“Step in time, step in time, come on my dear, step in time!”
The lyrics from “Step in Time,” from the movie “Mary Poppins,” ring throughout Searcy with the upcoming auditions for Center on the Square’s summer musical “Mary Poppins.”
Auditions will be held tomorrow and April 2 from 1-4 p.m. The musical will be performed July 29-Aug. 12.
Creative Executive Director of Center on the Square, Wendy Neill, said auditions are for all ages and ranges of talent.
Neill said practices will be in the evenings once a week in May, twice a week in June and as needed in July.
“Whether you have to take a class or work, you wouldn’t have to miss anything to be in the show,” Neill said. “We make the show process as enjoyable as possible.”
“Mary Poppins” will be the sixth musical Rickae Boyd has directed for Center on the Square. Boyd said one of her favorite things about putting on a show is that anyone can use their talents.
“This show is a wholesome, family show,” Boyd said. “We are going to have one of the biggest casts and crew we have had, and we always become a family. This time won’t be different.”
Boyd said the story is based around the Banks family — familiar characters who come from the book and movie, with familiar songs from the movie, as well as a few new ones.
Patrick Reilly, a small-business owner in Searcy, is a member of Harding’s concert choir and will be auditioning for the upcoming musical. Reilly started working with Center on the Square building sets and said he recently began auditioning for shows. Reilly plans to audition for the role of “Bert,” famously played by Dick Van Dyke.
“After Center on the Square announced the show, I had a number of people come up to me and tell me to audition for ‘Bert,’” Reilly said. “I asked them why, and they said I am just him.”
Reilly said Bert is a likable character and he is looking forward to auditioning for the role.
Neill requested individuals interested in auditioning to submit a form before auditioning, located on www.centeronthesquare.org in the “More Information” tab.
