Day 3 - Wednesday July 22

Hello families!
Thank you so much for another productive day of learning the show! We can see that a lot of your children are using their time outside of camp to practice by how prepared they come in each day. Please continue to support them in their at-home prep, which can be done with the rehearsal tracks, piano tracks (Jersey Tracks), and videos of both scenes and choreography.

Today, we were able to pick up from “Jolly Holiday”, and learn “A Spoonful of Sugar”, “Precision and Order”, and “Feed the Birds”, along with the scene work between these big numbers. With this done, we have almost learned half the show!

Tomorrow, we hope to accomplish “Supercalifragilistic…” all the way through “Step In Time” (ambitious, we know). This will put us in very good standing to have the entire show learned by the end of this first week!
We really appreciate how your children have shown their support of each other and how much they are enjoying being a part of this show. Miss Marie and I would love if you could continue to encourage them to lead with kindness. Every role in this production is crucial and every one of your kids is important to us.

Please see the attached Costuming Guide. This is meant to provide inspiration for your children’s costumes - it does not need to be a perfect match. Feel free to reach out to Mindy with any questions. Please let us know on Friday what you’re thinking for costumes for your child, and we can collaborate on what we may need to provide for you. You can speak with either director at the beginning or end of day (time permitting) or text Mindy with screenshots, links, etc - whatever helps best communicate your vision. We are also still looking around for items that students can use. Some items are going to be provided so we are working on getting that updated on the guide.

Again, thank you so much for a great day! We are having so much fun watching your children’s confidence grow as they shine through their roles. Have a great night, and we’ll see you tomorrow to do it all again!

—Miss Sidne and Miss Marie

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Day 2 - Tuesday July 21st

Hello Families!
Wow! What a day! We powered through the Prologue all the way through Jolly Holiday! Your kids learned complicated staging and choreography and sang in harmony. They are certainly rising to the challenge. Remind them of their promises to us to practice at home!
You will have access to piano tracks plunking out parts (aka the Jersey Tracks), choreography videos from rehearsal, and rehearsal tracks to practice with!
Jersey Tracks: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1qJ9m04E5SG9-jyIHas6inG2qM5ikZXtA
Choreography Drive: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1sjOkW3vk2ipkABJi7YiyzXEM5PKppIfi
Tomorrow we will tackle the Bank Scene through Chim Chimeny (skipping Supercal).
Make sure everyone gets a good rest and be ready for another fun and productive day tomorrow!

—Miss Sidne & Miss Marie

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

DAY 1 - July 20th

Hello Families!
What a wonderful first day! We feel so lucky to have these talented kids entrusted to us to help them grow and shine. They have already shown us so much talent.
We started the day with callbacks to finalize casting. This included singing sides (everyone sang solo in front of us! So impressive and an accomplishment all on its own.) They also learned a short dance combination that included improv so we got to see their favorite moves.
This all helped us finalize our casting. We are so excited about your child’s placement and we can’t wait for everyone to shine.
From there we were able to do our read through.
With that said- we have 8 days of rehearsal until performance day! Please practice at home! Homework for tonight is to look at the Prologue through Jolly Holiday. That’s what we’d like to focus on tomorrow.
Please remember to bring water and snacks! But also remind the students to try to keep the eating to the lunch room and pick up after themselves.
By the end of the week we will have the show learned, so it’s important that your children come to camp focused, and ready to learn and have fun!
Thanks for a great first day, we look forward to tomorrow.

MARY POPPINS JR CAST

Mary Poppins — Brescielle R.

Bert — Peyton S.

Jane — Devyn P.

Michael — Jackson M.

George — Noah C.

Winifred — Samarah S.

Mrs. Brill — Veronica C.

Robertson Ay — Lucas S.

Katie Nana — Luna W.

Neleus — Morgan M.

Bird Woman — Arya P.

Miss Smythe — Harper S.

Chairman — Hudson G.

Von Hussler — Caleb L.

John Northbrook — Antonio L.

Mrs. Corry — La’Mya K.

Miss Andrew — Rowan D.

Policeman — Giulliana P. H.

Messenger — Leiyah N.

Statue 1 — Olivia L.

Statue 2 — Peyton P.

Statue 3 — Leighton B.

Statue 4 — Preslyn D.

Sweep 1 — Aubrey D.

Sweep 2 — Grace S.

Sweep 3 — Lilith M. R.

Sweep 4 — Luciana G.

Sweep 5 — Simone P.

Sweep 6 — Milana L.

Bee 1 — Benny W.

Bee 2 — Lila K.

Bee 3 — Hope B.

Bee 4 — Paisley P.

Bee 5 — Scarlett M.

Reminder: practice each night with the tracks at www.lochwood.info/marypoppinsjr

Miss Sidne, Miss Marie, and Miss Mindy

On a side note: Since most of us know Ms. Shana, I’m happy to say that her son’s heart surgery was a success this morning and he is on the road to recovery, which will be lengthy… his blood pressure needs to come down more. If you are interested in following Hugo’s progress, Ms Shana and her family will be posting on Caring Bridge.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Pre-Camp July 13th

Hi Mary Poppins Jr. Cast!

Because most of the cast will not be available on Friday, we will be moving Friday’s callbacks and dance call to Monday morning at the start of camp.

This means we’ll have even less time to learn the show, so it’s important that everyone comes prepared and ready to work.

Before camp:

• Please spend time listening to the music on the Student Hub.

• Start becoming familiar with the songs and lyrics as much as possible.

• Submit your audition videos/photos asap

• Submit your Safety Form

During camp:

• Camp runs Monday-Friday 9am-4pm. Drop off window is 8:45am-9:00am and Pick Up window is 4:00-4:15pm

• Be attentive, focused, and ready to learn.

• Minimize distractions and give your full effort during every rehearsal.

• We only have two weeks to put this production together, so every rehearsal is extremely important.

• Bring Water Bottles, Lunch, and snacks each day.

• Wear comfortable clothing and closed-toe shoes that are easy to move and dance in.

• We will be in need of volunteers helping with props and sets.

Dress Rehearsal/Show Day:

• Thursday July 30th, camp will be at Westview Baptist Church from 9am-4pm.

• Friday July 31st, camp begins at 9am.

• Show Times are at 2:30pm and 6:30pm. Tickets can be bought here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/lochwoodacademy/

• We will provide a pizza dinner between the shows.

Thank you for your flexibility with the changes. We know this cast is capable of putting together an amazing production, and we’re excited to get started!

—Miss Sidne, Miss Marie, and Miss Mindy

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Pre-Camp

Hello Mary Poppin’s families! Shana Parrott here, I am so excited for your children to spend two weeks learning and readying to perform the magical story of Mary Poppins. 

It is with a sad heart that I must announce that I will not be your child’s Director & Choreographer for this production, though. We unfortunately found out last month that my son will need open-heart surgery. The soonest surgery date we could get was the first day of camp, and he’ll need 6 weeks to recover. So it’s completely out of my hands, but fret not! We have an amazing creative team that will be taking my place for the production. 

Meet Sidne & Marie! This duo has not only professional performer backgrounds but they’ve been on creative teams for children & professional productions before. I’m so excited for your kids to learn from them. There is always something to gain from any Director & Choreographer, and I’m sure your children are going to gain a ton of growth from them. 

I’m hoping if we get released early from the hospital I’ll be able sneak away to see at least one of the performances. If I don’t though, I can’t wait to hear all about it and hopefully see a video. 

I hope to see everyone in the fall or for our next summer season!

Love, 

Shana Parrott

----------------------------------------------------

A couple of Messages from Miss Sidne and Miss Marie!

Hi! My name is Miss Sidne (pronounced like Sydney, Australia) and I am so excited to work with you all this summer. I will be your director for the show.

Marie and I have been friends for years - we actually met performing! We’re so happy to work together and with all of you to bring such a fun show to life. One of the first shows I ever performed was Mary Poppins (and it is my favorite Disney movie!) so this show certainly holds a special place in my heart. Like Marie, I have also performed in a variety of formats and places, but I will say I am biased toward live theatre. We can’t wait to get started with you all in July! I know it will be something different than you are all used to, but if we can all do our best to bring open minds and fun to each day, I’m sure we will build something magical. See you all real soon (or, when the wind changes)!

Hiya! My name is Miss Marie and I am so excited to meet all of you. I will be your main choreographer for the show! Sidne and I make a great team, so I’m sure she’ll have some moves for you too- don’t worry. I started my dance journey in Classical Ballet and later studied Jazz and Musical Theater at Point Park University. I now have experience performing on stage, screen, in theme parks, and on cruise ships! I love music and storytelling through movement. Mary Poppins is all about remembering the magic in the world, and I know we are going to create some magic as a cast. Prepare to be challenged, have fun, and “step in time” as we create something beautiful!

Below are bios for Sidne and Marie!

Sidne Laine
Director / Assistant Choreographer

Sidne Laine is thrilled to be on the other side of one of her favorite shows with Mary Poppins Jr.! She has been performing practically her whole life, but professionally since 2021. She has experience in film, television, and commercial work. When it comes to live theatre, Sidne has performed with Disney Cruise Line, local theatres (Playwrights’ Round Table & The Revelers’ Hour), Universal Orlando Resort, and is currently an Equity performer at Walt Disney World. Her direction history is rooted in youth performance. She has directed/choreographed Annie Jr. at Shaler Area Elementary School, as well as assisted both Anything Goes and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow at Shaler Area High School. Sidne was also a Trainer and Captain for her most recent Disney Wish contract. Marie and Sidne met performing in the world of Children’s Party Entertainment and have always loved the joy and whimsy that children contain. They are thrilled to work together to bring this show to life with such talented youth. Sidne completely agrees that “anything can happen if you let it”, and hopes to share the same sentiment with your amazing students.

Marie Dunlea
Choreographer / Assistant Director

Marie Dunlea is excited to be making her directorial debut with Mary Poppins Jr. She has been “stepping in time” her whole life with a BFA in Dance and Minor in Musical Theater from Point Park University. Since graduating, Marie has gained experience on stage, screen, in theme parks, and on cruise ships! Highlights include Hello Dolly! Starring Jodi Benson (Ensemble) and Catch Me if You Can (Ensemble, Dance Captain). Back in Pittsburgh, she choreographed her first full length musical, The Addams Family at Keystone Oaks High School. Marie believes in the joy that comes from rising to a challenge. She can’t wait to see these students soar above chimney tops and fly as high as a kite!

STUDENT HUB & AUDITIONS!

Please make sure to go to www.lochwood.info/marypoppinsjr for the student hub. At this time, you can start listening to the music tracks, fill out the safety form, find the audition requirements, and access the link to upload your audition videos. 

We will be having a Dance Call for all students on Friday July 17th at 6pm and Ms. Sidne and Miss Marie will ask for some to stick around for call backs as well. The more that we get done on Friday the 17th, the quicker we will get to learning the show on Monday.