A spoonful of sugar really does help the medicine go down.

Art Mag recently got the chance to sit down with the stars of Mary Poppins, Rachel Wallace and Case Dillard, Mary and Bert respectively, tour director Anthony Lyn, and tour choreographer Geoffrey Garratt, in an intimate interview with some of Charleston’s finest journalists.

Rachel Wallace knew she simply had to play Mary Poppins

From the time that Mary Poppins hit the Broadway stage, Rachel Wallace said her heart ached to be part of that show, to simply be in the building where such a magical production was taking place.  Wallace believes that the story of Mary Poppins, and particularly this stage interpretation, is about family and communication.  Mary offers the Banks family the opportunity to be themselves, to be happy, and to share that side of themselves with people they love the most.

She has loved the never ending pursuit of becoming ‘practically perfect,’ the challenge of the role, physically, emotionally and vocally, and the chance to work on truly being Mary Poppins each night.

Case Dillard, the original Bert

Case Dillard played Bert in the original Broadway production of Mary Poppins, and the cast and crew agree: he IS Bert.  Dillard will walk up the walls, and tap dance on the ceiling, just like on Broadway.  “All I ever worry about is flipping right side up!” he says.  Dillard strives to show Bert as a real person, not just a Dick Van Dyke regurgitation.  He quips that if ever tries to tell a joke, it bombs…but just being himself hits home every time.

Dillard also loves that while he’s played every role from ensemble member to the star, he has always felt integral to the story.  This is a production the cast simply loves being part of.

Mary Poppins Tour director Anthony Lyn

Anthony Lyn, the tour director, went back to the books.  No, not to school.  The original books by P. L. Travers.  In order to flesh out the story of Mary, Bert and the Banks family, and successfully take a beloved movie to a stage production, he looked to the English children’s book series, first published in 1934.  This allowed the characters to have more of an arc, and “gives more texture to the story,” he says.

To him, the story of Mary Poppins is one of charity in the broadest sense.  Michael Banks learns compassion for the people he fears and deems ugly.  Mr. Banks learns that family is more important than his job or bank account.   ‘Antz,’ as the cast affectionately calls him, loves the wonder of the children in the cast, their heartfelt enthusiasm for each new adventure in the theatre.

Geoffrey Garratt wants his actors to be themselves, with British accents

Geoffrey Garratt serves as the tour choreographer for Mary Poppins, and has created new movements for the cast that showcases the individuals behind the movement.  Both Wallace and Dillard agree that the diversity of the numbers keeps the production exciting for them.  The show is tailored to the cast who gets on stage each night, rather than Garratt squeezing them into a cookie-cutter mold.  They are encouraged to rethink the essence of their characters, to be themselves, with British accents.  Garratt says that through the “process of fine-tuning and reinvention, then they own what they do so much more.”

This production promises all the magic of the New York Broadway show, with incredible costumes, set design, lights, flight and more.  The crew arrived extra early on January 11th to begin set construction, and this production kicks off the North American right here in Charleston.  Currently, there are four productions of Mary Poppins running on three continents, and the musical has won 44 major theatre awards.

Tickets are on sale now, at the PAC box office, Ticketmaster online and over the phone at 1.800.745.3000.  Performances run February 1 – 4 at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center, 5001 Coliseum Drive, at 7:30 pm.  Groups of 10+ can get a discount, call 843.529.5007.

words: Stacy Huggins

photos of cast and crew: Matthew Rickerby

TICKETS GO ON SALE TO THE PUBLIC FRIDAY 2/10 AT 8 AM.

Just a guess, but you should probably get your camping gear ready.

It’s like this: tickets go on sale to the public Friday, February 10 at 8 am, but you have to be there, in person, at the North Charleston PAC box office, to purchase them.  On the slim chance there are any left at 10 am, they will go on sale via phone and Ticketmaster.

A lot happened before Dorothy dropped in...

Got a big group?  Get your tickets now.  For groups of 20 or more call (843) 529-5007.

We love the ladies over at Cynthia Rowley on King Street, and now you can afford to too!  Their Sample Sale this weekend will have discounts up to 80% off!  Visit them at 341 King Street (beside the college/hangover favorite Kickin’ Chicken), Thursday – Sunday, January 26 – 29!

"Trio" by Bill Mead

If you made it to SCOOP Studios before their final show, you will surely recognize Bill Mead’s unique landscapes by the large vegetables in the foreground of each piece. While the closing of  SCOOP’s Broad Street location was a bittersweet event, their online gallery is still alive and well. We are glad to be sharing Bill Mead’s talents with a new audience, thanks to the suggestion of SCOOP’s Colleen Deihl.

Footlight Players loves displaying art inside their theatre

Six of Bill Mead’s pieces will be on display at the Theatre from now through the month of February, including the fantastic trio of squashes above. Stop by the Footlight Players Theatre on Friday or Saturday for the Charleston Comedy Festival! Showtimes vary. Get more info: www.charlestoncomedyfestival.com

So I’m the only one in the office, and it’s a wee bit lonely.  But never fear, there’s updates to be had from the team here at Art Mag, so enjoy this holiday cheer from us!

Callie, our diminutive and talented editorial intern, attended a tacky Christmas party last weekend.  I must say, she looks more ‘adorable’ than ‘tacky.’

I co-hosted a Luau Christmas Shower for one of our best girlfriends and her fiance, Mr. & Mrs. Claus there in the middle.  Suffice to say it ended with a fantastic dance party.

Mika Claus wishes you all a very Merry Christmas!!

Charleston Stage has done it again. Their adaptation of A Christmas Carol is brimming with originality and Christmas cheer thanks to a fabulous musical score composed by Charleston Stage’s Director of Music Education Amanda Wansa. Songs such as “Pay No Attention To Mister Scrooge” and “Spread a Little Christmas Cheer” breathe new life into the classic Dickensian tale, with the help of a multi-talented 33-member cast and a little directorial magic from Marybeth Clark.

Adapted for Charleston Stage by the company’s founder, Julian Wiles, A Christmas Carol stays true to the original storyline while presenting the tale of fiction’s most well known miser from a fresh perspective. As Scrooge (Nat Jones) travels through his past, present, and future, the changes in his heart are seen through the opinions of those around him. Parts of the play are decidedly tongue-in-cheek, with Tiny Tim (Luke Shaw) quoting several of Dickens’ other works, including the well-known “Please sir, can I have some more?” from Oliver Twist.

And of course, we can’t forget to mention the intricate set, complete with several different backdrops and lots of spooky fog. Complemented by a phenomenal cast performance, A Christmas Carol is the perfect way to ring in the holiday season with your loved ones.

Performances run through the 18^th. Be sure to call the box office today to get your ticket!

Charleston Stage at Dock Street Theatre, 135 Church Street, 843.577.7183.  www.charlestonstage.com

words: Callie Smith

She's got three things on her list...

A family is reunited through a Christmas Miracle, as the the ghosts of Waffle Haus Christmas Past, Present and Future come to visit this redneck colorful family in Rodney Lee Roger’s Waffle Haus Christmas.

PURE Theatre pays attention to details.  From the moment you walk into the theatre, Jimmy, played by Rodney Lee Rogers, greets you with a menu, the playbill cleverly designed and laminated like a Waffle House menu.  Pay attnetion, the little quips tucked in it are hilarious.

Sharon Graci plays Sally Ann, the matriarch of this rag tag team, and Sullivan Graci Hamilton stars as their daughter Bella, whom they describe as ‘special,’ which Hamilton plays to the max.  She’s the definition of comic relief, but you have to pay attention, her moments can be subtle or eclipsed by the larger action at hand.  Tripp Hamilton plays the Ghosts, a trio of stereotypes and humor.

Graci and Rogers have the back and forth timing of a well-polished cast.  Also their ability to handle the shocking number of latecomers humorously showed years of rolling with the punches that come with stage acting.  There’s no ‘Cut!’ here.  And they make it work flawlessly.

I was a little confused by the transitions back and forth addressing the audience and breaking the fourth wall and the story was told several times from multiple view points, but it made sense in the end.  Sally Ann is surly in one telling and sultry in another, Jimmy is ‘the man’ in one, a slightly nervous and jealous man in another, and it’s all hysterical.

I highly recommend you make Waffle Haus Christmas a priority for your holiday entertainment.  Leave the kiddies at home with grandma, this one’s not for them (language).  Waffle Haus Christmas is showing through December 23.

PURE Theatre, 477 King Street.  www.puretheatre.org

The Lineup:

Josef Kirk Myers & Will Willis – Visualive
Jay Fletcher – J. Fletcher Design
Chris McLernon – Two Heads Music
John Smith - SPARC
Ryan Eleuteri – Charleston Mix
Stephanie Barna  - Charleston City Paper
Bob & Kris Galmarini - Neve Inspired
Abigail Marie – Photographer & John Barnhardt - Barfly Productions

everyone’s favorite DJ’s Cassidy and the Kid will be spinning and bevies available from Westbrook, a tasty little brewery right here in Mt Pleasant.  Bring cash.

Wednesday, December 14; doors at 6 pm, presentations at 7 pm.  Top Secret Location TBA.

Do you like really intelligent, well-done theatre, that is funny even in the poignant moments?  Then Next Fall is for you.  PURE Theatre consistently puts on some of the most touching performances.  Human vulnerability at its very best.

Next Fall takes a measured and insightful look at relationships–between families, between friends, between lovers.  It’s a humorous play, but with some tear-jerking moments.

Without giving too much away, the examination of how people act in relationships, their fears and their misgivings, and how they deal with loss is central to the play.  Playwright Geoffrey Nauffts looks into the human psyche, to what motivates the players, and how their actions, beliefs, and prejudices affect the people around them.

PURE Theatre artistic director and co-founder Sharon Graci directs; Michael Catangay, Brannen Daugherty, Katie Huard, Michael Smallwood, Lucille Keller and Evan Parry star.  Next Fall is written by Geoffrey Nauffts, and makes its regional premier at PURE.

477 King Street.   www.puretheatre.org or 866.811.4111 for tickets.

The big news: just released on November 21, 2011, My Favorite Gifts, a Christmas compilation cd released by Ramseur Records, features NATB alongside other NC darlings The Avett Brothers, Paleface, The Wood Brothers and more.  I picked up a copy at Monster Music and Movies–probably the first time I’ve been in a record store in five years.  Hey, buy local, be local, right?

It’s a fantastic cd, and as if giving Christmas music that’s actually good wasn’t enough, all profits from the sale of the album go to the Vickie Honeycutt Foundation, to help cancer victims.

Personal Note: Bailey is a long time friend of yours truly, and I am so proud to see his hard work paying off.  It is an honor to have been part of so much of it, if only as a fly on the wall.

When did you first pick up the guitar?

Age 12. My mom had an old acoustic lying around the house. She showed me a few chords. I was half interested in it. About a year later, I discovered MTV and the glamor that came with being in a band. At that point I knew I had to actually learn how to play the thing.

What was your favorite childhood toy?

A pillow case full of G.I. Joes. I was a typical boy in that sense. Graham (my twin brother) and I would play with them for hours on end.

Nick and the Babes: Rob Wank, Graham Bailey, Nick Bailey and Dail Reed

What’s your dream job?

A full time TV/Film composer. I’m lucky enough to actually do this in my spare time. I freelance for Influence Music Publishing based out of NC. Through IMP and other production companies I’ve had the fortune of working for some amazing projects.

Some of them being: 18 Kids and Counting (TLC), My Deadly Appetite (TLC), Crime 360 (A&E), Known Universe (Nat. Geo), Last American Cowboy (Animal Planet), Dad Camp (VH1), Lock Up (MSNBC), Pit Bulls and Parolees (Animal Planet), What’s Eating You (E!), Car Warriors (Speed), Searching For (Discovery), Chicago Trauma (A&E), Make Me Superhuman (Nat. Geo), Fact or Faked (SyFy), Newsweek.com, Police POV (Tru TV), Legend Quest (SyFy), Duke Children’s Hospital Promo Video, Duke Hospital Video featuring Jeff Foxworthy, Wrekless Mindz: New York Stand Up, Zookazoo.com, A Work in Progress (film), Intel & Lenovo, Breaking Down the Bars (OWN TV), In the Bedroom with Dr. Laura Berman (OWN TV)

Who was your most positive influence as a budding artist?

Bailey with mother Becky

I’d have to credit my parents as being the biggest positive artistic influence in my life. Bob and Becky Bailey have always supported and encouraged me to do what I love. Both are artists themselves and understand the importance of nuturing art in any form. My parents have never given me the ‘get a real job and quit this music dream’ that so many might hear. Without their support I would not be doing what I’m doing today.

What inspires you to create?

Good news inspires me to get creative. So many people say that oppression is the best artistic influence, but for me it’s the oposite. I heard yesterday from Scott Pearson (Influcence Music Publishing, owner) that I’d be working on season 6 of TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting” and for me that makes me want to write music. When Bob Crawford (Avett Brothers) called and asked Nick and the Babes to do a song for their Christmas album I immediately jumped on my guitar and began writing. A lot of the ‘Nick and the Babes’ material may seem sad, about failed relationships and fear of commitment…but I can only begin the writing process once I’ve gotten over it. It’s hard for me to reflect on a situation until I’m out of it. “Punch you in the face,” one of NATB’s biggest crowd pleasers is about a failed relationship, but it came out about a year after the end of it….probably on a day when I met someone new.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you run off to?

I just recently visited Nashville and sat in with a band on Broadway. It was an amazing experience. If I could find a nice cozy house in the mountains of Music City I’d be pretty happy. It’s filled with energy and amazing musicians. I’m pretty indecisive, so if you asked me this next week I might say a tropical paradise spot like St. Thomas.

Finish the sentence: When I run off to the circus, I will…

make sure that no one knows about it…because who really wants to be known as a circus act?

Thanks Nick!  Make sure you check out Nick and the Babes on My Favorite Things and ‘Like’ them on Facebook!