Musical Theater Provides a ‘Poppins’ Good Time For All
The Jasper County Historical Foundation and Georgia College Dance program collaborated to produce a musical production of “Songs from Mary Poppins” which was performed last Friday at Thomas Persons Hall.
The theatrical production followed a week long camp conducted with 25 youth ranging in age from 4-14. Retired educator and longtime theater director Karen Ferrell-White, formerly of Monticello and affectionately known as “Strick,” was the theater director. She was assisted by musical director Joneen Padgett and choreographer Alexa Hunsinger of Georgia College.
The 30-minute show included five songs “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Feed the Birds,” “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocius,” and “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” and some spoken lines and lots of choreography.
The youth participating included Cavanna Asbell, Jacob Asbell, Robyn Asbell, Josephine Beasley, Bayleigh Blalock, Corbett Crews, Haiden Crews as Jane, Grace DeGarmo as Mother, Scott Ford as Michael , Riley Holland, Aluntrae Jackson, Angelina Jorgenson, Brianna Ledford, Joshua Manning as Bert, Emily McElheney, Will McElheney as Father, Addy Mercer as Bird Lady, Ella Mercer as Mary Poppins, Georgia Moody, Rose Moody, Emma Morris, Mari Perry, Ashlyn Thornton, Colton Thornton, and Scarlett Wojdacz.
Rehearsals were conducted Monday through Friday beginning at 9 a.m. each morning. Numerous parent, grandparent and community volunteers assisted with managing the youth, constructing props and costumes, and various other necessities. Volunteers included stage manager James Fletcher, curtain maker Norma Mattison, stage hand Sarah McMichael, assistant Gail Harrol, costumer Abbie Brooks, Susan Jacobs, Patricia Rogers, Tabitha Beasley, Mariah Wojdacz, Susan Haynes, Gail Parrot, John Stork, and Historical Foundation volunteer Ann Mercer and secretary Sandi Dennis.
The Jasper County School lunch program provided lunch three days of the camp. Proceeds from the event will enable the purchase of new theater seats for the auditorium in the recently renovated building known to many as the Civic Center. The historical foundation received funds from the Thomas B. Persons will as did the Jasper County Library and Monticello Baptist Church. The foundation used its portion to renovate the dilapidated building while maintaining its historical integrity.
