through the Massay’s loading docks. Foster said that the set pieces actually sustained some minor damage - hardly noticeable though, especially from an audience viewpoint. He credited the tow truck drivers for having immense skills and care when helping the VPA crew.

“You could tell they know their way around their equipment,” Foster said.

It took about three hours to carefully load the big set pieces. They had to lay them on their back to get everything though the doors. Once everything made it inside, they had to shuffle their plans around due to space limitations, much to the director’s surprise.

“I’ve never seen a set shrink in front of my eyes,” Bottjen said.

This play features three large set pieces that fold in and out - all on wheels so the crew members can move them to and fro and the scenes change. These pieces include a kitchen, the Banks living room, and a nursery that changes into a rooftop for the iconic chimney sweep scene. Pieces like the kitchen feature special effects like flying dinner dishes that are controlled by crew members pulling strings in hidden compartment. There is a 10 day “load in period” at the Massay so they couldn’t build the pieces within the theater like other shows back at the VPA home stage. Like sets before this, everything is temporary and will not be used again. Foster said that they will have to break the pieces down after the last show.

“We’ve got a solid crew back stage,” said stage manager, Janet Kennedy.

Foster and Kilbourne have been involved with VPA for several decades, each donning numerous roles form acting to directing.

“That’s normally how it goes with community theater. Everyone pitches in,” Foster said.

Many of the cast members have volunteered extra time to help with set and prop design and even help Foster and Kilbourne move the set pieces throughout the play. Kevin Lyons is a supporting actor who offered some of his inventive prowess. He handcrafted several props for Mary’s famous hat stand and flower pot tricks, where she pulls impossibly large objects from her purse in a slight of hand manner, tricking the eyes of the audience. This is Lyon’s first play with VPA and the largest and most complicated one he’s ever worked on. There is even a scene where an actor is suspended with ropes and pulleys to appear as if he is walking up the walls.

“They did the best they could and put in hundreds of hours of work,” Lyons said.

Bottjen said that the most important role of a director is to provide the “framework for the magic” or the “glow for the grow.”

“A director’s main job is to find smarter, more capable people than himself and I think I’ve done a pretty good job at that,” Bottjen said.

He said the budget for this play is “massive” with about 60,000 dollars, which he is confident they will not only cover but turn a profit. Funds raised will help them continue to save for a new facility later on. He thanked the Massey theater for generously letting them pay venue fees after the show runs its’ course.

“It wouldn’t be this way without Larry’s vision. He’s been working on this for four years in his head,” said one supporting actor, Ed Ford.

The Mary Poppins play stage version is remarkably different from the movie and is more faithful to the book written by P. L. Travers, according to Bottjen. This play will feature more characters that do not appear in the movie and will put more emphasis on Mr. and Mrs. Banks, as the book intended.

“People are going to be surprised,” Bottjen said.

Bottjen missed the penguins from the movie version so he added special roles for 9 kids ages nine to 12. They will don handmade penguin costumes and talk to the audience for the introduction and intermission.

“They’re cute as all get out,” Bottjen said.

Bottjen has seen other renditions of Mary Poppins in Anchorage and he was astounded by the prices that were about $80 per person. He was also shocked by the “sea of gray,” saying that Disney would “roll over in his grave” upon finding out so little kids were there. He said this Valley production will be affordable and he hopes to shine magic on this generation of children.

“A family of four can see this play for under $100,” Bottjen said.

Bottjen has been involved with VPA for 43 years. He was on the original board of directors fir their very first production and said that he’s donned “every role you can imagine” from acting to directing, from lights to sound.

Lead costume designer, Mary Martushev said that this play has a lot of costumes collected from an array of sources, including materials from the VPA basement a.k.a the “dungeon,” thrift stores and online orders. Martushev said that she and several cast members crafted a lot of custom fitted costumes for this play.

“And it’s only taken since last June,” she joked.

Mary Poppins opens this Friday at 7 p.m. and will continue until April 22. Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at www.valleyperformingarts.org. Prices are $25 for general admission and $23 for students/seniors.

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Schedule:

Fridays at 7 p.m.

Saturdays at 7 p.m.

Sundays at 2 p.m.

*Note: There will be two Saturday matinees at 2PM; The matinee on April 21st will have ASL interpreters for the hearing impaired.

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