Nanny fate Stepping into the practically perfect shoes of Mary Poppins was in the stars for Winnipeg actress By: Ben Waldman Posted: 5:21 PM CDT Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024 Last Modified: 8:14 AM CDT Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 Updates

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This article was published 14/08/2024 (744 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Colleen Furlan’s played a London nanny on Rainbow Stage before, but not the umbrella-toting, sugar-spooning, toe-tapping one you’re picturing.

In 2013, Furlan made her Kildonan Park debut as Katie Nanna, the caretaker who quits and forces the Banks family to search for someone practically perfect in every way to take care of little Jane and Michael.

“I had my little debut scene and then played various other roles throughout the show, but it was pretty cool to have a feature in my first Rainbow show,” says Furlan, who has since played lead roles in The Little Mermaid, Cinderella and Les Misérables for the country’s longest-running outdoor theatre company.

Furlan revelled in her first taste of the Rainbow, which brought her close to two childhood idols: Julie Andrews, who originated the Poppins role in the original film adaptation, and local actor Paula Potosky, who put her own spin on author P.L. Travers’ creation in that 2013 run.

“I knew one day that I wanted to step into those shoes,” says Furlan.

Her day has come: in her 10th Rainbow Stage production, the classically trained soprano will bring order to the chaos on Cherry Tree Lane, putting on her best British accent to mark the supercalifragilisticexpialidocious occasion in the role of Poppins herself.

The second production of the Rainbow season, following the July run of Joseph Sevillo’s Ma-Buhay, the stage adaptation of Mary Poppins is a tinkered-with and fine-tuned version of the 1964 film, which starred Andrews as Mary and Dick Van Dyke as Bert — both still kicking at 88 and 98 years old, respectively. Joema Frith, last summer’s Sebastian the Crab, sidles into the role of the amiable chimney sweep.

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Featuring original tunes by the Sherman brothers (Jungle Book, The Parent Trap), additional tunes by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe and a book by Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey, Gosford Park), the musical will be helmed by Winnipeg’s Alexandra Herzog, a longtime choreographer who’s making her Rainbow Stage directorial debut.

The Toronto-based Herzog, who choreographed last season’s production of The Little Mermaid, collaborated closely this year in a pas de deux with choreographer Josh Assor, a Winnipegger who appeared in Poppins’ first national tour in 2010 and later in the musical’s Broadway production as Neeleus, a fountain statue come to life.

He later choreographed a regional production of the show in Missouri — one stop on an extensive, eclectic run as a professional choreographer and corporate entertainer, which has recently included a Boston production of Fiddler on the Roof, the New York regional première of Anastasia, events for New York Fashion Week and dozens of engagements with theme parks, cruise ships and in TV and film.

Assor’s company, Creative Streak Entertainment, has even worked with celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who hired Assor as creative director and choreographer for the grand opening of a New York tourist destination called the Tin Building.

After starting to dance at 15, Assor trained at Los Angeles’ Edge Performing Arts Centre before moving, in 2008, to Ontario to appear in Stratford Festival productions of West Side Story and Cyrano de Bergerac.

Along the way, Assor appeared in four Rainbow productions — Beauty and the Beast, Peter Pan, The Little Mermaid and Joseph — but Mary Poppins marks his first engagement with the company in a choreographic capacity.

“It’s kind of a dream show for any choreographer,” says Assor. “There are five major production numbers, and each is so unique. The first is all ballet, Supercal is very jazz-based, Steppin’ Time is tap. There’s this huge array of styles throughout the show, and it’s a wonderful world to play in.”

“It does not feel like work at all,” says 11-year-old Isla Horner, making her Rainbow debut as Jane Banks.

Davison Gee, an 11-year-old who plays Jane’s brother, Michael, credits that to the musical itself — “It’s very magical” — but also recognizes the quality of care provided by the musical’s official child-minders, Angelina Alberto and Kyle Mroz.

In a bit of metatheatricality, Alberto and Mroz are tasked with taking care of Davison and Isla whenever Furlan’s Poppins isn’t keeping watch over Jane and Michael within earshot of Admiral Boom.

“They’re very fun and they’re willing to do stuff with us that helps us improve our skills,” says Gee, who appeared in the 2022 Rainbow production of The Hockey Sweater.

In the green room, Alberto and Mroz do puzzles or play card games like Uno and Spot It with the child stars. Director Herzog also took the entire cast out to fly a kite in the park following the first rehearsal run-through.

But Alberto and Mroz are only responsible for providing care and respite to their junior charges. “And what do we do on Sundays?” Mroz asks.

“We have Sweet Treat Sundays,” Isla responds. So far, those treats have included Slurpees, Starbucks trips, ice cream and Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

Isla adds, “We also do Chippy Tuesdays.” She prefers Takis and Davison favours barbecue flavours.

Unlike Jane and Michael, who scare off several nannies before settling on Mary, the two actors have no complaints about their supervisors. And unlike the frustrated and frazzled Katie Nanna, Alberto and Mroz are anything but fed up with their younger friends.

“They’re absolute dreams,” says Alberto. “Angels,” adds Mroz.

“They’re fantastic, very talented, very smart and very professional, especially for 11 years old. They make our lives easy,” says Alberto. “Like Isla said, it doesn’t feel like a job for them, and it doesn’t for us either.”

ben.waldman@winnipegfreepress.com