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The perfect nanny at Cherry Tree Lane

| 24 Mar 2015 | 02:39
    Everything can be better with a spoonful of sugar (Photos by Ashley Wade)
    Everything can be better with a spoonful of sugar (Photos by Ashley Wade)
    Bert and Mary Poppins enjoy the best view of the city, the view of the "sweeps," high above the London streets.
    Bert and Mary Poppins enjoy the best view of the city, the view of the "sweeps," high above the London streets.
    Alison Surfer delivers a heartwarming rendition of "Feed the Birds" as the Bird Woman in the park.
    Alison Surfer delivers a heartwarming rendition of "Feed the Birds" as the Bird Woman in the park.
    Mary Poppins and Neleus step lively as she shows the Banks children that a walk in the park does not have to be boring!
    Mary Poppins and Neleus step lively as she shows the Banks children that a walk in the park does not have to be boring!
    Bert and Mary teach the crowd in the park about the best word of all -- SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOSIOUS !
    Bert and Mary teach the crowd in the park about the best word of all -- SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOSIOUS !
    Jane and Michael learn that Mary knows how to "speak dog" with Willoughby (known to Goshen fans of spring musicals as Twiggy, aka Toto from "Sound of Music")
    Jane and Michael learn that Mary knows how to "speak dog" with Willoughby (known to Goshen fans of spring musicals as Twiggy, aka Toto from "Sound of Music")
    Mary Poppins brings Jane and Michael to the bank to see where Daddy works. They're about to receive a lesson on the difference between value and worth.
    Mary Poppins brings Jane and Michael to the bank to see where Daddy works. They're about to receive a lesson on the difference between value and worth.
    Toys from the nursery come to life, to teach the children the way they'd like to be treated.
    Toys from the nursery come to life, to teach the children the way they'd like to be treated.

By Wendy Bynum-Wade
GOSHEN — Standing ovations and sold-out performances. Costumes, sets and scenery that rival Broadway productions. And the talent of not just the leading characters, but of the entire cast and ensemble: that’s what Goshen has come to expect from the annual spring ritual of its high school musical.

This year’s production of “Mary Poppins” was true to form, and will take its place as the latest “best ever” show on the list of 55 consecutive Broadway-worthy musicals produced at Goshen High School.

Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s "Mary Poppins" is a musical based on the stores of P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney film. Goshen’s version was directed by Molly Lloyd with the able assistance of Hugh Mackay and Kristen Lloyd. The outstanding choreography was mapped out once again by Ronda Barber, Veronica Nogrady and Ruth Hulbert.

This cast was full of stars: Devon Wuagneux (as Mary) and Evan Kowalcyzk (as Bert) made everyone forget, for at least a few hours, that they were only teenagers singing their hearts out. They were polished in both song and dance numbers, not to mention their flying escapades. Jane and Michael Banks were brought to life by Alexandria Thurtle and Madilyn Bunzey; one part poised, one part ill-mannered and two parts talent combined for one heaping serving of adorable!

Taylor Crawford (as George Banks) and Alexa Fini (as Winnifred Banks) outdid themselves as stiff and proper upper crust wanna-bees who discovered before it was too late what really matters most for all of us. Their servants, Gina Felice (as Mrs. Brill) and Christian Bernal-Portela (as Robertson Ay) brought a great deal of levity to the very uptight Banks’ household.

Brandon Lopez, Erica Fack and Destiny Secor surprised Jane and Michael, as well as the audience, by bringing their characters to life during the walk in the park that turns into a “Jolly Holiday.”

Erika Bingaman, Micayla Brugellis, Emily Burns, Zoe Gronner, Gabriella Lugo, Haley Maerz, Michelle McGarry, Molly Meyer, Ryan Sheehan, Alexandra Sullivan, Alison Surfer, Andrew Turnbull, Joseph Vitale, Hannah Warner and Dean Knapp were all quite believable as the toys who came to life in the children’s nursery as they danced around trying to show Jane and Michael how to “Play the Game.” Just one more lesson from Mary about how to treat others, even toys, the way you’d like to be treated.

The old show-biz adage, “There are no small parts,” was definitely the case with this show as Alecia Clark (Miss Andrew), Davgil David-Gil (Mrs. Corry), Joseph Ciliberto (Bank Chairman), Ian Miller (Von Hussler), Ryan Sheehan (Northbrook), Adrian Cepeda (Miss Lark), Angelos Panayotidi (Park Keeper), Kenneth Coote (policeman), Samantha Magnetico (Queen Victoria), Megan Ingber (Fannie), Alexis Bair (Annie) and Liam Kelly (Messenger) were all memorable in their respective roles and integral parts of the story.

Finally, a musical wouldn’t be much of a musical without the chorus or ensemble. Lending their voices to exploit the amazing score and executing incredibly difficult dance routines were Lillian Armistead, Dillon Balasubramaniam, Alexandra Bassani, Amanda Beck, Lauren Colella, Tess Ferguson, Diego Frangiamone, Jonathan Gay, Nicholas Grundig, Julia Hunt, Isabel Iannucci, Geno Iozzino, Jessica Lowe, Kimberly Longo, Julia Malinchak, Justin Michaelson, Honor Montmarquet, Eve Mulleady, Brenda Palma, Elizabeth Pehush, Cara Petrizzo, Victoria Racioppo, Emma Walsh, Hannah Welshoff, Christina Whittel and Olivia Zaphiris.

What makes a Goshen musical special

In any given year, the last three weeks of March is when most Hudson Valley high schools of all sizes will put on a musical or dramatic production. Some will have sets and scenery that remind the audience that these are high school shows and they love them anyway because they’re kids — their kids: their nieces, nephews, the kid down the street are all in the show and giving their all.

But that’s not a Goshen spring musical. No matter how badly the faculty in charge think they’ll be hit by graduation each year, the next crop of singers and dancers emerge from the lower grades and the veterans of the current year’s chorus mature into next year’s leads. That’s the way it’s been for 55 years and counting in the Goshen Central School District. It’s not in the water, it’s in the air. Goshen has been a community that supports the arts in our schools. The schools have a music program that makes the Yankees or Mets envious of the farm system developed over the years.

It’s a community effort. Very few get involved and then leave. Many of the adults working behind the scenes got started when they were involved as students or as parents when they had kids participating in the annual endeavor. Many of the names you’ll see in the playbill are the same year after year; their own kids long gone and a few now have grandchildren who have made their way to the stage these adults have built each year as a labor of love. That’s why each and every year the costumes get a little more lavish, the scenery and sets get more intricate and everyone involved says every year that “this year” is the best ever, and they really mean it.

Local businesses rally to support the production, although it is a great advertising medium in its own right since 1800-2400 booklets will find their way into the hands of ticket holders for three or four sold-out performances. Merchants are also quick to loan or donate needed materials for creating the transformative sets and scenery.

It’s too late to see this year’s GHS Spring Musical. It’s a shame, because “Mary Poppins” was “practically perfect.” Tickets for the 2016 show will go on sale next February for a late March weekend production of another journey to one of Broadway’s best shows.

It doesn’t matter which show it is, as long as it’s GHS’s 56th spring musical, it will be great, it will be fantastic, it will be terrific. As a matter of fact, it’s a sure bet to be supercalifragilisticexpialidosious! See you there!

All photos by Ashley Wade