Sedgwick Middle School’s production of the musical ‘Mary Poppins Jr.’ will be performed the weekend of April 26-28, 2024.

Poster created by Samuel Benyair (9th grade student at Conard High School). Courtesy image

By Julia Hathorn

This spring, Sedgwick Middle School students will proudly present Mary Poppins Jr., an exuberant musical with lots of classic charm.

The story follows Jane and Michael Banks (two children from London in 1910) navigating the waters of family life and adventures while accompanied by their magical nanny, Mary Poppins.

“We chose the musical Mary Poppins Jr. because Sedgwick has never performed Mary Poppins before, and no other school or theater group in the area is performing this show this year. We also thought that the show would be a good fit for our current school community. And we just love that this show speaks to people of all generations. This musical holds a lot of really fond memories for so many people. We want to bring some joy and happiness to our community and to continue creating good memories for more generations to come. The story of Mary Poppins is a story of hope and redemption, and we hope that message resonates with everyone who performs in the show or watches it,” said show director Eva Pandiscia when asked why she and the Sedgwick Drama Club production team chose Mary Poppins Jr.as the musical this year.

With more than 70 students in the cast, everyone has a chance to shine on stage.

When asked what motivated her to join Mary Poppins Jr., cast member Charlotte Donnelly answered: “I really love doing choir at Sedgwick, and in fifth grade I came to see Alice in Wonderland Jr. and thought it was really cool and wanted to join it.”

For many cast members, this is their second or third year participating in the Sedgwick drama club program. But for others, this is the first time they’ve been on stage at Sedgwick. The large cast and busy environment offers many learning opportunities and unique experiences.

“The most important thing I learned from being in Mary Poppins is that when you’re with a big group, you have to learn how to be hardworking and focused, and you learn a lot through that and it makes the experience very memorable,” answered cast member Mikayla Pacheco when asked what the most important thing she learned from being in the show was.

So why should you come see Mary Poppins Jr. at Sedgwick Middle School? When asked, cast member Lily Muslim responded that: “I think you should come see Mary Poppins because the students in the show have devoted and put in so much time and effort into this year’s musical.”

Performances are Friday and Saturday, April 26 and 27 at 7 p.m., and Sunday, April 28, at 1 p.m. at Sedgwick Middle School. To purchase tickets, visit ticketpeak.co/sedgwickdrama.

We hope to see you at the show!

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