Ferrum, VA, March 24, 2025 – The Blue Ridge Dinner Theatre at Ferrum College will present Mary Poppins March 27-30 in Sale Theatre. The musical by Cameron Mackintosh and Disney, written by Julian Fellowes, is based on the classic book series about a magical nanny by P. L. Travers. Emily Blankenship-Tucker, program coordinator for Music and Theatre: Professional Stage Performance, directs the show and performs as Mary Poppins.
In the tradition of the Blue Ridge Dinner Theatre spanning six decades, the performers include college students, faculty, and alumni, as well as children and adults from the community. College students have built sets with magical special effects designed by Rebecca Crocker, assistant professor of theatre arts. Rachel Blankenship-Tucker shares in the directing and stage manager duties, as well as playing the Bird Woman. The band members are college students, with community member Fair Robey as the piano accompanist.
Sophomore Django Burgess plays Bert, a jack-of-all-trades who introduces the audience to the Banks family on Cherry Tree Lane in London. He joins his friend Mary in mysterious and enchanting adventures in the park and on rooftops. Jane and Michael Banks, the children who need a better nanny in 1910, are played by Brystal Sigmon and Silas Blankenship-Tucker. John Martin and TJ Baker ‘24 play Mr. and Mrs. Banks.
The popular 1964 Disney film has been adapted with some intriguing changes in this musical, which opened in London in 2004 and played on Broadway for seven years. It received nominations for nine Olivier and seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The play features most of the well-known songs from the film, such as “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” and “Step in Time,” with a number of new elements.
This adaptation probes the unhappy childhood of Mr. Banks in more detail than the film. The song “Precision and Order” reflects an imbalance in the banker’s family life. The grown-ups as well as the children learn from the nanny who calls herself “practically perfect” that life is full of magic and “anything can happen if you let it.”
Ferrum College President Mirta Martin said, “We are thrilled to announce the upcoming production of Mary Poppins, brought to life by Ferrum College’s Music and Theatre Department. This production is a true community collaboration, featuring the talents of our faculty, staff, students, and local community members—including children—who have come together to create a magical and memorable experience for all. We look forward to sharing this beloved story with our campus and the broader community, celebrating the power of the arts to bring people together. Come join us and experience the magic!”
Performances are in Sale Theatre, in Schoolfield Hall on the Ferrum College campus, March 27, 28, and 29 at 7:30 p.m. and March 30 at 2:30 p.m. Meals served by the cast can be purchased for Mar. 29 and 30. Meals in the college dining hall are also available without meal reservations.
Tickets can be purchased at https://www.ferrum.edu/theatre-tickets, or leave a message at 540-365-4355, or theatre@ferrum.edu. Show tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for children, $30 with reserved meal for adults and $17 for show and meal if 12 or under. Mary Poppins is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International.
