Winds in the east, mist comin’ in. Like somethin’ is brewin’ and ‘bout to begin. Can’t put me finger on what lies in store…but I feel what’s to happen all happened before! Twice before, as a matter of fact. Every four years or so it seems! When one is given the opportunity to pick up the magical umbrella and fly…one should certainly take it every chance they get! And Katie Sheldon has done exactly that. The St. Demetrios’ Suburban Players production of Mary Poppins marks Sheldon’s third time in the titular role (once in 2015 with September Song and once in 2019 with Glyndon Area Players), making her Baltimore’s most popular Poppins! Concluding the Spit Spot & Practically Perfect interview series, we’ve sat down with Sheldon and her co-star Gary Dieter, who is playing the marvelous and magnificent Bert, and had a chat about the production, all its magic, and what it’s like this time around.
Thank you both so much for giving us a little rehearsal time— and Katie, this has been a long time coming, as you seem to follow down the Julie Andrews path!
Katie Sheldon: So excited to finally chat with you! It’s my third time playing the role, third time’s a charm and I’m finally going to get it right this time!
And what about you, Gary? Is this your first time out with Mary Poppins?
Gary Dieter: This is my first time playing Bert for the whole show. I’ve done Bert before in shows that are more of a musical revue, either with dance or musical theatre. But this is the first official time where I’ve gotten the script and all the numbers from beginning to end.
Why did you want to come out and jump over the rooftops?
Gary: Because I’ve always loved Dick Van Dyke and I’ve always loved this movie. And my dancing has been compared to that type of dancing. I lost out at this role once before so I was ready to give it another go. I lost out because I was too short. The Mary was really tall and they didn’t think it would be a good fit.
I’m so excited to get to watch you and all your magic, Gary. Now, Katie, why would you want to come out and fly on the umbrella for the third time?
Katie: It’s because it’s the best part I have ever played. It is my absolute favorite part. It is so close to myself, except with a British accent and I’m not quite magical. There is just something about this role that I completely connect with and there are more moments in this show where I completely forget who I am. I always have those little moments when I’m on stage but in this show it happens a lot and I just lose all concept of who I am, who Katie Sheldon is, and I live so much in just being Mary Poppins. And the flying— while it hurts— it is incredible. There’s nothing like it.
Is this the first Poppins where you’ve physically flown?
Katie: No, I flew at GAP (Glyndon Area Players) but not with September Song. It hurts but it’s incredible and amazing.
Gary, are you flying?
Gary: Well, I’m flipping. So flipping and flying sort of. I’m jumping. I’m flipping, flying, and jumping over the rooftops, as they say. It’s my first time in a harness. I’ve certainly been up in a plane (Gary Dieter is flight attendant with Southwest Airlines in his non-acting moments of life) at 40,000 feet but this will be a different feeling. I should mention that I am just a little bit afraid of heights. Like balcony heights, if I were standing on the edge of a balcony and looked over, I would be afraid. It’s very different from flying inside an airplane— that’s my office. But this type of flying, almost free-from in a harness, will be very different and very interesting. I’m looking forward to working with the crew that’s coming in to train us. And I feel great to have Katie here by my side too.
Katie: I have always wanted to work with Gary.
Gary: This is our first time working together. Our paths have always crossed but never like this and this is the time we finally get to do it.
What have been the challenges that you guys have been facing in doing these iconic rules, which ultimately come with the comparisons to Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews, or Katie, for you, being compared to how you did it previously? Are there challenges stepping into these highly-demanding physical roles, particularly after so much downtime in the pandemic?
Gary: I would say for Bert there are a lot of challenges vocally and not with hitting notes. He’s the narrator of this show and every time he opens a scene, that’s his monologue, and each time he opens a scene it’s a different piece of a song. That’s challenging to me. The other piece that I’m dealing with right now, which will be fun by the end, is that I’m choreographing “Step In Time.” Lauren (Director Lauren Spencer-Harris) wants it to be immersive and to use different areas, different levels of performers, all over the space. So that’s a big challenge to put together in my head right now. But I’m really excited about that. Now, Bert’s dancing doesn’t scare me at all. It’s very comfortable for me, this is a very comfortable role for me. And vocally it’s crazy but it’s not out of my wheelhouse. It’s really all about bringing across Bert’s persona and keeping up all that energy for over two hours.
Katie: Honestly, the challenge for me is the singing because this is right at the top of my range. I don’t consider myself a soprano. I’m a fake-soprano.
You’re a Fauxprano.
Katie: Yes! I like that. I’m borrowing that. I’m a Fauxprano. But this is the hardest stuff that I have to sing. Luckily, I’ve done it before so I know it. But I feel like I’m in the best shape of my life. Physically, I work out every day and I run. You need to be very physical and active when playing these roles just to make it through the double-show days. I’m going to be sweaty but I won’t be out of breath!
Do you have a moment in the show that is your favorite? Whether you’re in the moment or just watching it from the wings, what is that moment for you?
Gary: I guess that really depends on where we are when you ask that question. I think what’s neat is during the last rehearsal we had, we talked about the layers of “who are Bert and Mary Poppins” and “what are they?” We followed that talk by rehearsing some more of the acting-heavy scenes, the more quiet scenes that happen towards the end of the show. I really found those moments to be very heartwarming. They speak to me and they are very different from the loud and splashy “hey, showman!” part of Bert that everyone sees all the time. That particular scene is the scene with Mr. Banks, the stars, and the broken jar. And I love that moment because it finally dawns on me that I remember this man, Mr. Banks, as a young boy. Those are the levels that we went to. Bert and Mary were a part of his picture as a child, he just chose not to follow Mary’s lead back then.
Wow. So that’s like saying that you and Mary Poppins are maybe timelord or time travels or at the very least, magically timeless.
Gary: We are. We’ve talked about that.
Katie: That’s the approach that we’re taking. We jump through time and we help families. And we’re a tag team who works in tandem.
Bert: It brings something more to both of them, I think. A lot of people think they’re just a cute couple and that Bert has a crush on Mary or something like that or that they went to elementary school together. No. They’re angels or spirits, time-travelers. That took us to another level when we sat down and had that talk with Lauren and we loved it.
What about you, Katie? Is there a moment that you’re absolutely enamored with?
Katie: “Feed the Birds” is my absolute favorite Disney song ever. And honestly, it takes everything I have to not lose it in that song. Every time I have to desensitize myself and I can’t get totally into it because I start to lose it. That is my absolutely favorite song ever; I just love it so much. And Lauren has put a different spin on it and I’m very excited about it.
What does the word Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious mean to you?
Gary: I need to go home and practice my letters! That’s what it means. Because that will be something I will be learning right up until opening night! It’s not something I can practice in the car on the drive to and from rehearsal. And Katie has been great about creating and teaching us the hand-signals for that song.
Katie: I wish it had been on the SATs. It would have been the one word I knew how to spell! I’m terrible at spelling, absolutely terrible, but I can spell that word. It’s been given to me at Spelling Bee (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, a musical which asks for audience-participation in a spelling bee) and I’ve spelled it perfectly. It’s a word that just invokes pure joy. You can’t say it without smiling.
What would you say has been your biggest learning lesson, your big personal takeaway from being a part of this production?
Gary: For me it’s kind of like a homecoming in coming back to Suburban Players. I sort of let it go after John Desmone let go of the reigns, so it feels like a homecoming for me. It’s nice to come back to this sense of family. And I’m really excited to work with Katie, mostly her knowledge of this show. She’s so very helpful, especially when I ask “okay, what’s next?” when you’re doing it through the first time and I still have my nose in the script. It’s been a dream to work with her. She’s perfectly cast as Mary Poppins. The sense of family here, everyone I’ve come across here wants to give 100% and wants to do their best and that’s all we need. I’m also excited that I live five minutes from this theatre, it’s nice not having to drive a really long way for rehearsal and performance!
Katie: This part has really shown that anything can happen if you let it. Being a performer of a certain age, you always think that it’s “never over until it’s over.” I can remember watching the movie growing up, and I saw it when it went on tour. But I never thought in a million years I’d get to play this part at all let alone for a third time. Every time it’s just magical. The last time, at GAP, I thought, “well, I’m never going to be cast as this again.” But then this time it came around, and I figured I’d go out for auditions, I would try, but I was sure they were going to go younger and yet here I am. It’s just so magical. I just can’t get enough of this part, I really can’t. I just does something to me and whatever that something is I really love it. It really is magic.
Speaking of magic, what is your favorite magic moment in the show?
Katie: I don’t know. Does flying count? Because it’s pretty magical. “Spoonful of Sugar” is also really fun because Lauren is putting a new spin on this whole show. She believes there is magic everywhere. So you are going to see more magic.
Gary: Not that I know of yet. I guess it’s going to be flying. And maybe the audience’s reactions. Because maybe they know Mary is going to fly but they’re not always aware that Bert can fly too in that particular number.
Katie: The really cool thing about this show is that Mary doesn’t fly until the end of the first act. And people expect her to fly right away. And when she doesn’t people start to think ‘oh, they’re not going to fly her. This is community theatre.’ But then up she goes and you can hear the collective gasp of the audience as she starts to fly. It’s so cool.
What is it that you are hoping that people will take away from coming to see Mary Poppins?
Gary: To come out and forget their troubles. This is such a light-hearted show full of many underlying messages but it is something that people feel a familiarity with and I think they will love it.
Katie: Mary Poppins isn’t just there for the kids. She’s also there to remind the parents to not take themselves so seriously. I think we can all use a reminder of that. So come out, escape your troubles, and let Mary Poppins make you feel better.
If you weren’t playing Bert and Mary, but you were in the show as someone else, age, gender, singing capabilities, etc. aside, who would you be?
Gary: Oh Robertson Ay. Just the physically comic part of him would be so much fun.
Katie: I would love someday to play Miss Andrew. I think that would be really fun. We’ve got a great Miss Andrew in this— Tammy (Tammy Oppel) and she’s incredible! I’m going to have so much fun with her! We duel! And it’s so much fun. Cane against umbrella. Oh, by the way, we’ve added a duel! Tammy is actually another person who I’ve always wanted to work with but never have until now. I’ve been a fangirl of both her and Gary here for years. And now I’m getting to work with them. It’s so great!
If you had to sum up your Mary Poppins experience here in just one word, which word do you use?
Gary: Sparkle.
Katie: Magical!
Mary Poppins plays February 10th through February 19th 2023 with the Suburban Players housed at the Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in the Hermes Rafailides Center— 2504 Cub Hill Road in Carney, MD. For tickets please call (443) 390-2981 or email Suburbanplayers2504@gmail.com
To read the interview with Bella Comotto and Elijah Tsakalos, click here.
To read the interview with Erin, Evelyn, Maeve, and Nora Acerno, click here.
To read the interview with Tammy Oppel, click here.
To read the interview with Suzi Eldridge and Jim Gross, click here.
