Playing “Bert” in the famous Mary Poppins musical is a dream come true for actor Scott Walters.
For the second year in a row, the New West resident will take on the role of P.L. Travers’ character in this year’s production, held at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage.
“I watched Mary Poppins as a child and loved the movie so much,” Walters told The Record in an interview. “It wasn’t until the auditions for the part of Bert that I got into reading the stories. What fascinated me about the books is that they have a darker edge to them, while the film is wonderfully fun.”
He went on to add director Bill Millerd has done a nice job of balancing both the 1964 classic and the famous literature.
Despite being comfortable in the role now, that wasn’t always the case. When Walters first auditioned back in 2013, it was a bit nerve-wracking – first, because he had never performed in front of Millerd, and second, because he wasn’t sure which adaptation of Bert they were looking for. Having been compared to Dick Van Dyke as a kid, Walters didn’t want to go so far as an impersonation.
“I thought I’d give it a fresh take, but colour it with a bit of Dick Van Dyke. Ironically, I auditioned for a part identified by Dick Van Dyke, so it was a fine line between presenting my own version and the movie.”
Walters then received a callback to complete the tap dancing portion of the audition – something he was convinced would not get him the job. His last tap dancing lesson was in 2000, after graduating from Edmonton’s Grant MacEwan University.
"I never had the opportunity to dust off those tap shoes after that. My goodness, were they ever dusty,” Walters said jokingly. “I was with four other fellows who were very able and picked up the dance after looking at it twice. I just stared at them going ‘You guys are amazing.’”
But as luck would have it, Walters got the good news later that evening.
“I told them ‘Did you see me dance in that audition?’ They said ‘Don’t worry, we’ll teach you.’”
With rehearsals not starting for a few months, Walters enrolled himself in a few tap classes – a decision he’s thankful he made. Without them, “things would not have gone well.”
One of the dance number’s he’s looking forward to is Step in Time, when all the chimney sweeps take the kids and Mary to the rooftops.
“It’s gorgeously choreographed. It gets so frenzied and crazy that Bert starts to tap along the walls and ceilings.”
That aspect of the part – learning how to be in a harness in order to fly or stand sideways – is what Walters described as the “magical” component of the production.
“It’s a feel-good play. It has a similar character turn as A Christmas Carol, when someone like Ebenezer Scrooge turns from a unsatisfied accountant to someone who becomes more festive and gets more out of life by giving,” he said. “It’s about love, the holidays and spending time with your family. Mary Poppins is a show to bring your own family to and realize what’s important in life.”
The musical is being staged by the Arts Club Theatre Company and will run from Dec. 5 to Jan. 4, 2015. Tickets start at $29 and can be purchased by calling 604-687-1644 or by visiting artsclub.com.
