There’s a lot of excitement, chatter, and singing in the Fellowship Hall of the First Christian Church in Georgetown on a Monday evening.
Nearly 60 members of the Youth Theatre of the Bluegrass, or Y T O B, are rehearsing for Mary Poppins, the Musical. Fifteen-year-old Amelia Hurst performs in the non-profit's 10th anniversary production, an important milestone.
“What it means to me is being a part of something a lot bigger than me because I have actually been doing shows with Y to B since 2019. So, doing such a magical show like this is like, oh my gosh, I am a part of something that’s going to become something so, so great, and so big,” said Hurst.
Hurst is excited to have multiple roles in Mary Poppins.
"My named role is Neleus, who is the statue that comes alive in the park during Jolly Holiday, the song. I’m also a customer, which means I am in Mrs. Corry’s shop during Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. And I’m also a chimney sweep, which means I’m in Step in Time,” explains Hurst.
As one of the show’s lead characters, Donovan Smith sits among the other cast members. He holds his script while singing. The 23-year-old is the male lead, known as Bert. In the 1964 film, Mary Poppins, Bert was the chimney sweep played by Dick Van Dyke. Smith said he’s never seen the film. He takes his role seriously, though.
“Very nerve-wracking. It’s very fun too. But I don’t know, just having people, not necessarily look up to you, but like see you center stage. It’s kind of daunting,” said Smith.
Smith has performed in five other plays with Y T O B and said he especially enjoys singing one song in particular.
Smith sings Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Even though the sound of it is something quite atrocious, if you say it loud enough, you’ll always sound precocious, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
At this early rehearsal, the cast members sit in rows of chairs to learn their songs. Executive Director Alyssa Curry wears a green and white top with her blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail. She stands at a round table behind the cast, observing. The executive director says Youth Theatre is so important for the community. She founded this theatre company for kids who gravitate toward the arts and who love to sing and dance.
“Just knowing that there was a need for those kids to find their people, for those kids to have a way to express themselves. We have extremely gifted musicians in this group, and if it wasn’t for Y T O B, they would have to travel 30 plus miles or 30 plus minutes to do this," explained Curry.
While there are 60 cast members, Curry said more than 20 people help behind the scenes. Georgetown resident Sarah Newman is the assistant stage manager.
“There’s something magical about it. It’s singing, dancing, and acting. And you put those three together, where else do you get that? I want kids to have access to it, and that’s exactly what Y T O B has done; it’s inclusive, and it’s accessible to all kids,” said Newman.
Two of the youngest cast members, nine-year-old Sadie Marsh and twelve-year-old Eden Jones, play the Banks children who have had trouble keeping a nanny until Mary Poppins came along,
They each talk about the time they spend rehearsing at home.
“At least 10 minutes every day, and my mom helps me a lot with my lines,” said Marsh.
“I bring my script with me in the car, and I practice at home in the bathroom because I have a lot of siblings and they complain whenever I practice around them,” said Jones.
Both girls are looking forward to opening night, which is scheduled for July 16th at Georgetown College, in the John L Hill Chapel.
