Sauber: Balancing Hollywood and Broadway Versions of 'Mary Poppins'

 by Don Redman

Scott Sauber with Zachary Osborn and Lisa Meredith
(photo by Don Redman)

SLT Director talks about his vision

Scott Sauber has directed scores of productions on both sides of the lake, including the smash hits Seussical, and The Full Monty, for which received Slidell Little Theatre Ginny Awards for Best Director and Best Show for the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 Seasons respectively.

He opens SLT’s 2015-2016 Season behind the helm of the regional premiere of Mary Poppins. Scott took a break from the grueling rehearsal schedule to tell us about his vision for the show and what audiences can expect.

Tell us about your vision and inspirations for Mary Poppins.

SAUBER: Such a classic tale, I want the audience to be transported to Victorian times and whisked away to a magical setting.  The original movie holds so much color and texture, but the full realized Broadway show is a darker story.  When I first heard the soundtrack years ago, I had very vivid images in my head of what the show should look like.  Then I saw the original Broadway cast and felt the pictures in my head were more fun!  Let's bring them to life.

Scott Sauber directs Zachary Osborn  (as Michael Banks)
and Emma St. Cyr (as Jane Banks). Photo by Don Redman

What are the challenges to staging this production?

SAUBER: Mary has to fly, Bert has to tap, the chimney sweeps dance their "brushes" off and we need two great children.

What the audience can expect to see?

SAUBER: A fun-filled, Disney adventure with heart and soul.  This story is about a father and his children.  It just takes the nanny to show you that.

Poster Artist

As if his plate wasn’t already full as director, scenic designer and co-costume designer for “Mary Poppins,” Scott Sauber is also the poster artist for the production.

Inspired by the Victorian setting and the chimney sweeps – his favorite characters from the 1964 Disney movie – Sauber’s poster features the dark silhouette of a dancing chimney sweep against a dark, rich blue background.

Poster by Scott Sauber

“I love the texture of the original Broadway logo and the color scheme,” Sauber said. “I used what I remembered and went with Victorian inspired trim and silver as my accent color.  The chimneysweeps are my favorite, so it was important to incorporate one of those.  The font is very reminiscent of the Victorian poster style.”

About Scott Sauber

Sauber has more than 20 years of theatrical experience and education and teaches Theatre in the Talented Arts Program at Slidell High School. He is a graduate of the University of New Orleans’ Theatre Department. He is a multiple-award-winning actor, light designer, director and educator.

Don Redman was named the 2006 St. Tammany Parish Literary Artist of the Year for his comedy Who's Afraid of Virginia's Wolf Note? slated for production soon in SLT's new Black Box theatre. He is a regular contributor to SLT's blog and is the creator and editor of SLT's audience guide, Prologue. Find out more about Redman here.