Mary Poppins has some musical theatre star power, with Amanda Spurlock in the title role and renowned names like Catherine McCarthy, Adam Harasimiuk, Katherine Trepanier, Gary Chappel and other local notables in the key roles.
The show opens tonight and it also comes loaded with some rock star power. One of the cast members is Amy Blanding.
"We all know Amy from Black Spruce Bog, right? We've all heard Amy sing, right? No, we have not," said a laughing Dominic Maguire, a director in his own right, who is also involved backstage with Mary Poppins. "Amy has her own role to play but is also the understudy for Amanda and holy moly - what power, what range. And she can dance, too. She's this surprise triple threat in our midst."
Blanding has had a busy year proving she is more than just one of the members of popular modern folk band Black Spruce Bog. That band has become one of the city's most acclaimed groups ever, on the strength of live performances like the nationally televised opening ceremonies of the Canada Winter Games in 2015, and the groundbreaking concert event The First Waltz last year at the Prince George Playhouse that brought together the biggest collaboration of live music stars ever under one roof.
Their recorded material is also a hot seller.
All the members of Black Spruce Bog have their personal side projects, and Blanding made her mark in the short film Behind The Reds directed by local auteurs Jon Chuby and Dan Stark, plus a memorable supporting turn in the Halloween special live theatre event Evil Dead: The Musical. Now she locks down her supplementary reputation with Mary Poppins.
"I'm just having so much fun," she said, almost dancing on the spot at the mere notion. "I became obsessed during Evil Dead. I grabbed hold. I'm looking for a huge diversity of roles, now. I'm diving in."
She said it was one of the first times in her adult life that she has been stationary in one community for more than a couple of years. The byproduct of that was access to the time required for rehearsals. She had the talent already, all she lacked before was the ability to commit to an ongoing role. The results of this past year's work is a revelation to her as much as the city's audiences.
"One thing I'm really learning is, if you show a strong work ethic, listen to people who know more about the process, take direction from the other cast members and the crew as well as the director - because those people know a lot about theatre, too - then that moves you forward," she said.
"If you have even a little natural talent, others are more than happy to help you get to your next level as long as you work hard and treat people well. People have to want to work with you, or there are others they will support instead."
She has such clarity about wanting more musical theatre and live comedy in her life that she enrolled in an autumn course in Toronto with the famed Second City theatre group (the organization that spawned such superstars as John Candy, Martin Short, Andrea Martin, the Bob & Doug Mackenzie comedy act, Dan Aykroyd, and many more.
Its Chicago branch has alumni names like Ed Asner, Alan Alda, Joan Rivers, George Wendt, Gilda Radner, etc.).
The subliminal message behind all these endeavours is Black Spruce Bog is on hiatus. The band is absolutely still together and in fact closing in on the final details of the recording process for their new album.
There is no fixed date for its release, but it won't be long, said Blanding, and when it appears the group will hit the stage with all their usual force.
"Right now I'm in a really big music group with Mary Poppins," said Blanding. "I'm hoping people come and in particular come away with the sense that the chorus in this show is amazingly strong. The chorus is always important in a musical theatre production, but this time they make it or break it. The dynamics of the visuals and the storytelling all hinges on the chorus, and this chorus is absolutely amazing. I'm so stoked to work with them."
Mary Poppins runs at the Prince George Playhouse tonight through
July 31.
Tickets are on sale at Central Interior Tickets (inside Enchainement Dance Centre on Opie Crescent) or online at www.centralinteriortickets.com.
