Earlier this week, while the cast of Nashville Repertory Theatre‘s Mary Poppins was in the midst of their final rehearsal before opening night Thursday, April 28, four of the show’s leads were gracious enough to take time out of their busy schedules to take part in my latest Rapid Fire 20 Q. Up first, it’s Mary Poppins herself, Christine McNeal. I followed my conversation with Christine by chatting with Jeremy Benton, who’s playing Bert. After chatting with Christine and Bert, it was time to pose a few questions to Mr. and Mrs. Banks, Geoff Davin and Natalie Rankin.
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RAPID FIRE Q&A WITH MARY POPPINS STAR, CHRISTINE MCNEAL
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Other than the obvious Practically Perfect response, what is it about Mary Poppins that drew you to this role?
CHRISTINE McNEAL: I have adored Julie Andrews and the movie Mary Poppins ever since I can remember. So, that was the beginning of my love with the role, but then that love grew. She is loving, direct, confident, quick witted, AND she sings and dances. Mary is such a complex character, especially once you dive into the books and other resources and it has been one of the great honors of my life to get to know her so well.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: This also marks your Nashville Rep debut. They’ve long been one of my favorite local theatre companies. What’s been the most surprising aspect of working with this company?
CHRISTINE McNEAL: It has been such an absolute joy working with the Nashville Rep. The theatre community in Nashville is very new to me, so I came in not quite knowing what to expect, but it has been such a delight. I think the biggest thing that has stuck out to me is the instant sense of community. We went through the beginning of covid together, and everyone had everyone’s back throughout this whole process. I feel always seen and heard by them, and I see them doing that for all the cast and crew members.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: While this is your first time portraying the role of Mary Poppins, this isn’t your first time being part of the show, having appeared as an ensemble member in a couple of summer stock productions in Georgia in 2014 and in Idaho in 2015. How exciting is it for your to now be front and center portraying one of the most beloved characters of stage, screen and the page?
CHRISTINE McNEAL: It is truly a dream come true to be playing Mary, and I have to pinch myself nearly every day. I so admired the actresses that I saw play the role in those productions I was in, and I felt like that was invaluable prep for auditioning for this production. It feels like the biggest honor as well because this story, character, and the music are so beloved to many people out there. I just want to do Mary justice for them.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: While there are certain iconic looks, thanks to Disney’s original 1964 film adaptations, I’d image the show’s costumer, Lori-Gann Smith is putting her own touch of magic to the costumes. What’s your favorite look, your’s or any other cast member’s in this production?
CHRISTINE McNEAL: Ooo yes, the costumes are some of my favorite parts! I love that there are nods to some of the film looks that people will recognize and be excited by, but there are also surprises that the audience will love too. There is a blue skirt suit that Mary wears that feels very iconic and fresh at the same time, and I just adore the whole outfit.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Can’t chat with Mary Poppins without asking about the aerial effects. Can you tell me a little about that?
CHRISTINE McNEAL: Yes! This is my first time flying in a show, and it has been very exciting. I thought it would feel a bit scarier at first, but it has been a lot of fun. We just had our first dress rehearsal with the flying, and that really made the magic come alive for me. I think that the audience is going to be absolutely thrilled with all of the aerial surprises in this show, and I cannot wait to feel that joy alongside them.
RAPID FIRE Q&A WITH JEREMY BENTON, BERT IN MARY POPPINS
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Alright, you gotta know you’re one of my Theatre Crushes. I first saw you alongside Rachel York in the National Tour of Anything Goes, then again in my all time favorite Christmas musical, White Christmas. Now you’re Bert in Nashville Rep’s Mary Poppins. From what I understand this is your first show with Nashville Rep. How’s it going so far?
JEREMY BENTON: Oh gosh, ha, well, thank you! I feel SO lucky to have gotten a chance to not only play some of my “bucket list” roles, but that I got to tour through TPAC while playing those roles! And yes indeed, this is my very first show with Nashville Rep. I am absolutely thrilled that they trusted me with the role. It’s a dream role, and one of those movie roles made iconic by another song-and-dance hero of mine, the incomparable Dick Van Dyke. When I met with Drew Ogle and Micah-Shane Brewer about the possibility of making this happen, I knew right away that I’d love working with them and the incredible cast/crew/and team that they’d assembled. The talent is absolutely top notch, the management crew is dedicated and fearless, the crew is ferociously attentive to detail and safety, and the design/creative team is absolutely dreamy.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: While it’s your first time with Nashville Rep, it’s not your first time playing Bert, having played him in back in 2015. Any nuances of this portrayal of Bert that you’ve honed under the direction of Micah-Shane Brewer, who’s directing Nashville Rep’s production?
JEREMY BENTON: Absolutely! First of all, I was allowed to come in about 2 weeks late into the rehearsal process due to me being in an industry workshop of the new play Merman: A Backwards Tale About Ethel in NYC. To say that I was appreciative of this allowance would be the understatement of the year, haha. Upon arriving late to the process, I jumped right in and hit the ground running. (MUCH to the credit of some extra rehearsals with our fabulous dance captain, Ray Gleaves, and my superstar understudy, Mike Sallee). After a few stumble throughs of each act, Micah-Shane had some really insightful notes for me about Bert’s role in the play, some layers of character that really help with gluing the evening together, but most of all, he allows us as actors to “Sure! Try it. Let’s play with it and see where it leads”… These words are pure gold for actors. Feeling the freedom to explore, but knowing that it will be shaped by a director that thoroughly understand the play is one of the best feelings to have during rehearsals.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: In addition to the aforementioned roles, you’ve also played Don Lockwood, the Gene Kelly role in Singin’ in the Rain and Fred Astaire in Backwards in High Heels…Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire and Dick Van Dyke…they’re some sort of Holy Trinity of Musical Theatre Dance, right? How’s it feel to continue the tradition on stage as you dance your way into the hearts of audiences night after night?
JEREMY BENTON: Let’s not forget Bob Hope in the musical about James Cagney titled Top Of The World! Haha! (A lot of folks don’t know that Mr. Hope was also a top notch song-and-dance man himself). Yes, there does seem to be a theme to my career: playing the Old Hollywood song-and-dance movie stars of yesteryear, or at least the roles they made famous on film. Fred, Gene, Dick, Bob, Donald O’Conner, Ray Bolger.. yes, definitely a theme! To be honest, I do take it as a sort of responsibility… to always honor the genius and memory of these icons. But at the same time, not to “imitate”. I always describe it as finding the essence of them, or their performance, and then sprinkling that on top of a performance from me that comes from a very honest place. I also try to remember and recapture that feeling of joy and awe that I had as a little kid, watching these movies for the first time. My theory is that if I’m finding and sharing my own joy, the audience more than likely will always come along with me.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: While preparing to chat with you, I fell own a rabbit hole of Mary Poppins conspiracy theories…you read that right…among my favorites, conspiracies that Mary was Bert’s Nanny when he was a boy. Thoughts?
JEREMY BENTON: WHAT?! Oh my gosh, I had not heard that one! Well, that adds quite a few “layers to the onion” as we say in showbiz, haha! 😆
JHPENTERTAINMENT: You know I could do an entire Rapid Fire 20Q with you, but alas, I’ve got a couple more of your cast members to chat with for the remainder of my questions, so I’ll leave you with this…What aspect of Bert’s personality would you like to adapt to your own life?
JEREMY BENTON: This is such a great question. You know, it’s actually close to something I’ve already been thinking about, and noticed about this role that, in a few ways, parallels my actually life and outlook these days. My sister has four kids, making me Uncle Jeremy of two nieces and two nephews. While running a few scenes with the kids in our show, I felt that “Uncle Energy”, ha. You know what I mean? I find that, in a way, playing Bert feels quite similar to being an uncle. A quirky, song-and-dance uncle, but an uncle none the less. And the role of Bert reminds me of an important mission that I am forever working towards: protecting, listening to, and breathing life into my own inner child. Bert as a character does this effortlessly. In that aspect, I’m sort of envious of him. But playing him onstage is like going to the “inner child” gym. It strengthens those “play” muscles, and Bert’s outlook is a bit infectious. I hope it stays with me a long time after Mary Poppins closes.
RAPID FIRE Q&A WITH GEOFFREY DAVIN, MR. BANKS IN MARY POPPINS
JHPENTERTAINMENT: I just finished chatting with Christine and Jeremy, both of whom are making their Nashville Rep debut in this production. You however, are no doubt familiar to Nashville Rep audiences, having appeared in a handful of shows throughout the last decade, most recently in Ragtime, their return to live theatre post-shutdown. What’s it like to be back again and now playing Mr. Banks?
GEOFF DAVIN: Well of course this was the show that we were working on back in 2020 when Covid shut everything down. So this show was definitely unfinished business for many of us. It was very much like a reunion coming back in on that first day of rehearsal. And I truly can’t wait to share it with the Nashville community. It’s a magical piece. And I think we all need a little magic in our lives right now.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: As Mr. Banks, you’re among the show’s characters who undergoes a bit of a transformation in attitudes. How gratifying as an actor is a role like this?
GEOFF DAVIN: I am very grateful for the chance to play this role. And actually, in many ways, I understand George more now than I did back in 2020. So it’s actually quite cathartic to get to take this journey and be reminded each day of what’s truly important in life.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Many Mary Poppins fans no doubt likely associate Mr. Banks with Brit-born character actor, David Tomlinson who portrayed him in the 1964 Disney film adaptation. How are you making the role your own?
GEOFF DAVIN: I haven’t seen the film since I was a child. So I purposely have not rewatched it. But my goal with any character that has already been defined by another actor’s performance is to honor the essence of it while throwing out the details of that actor’s portrayal. Even when you think you know a character, it’s important to always start by searching for their truth and approach the character with compassion and understanding…never judgement. And in doing so, I trust that my lens is going to be different than Mr. Tomlinson’s lens.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Quite often, the actor portraying Mr. Banks also appears throughout the show in a variety of other smaller roles. Is that the cast with this production?
GEOFF DAVIN: I actually didn’t know that. That surprises me. I can’t picture how he would be able to do that. But no, that is not the case here. I am only Mr. Banks.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: As Mr. Banks, you share many scenes with the Missus, Mrs. Banks, played by Natalie Rankin. Since I’m about to chat with Natalie, How has it been to have her as a scene partner?
GEOFF DAVIN: While George and Winifred’s relationship is struggling, they do ultimately love each other. So as an actor, when your character has to love another character, it’s your job to make a connection with that actor and to make yourself emotionally vulnerable to that person. And I hate to say it, but that’s not always easy to do. But fortunately, Natalie makes it incredibly easy. She is just the loveliest human being and always brings such a great energy to the rehearsal room. So I’m very grateful for that.
RAPID FIRE Q&A WITH NATALIE RANKIN, MRS. BANKS IN MARY POPPINS
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Much like Bert, who’s been a chimney sweep, a one-man band, a sidewalk chalk artist, and a kite salesman, Winifred Banks, at least in all the incarnations from books to film to musical has been a suffragette, a socialite, a mom and an actress. Aside from actress, what’s your life resume look like?
NATALIE RANKIN: What a great question! Aside from Actress, my life roles have included Barista, Nanny, and Yogi – and most recently have shifted to Vocal Coach, Plant Lady, and Wife.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: OK, I gotta admit, while I do indeed enjoy Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (and yes, I typed that out with absolutely NO spellcheck or autocorrect), two of my favorite moments in the show are Feed The Birds and your solo, Being Mrs. Banks. What are your favorite moments in the show, whether you’re involved or not?
NATALIE RANKIN: This is a tough one! Those are some of my favorite moments, as well. They capture the range and heart of this whole story so well. My favorite moment to be a part of is the scene when we sing Anything Can Happen. Mary and the children sing to encourage Winifred to be bold and strong in a world where women aren’t really allowed to be so. As Winifred, I get to see, in action, the perspective and empowerment that Mary Poppins has instilled in my children, and as Natalie, I am offered a beautiful, rhyming pep talk from Christine McNeal Toole and whichever pair of awesome young people is playing Michael and Jane that night (shout out to my pals Mia Blaise, Jackson, Sarah, and Danny) – like, what a treat! My favorite moment to watch from the wings is Jolly Holiday, for sure. Every aspect of that number is absolute magic: Christie’s choreography, Lori’s swirly, twirly dress designs, and our incredible ensemble come together so deliciously, and I just get to bask in their glow and sing along!
JHPENTERTAINMENT: When I chatted with Geoff, I asked him about sharing the stage with you as a scene partner, so it’s only fair I ask you how he rates as an on-stage spouse?
NATALIE RANKIN: Oh, he is excellent! In Geoff Davin, I have not only a fabulous scene partner, but a real friend, and a fellow artist to bounce ideas with. Working with him to create our George and Winnie has been so much fun. He makes it so easy to become Winifred! There are many moments where she shows compassion and concern for a troubled George, and all I have to do is imagine how I would console or comfort Geoff in real life. Piece of cake.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: When I spoke with Geoff, I also mentioned that his character likely goes through the biggest transformation, in the way the think of themselves and the world around them, but the more I think of it, Mrs. Banks also has a bit of an internal awakening. Can you tell me a little about how you approach the characters growth in the context of how she feels about herself and her role in life?
NATALIE RANKIN: Of course! Like you, the more I’ve thought about and gotten to know Winifred, the more clearly I’ve seen her story’s arc. I’ll be honest – since I am not a mother myself, in our first few rehearsals, I felt like a total fraud. How could I possibly represent this person if I don’t have children of my own? On top of that, as an actor whose projects have been limited for the last couple years thanks to a global pandemic, I felt rusty. I felt awkward and phony, and like I was doing everything wrong. One day, it clicked in my mind that, for most of this play, Winifred is also feeling awkward and phony and like she’s doing everything wrong. So I started to empathize with her, and in turn, with myself. Throughout the rehearsal process, I began to find my footing and trust myself as an actor again, but it took time. Eventually, I decided to make every effort to just keep showing up and trying different ways to feel confident and comfortable in this role, no matter the outcome. It was my only option, other than totally shutting down from fear of failure. What if people come to see this show and can see how rusty I am? So what! What if this isn’t the way someone else would play Winifred? Who cares! What if someone doesn’t think I am good enough to play this part? That’s their opinion! By rediscovering my own inner strength and character, I discovered Winifred’s. I hope that the mothers who see the show see themselves in Winifred, and that those who feel they have lost themselves in worrying about what is “appropriate” or shrink themselves for fear of making a mistake will feel that encouraging nudge in Anything Can Happen. With every run of the show, I feel more and more proud of Winifred for being bold and taking that risk, and I feel more and more proud of myself for the same reason.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Sort of along those lines, what lessons can Mary Poppins and the rest teach audiences?
NATALIE RANKIN: So, I’ll be frank. When I first heard that the Rep was doing Mary Poppins, I thought, “Oh boy, another bubbly Disney musical,” with, admittedly, a little bit of an eye roll. All I really remembered about the movie was Spoonful of Sugar and Jolly Holiday. But after studying the source material of this story and getting to spend time with these characters, it’s become clear to me that Mary Poppins has timelessly relevant lessons to teach audience members of all ages. Never judge a person by their appearance. Even grown-ups need help sometimes. Anything can happen if you let it. You never know when someone special will swoop into your life and help you rediscover your humanity. Oh, and it’s never too late to learn how to fly a kite
Mary Poppins runs April 28-May 8 at TPAC‘s Polk Theatre. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets or for more information.
While Mary Poppins marks the end of Nashville Rep’s current season, they’ll be back with their 22-23 Season in the fall starting with RENT September 16-25, The Cake October 21-30, Elf: The Musical December 21-January 1, August Wilson’s Fences March 3-5, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time March 24-April 2 and Violet May 12-21. Season Tickets just went on sale earlier this week. CLICK HERE to purchase Season Tickets or for more info. Check out Nashville Rep online HERE and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.
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JHPENTERTAINMENT: Captain Beverly Bass, one of the many characters you portray in the show, wasn’t just one of the pilots of planes diverted to Newfoundland on 9/11, she’s also the first female captain to ever fly a commercial plane for American Airlines. How did you research playing her?
JHPENTERTAINMENT: What’s your personal favorite message conveyed within Come From Away?
At the top of the play, Beck introduces herself as Heidi. With Shreck having originally performed the role during its Broadway 2019 debut in the days before the pandemic darkened theatre for nearly two years and also starring in the aforementioned Amazon Prime film version, Beck has her work cut out for her. Not only is she playing the woman who created the though-provoking piece, she also plays her as a young teenager. Worry not though, as Beck more than rises to the challenge, perfectly embodying both versions of Schreck with ease and conviction.
Y’all. The fact that I retained this bit of info is further proof that the playwright, director and star have brilliantly come together to present the subject matter in such a way that even the least history/politically-minded audience member can and will take something away from this unique theatrical experience.
