ASHLAND – Generations of fans have loved seeing Mary Poppins soar with her trademark umbrella in hand in the beloved Disney movie. Bringing her aerial feats to life on stage in a high school production presents a unique set of challenges.
When Ashland High School decided to do “Mary Poppins” for its 2017 musical, director Rich Wasowski and technical director Gabe Plank knew they would need some special assistance. Enter Vertigo, an international flying effects company based in Cortland, Illinois.
Lewie Long, flying director with Vertigo, spent three days in Ashland recently, helping train the students who would make the magic come to life for audiences in Archer Auditorium.
“Safety, of course, is our number one priority,” Long said. “We want to make sure everyone is comfortable with what they are doing.”
According to Long, a native of Sandusky, Vertigo’s flying rigs can be run by motors or people. The Ashland show is using a manually operated system, with two people handing the “lift” and one handling “travel.” Students Andrew Stump and Matthew Dorrell are handling the lift while Jim Sauber, Plank’s father-in-law, handles the travel.
Archer Auditorium already had a flight system in place, Long said, making his job a little easier.
Junior Mikayla Myers, who plays the title character, said she loves roller coasters and has no problem with heights, so learning to fly has been a fun experience. Myers, who has been acting for the past five years, said Mary Poppins is a dream role for her.
“To get to play Mary Poppins, that alone is an amazing experience. Getting to fly, that’s just a bonus,” Myers said.
The one challenge for Myers was maintaining Mary Poppins’ proper attitude while flying.
“I have to always be aware of that in the air. She always flies like a lady, in the ballet ‘first position,’” Myers said.
Plank said that the students’ safety was his biggest concern .
“The logistics are the biggest challenge. The extra rehearsals. The overall safety in flying. Making sure everyone is where they need to be and no one is getting in the way. Those are the biggest challenges,” Plank said.
“This is not something you normally get to do (in high school theater). It’s been an amazing experience watching them enjoy it. It’s worth the extra time. It’s worth the extra energy,” Plank said.
“Mary Poppins” will run at 7 p.m. Feb. 24 and 25 and 2 p.m. Feb. 26.
All tickets are for reserved seating and can be purchased up to opening night. They are available from 3:15 to 5:15 p.m. Monday through Friday at the front office, or by contacting Richard Wasowski at 419-289-7968, ext. 3128, or riwasows@goarrows.org. Tickets are $6 on the sides and $8 in the center.
