Naperville theater puts spin on 'Mary Poppins' with revolving stage

Magical Starlight Theatre's version of "Mary Poppins" couldn't happen without a huge turntable.

Not the one you'd play old Prince records on, though. This one is all about the revolution.

In theater, a "turntable" is a stage with a large rotating platform to enable quicker set changes without shattering the illusion audiences crave. To switch scenery and location throughout the show, the platform rotates to bring one preset scene forward while the previous one is hidden. This provides the story with a constant flow so it may navigate from one plot point to another without disrupting the audience's viewing experience.

A turntable stage is just one example of the way Magical Starlight Theatre, a Naperville Park District organization, defies the norms of theater in its production of "Mary Poppins." Not only is the stage revolving, but characters fly and endless magic tricks are performed.

A cast of 63, ranging from fourth-graders to adults, has come together to "uncover the complexities of the magic," director Kris Visher said.

When selecting a show, Visher reminisced on her experiences seeing "Mary Poppins" on stage in both London and New York. Visher knew the show would leave the audience speechless, as it did her.

Audiences will adore "seeing something that they've seen on the two-dimensional screen come to life," she said.

In addition to the faithful adaptation from screen to stage, the cast and crew have worked with immense dedication and precision to bring magic to the stage, Visher said.

Cast members "work full time during the day and have other lives, and they're trying to squeeze dialogue, music and choreography into three rehearsals a week," Visher added as she praised cast members for their commitment and enthusiasm. With the schedule limited to evening rehearsals after 9-to-5 workdays, the cast and crew have pushed even harder to pull the pieces together.

"Youth and adults play on the same team," Visher said, as they strive to achieve the common goal of executing six-part harmonies while remembering their dance steps and next costume change.

It is the hope of Visher and her entire company that audiences will "leave having a wonderful experience in every scene" and will have experienced the magical and heartwarming story they know and love.

The magic begins at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Jan. 15 to 24, in the auditorium at Naperville Central High School, 440 W. Aurora Ave., Naperville.

Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door, and can be purchased at the box office, by phone at (630) 848-5000 or online at napervilleparks.org.

For information, visit napervilleparks.org.