A Conversation with Jack Chambers

An interview with the Mary Poppins the Musical Australia's Bert

After a decade, Mary Poppins the Musical is back in the ‘PAC, the Queensland Performing Arts Centre that is. Following its run at the Sydney Lyric Theatre these past couple of months, producers Michael Cassel Group, Disney Theatrical Productions and Cameron Mackintosh have followed the winds up north, and set up in the QPAC Lyric Theatre until the turn of the new year. Not just a simple repurposing of the original film, the production introduces new plot elements, brand new songs, new characters and is a tonally different experience that I would argue makes it enjoyable just as much (if not more) to adults and the youngest of patrons.

Reuniting after first performing on-stage in 2000 as two of the von Trapp children in The Sound of Music, the iconic roles of Mary Poppins and Bert have been filled in this latest tour by Stefanie Jones and Jack Chambers respectively. During a sneak peek delivered to media earlier today, you can quickly tell their on-stage chemistry is exceptionally strong and their personalities suit the charming qualities of both well.

Following today’s media event, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jack Chambers for a bit of a yarn, discussing early memories of Mary Poppins the film, their first experience walking along the proscenium arch and more. Please scroll down to read the full transcript of this interview, complemented by some photography of today’s events:

A Conversation with Jack Chambers 1
Image Credit: The Otaku’s Study

You have come here from your in inaugural season in Sydney. How has the tour been treating you so far and what have been some highlights?

The tour has been incredible. This has always been a dream role for me. The whole rehearsal process was really rewarding and exciting, and Sydney audiences were delightful. I must say the weather down there was really, really disappointing. We had lots and lots of rain and prior to going down there, I had lots and lots of rain up here in Brisbane with the floods just prior. That wasn’t the good part. But no, audiences were absolutely beaming and going crazy. We always love having that moment from no audience to having an audience. Because you always wonder, “Oh, are they going to laugh and they’re going to cheer here?”

We can sort of predict now exactly where people are going to respond and it’s pretty consistent thus far. I think so far, not only for myself but the whole entire company, we’ve all been really excited coming to Brisbane. Just in the past when we’ve all done productions here, Brisbane audiences lap it up and they really show us the love.

And on the notes of the bad weather you’ve had down there, I do note that today was apparently supposed to be stormy all day. But actually, we got a bit of sun.

-Both looking up at the small ceiling window, with blue sky visible from it-

I see. See the blue sky.

So, I’m hoping that’s a sign that the winds are blowing the bad weather away.

It’s the winds of change. Yes, exactly.

What were your first memories of watching Mary Poppins?

Well, I definitely saw the movie as a child, but my memory is with the music more than actually the movie. I am a very musical person and I love my music. As a kid growing up in the dance world and doing dances did with and stuff, I remember always doing some sort of number to a song from Mary Poppins. Whether it was Spoon Full of Sugar or Step in Time, Chim Chimney, all those wonderful classics. It’s always stayed with me. They’re my most distinct, earliest memories is constantly listening to the music and also Feed the Birds.

I remember having a Disney CD, which was just probably, was it a CD? Was it? No, it was, Yep, it was a CD. Wasn’t a cassette tape. But yeah, which had just sort of a mixed songs from all Disney movies and I remember there were lots of tracks on there. Yeah. I’m very familiar with the soundtrack in Mary Poppins and it has a special place here in my heart.

A Conversation with Jack Chambers 2
Image Credit: The Otaku’s Study

I am going to hit with you a few rapid-fire questions:

Favourite Song

Jolly Holiday.

Favourite Scene

Chim Chim Cher-ee, I guess I’m up on the roof with Mary and it’s our really only intimate moments in the show. Yeah. So, I’ll say on the rooftops in Chim Chim Cher-ee.

Favourite costume that you wear

It would be my Supercal costume because I don’t wear a jacket and so I finally feel like I’m not sweating up a storm with all these layers. It’s just the pants, the shirt, and the waist coat. So, I feel a bit more free. So, Supercal costume.

Favourite costume worn by someone else?

Oh, I think Mrs Corry’s costume is, I remember when I first saw that I was like, “Ooh, that’s a bit quirky”. Yeah, Mrs Corry. She has this huge butt I guess you could say with all these little sweets and cakes on little shelves on it. And yeah, I’d say Ms. Corry.

Favourite choreography in the show?

Well, Step in Time is definitely one of them. Oh God, they’re all wonderful but I’ll say Step in Time. And then, the one that I really enjoy that I’m not in, that I actually get to watch, is the Kite Ballet. There’s a little sequence that happens at the end of Fly a Kite that I think is just a really beautiful moment.

One of your shining moments in the program, at least in my opinion, is walking along the proscenium arch in Step in Time. What was it like doing that for the first time?

I was really quite nervous only because I was worried if I would find out I had vertigo. I thought this is not the way to find out. Luckily that didn’t happen and that was all fine. It’s just that level of anticipation, you don’t know how it’s going to go. Once I went up, it was actually a bit of a breeze. I remember I came down and our creator from the UK at the time goes then,

“That was great!”

and I was like, “Yeah, is that okay?”.

He goes, “Yep, great.”

Im like, “Awesome!”

I probably did it maybe just a few more times. That was it. So it sort of felt quite natural, which is very strange to say. Yeah, now I love it.

What is something that people might miss on their first watch but should keep an eye out for?

Oh, that’s a good question. Well, I think for ensemble members in this show, I think there’s some really great ensemble tracks, because they don’t play the same character throughout the whole show. They play many different characters. Like Jolly Holiday, if anything, is probably one of the most colorful, vibrant, and busiest numbers where there’s multiple things happening at once. I think you got to see Jolly Holiday a few more times, more than once to actually see everything that’s going on because not everything is completely choreographed in sync together. There’s just lots of different elements.

A Conversation with Jack Chambers 3
Image Credit: The Otaku’s Study

As a kid of the 90s, I recall it being quite popular to quiz people on how to spell ‘supercalifragilisticexpialidocious‘, yet when I was doing a marketing gig on a local production several years back, I found it very easy to learn how to spell the word. How long did it take you to be able to spell it?

Not long at all. I think because it’s stayed with me since I was a kid. I remember last time Mary Poppins was here in Australia, which was a decade ago, now. I was doing Hairspray musical at the time in Melbourne and I did see the show. Then outside of performing, I teach a lot, I teach a lot of dancing workshops and stuff that I remember back then. I remember teaching Supercal to certain classes of musical theater. Little did I know, I had no idea that I was eventually going to be a part of the show. Once you’ve learned it, it never goes away.

What are your recommendations for those who are looking to follow your footsteps and get a career in the performing arts?

Good question. Well the training is very, very important. Got to make sure you are quite skilled, not only in just one of the elements, but all three. It’ll put you in good stead to be confident in your dancing, your singing and acting. So once you have all that training, it’s about getting yourself out there.

I started doing a lot of amateur theater first when I was young, as well as doing some professional shows when I was young as well. Once you are of age and can work, you finish school, trying to find some representation to get an agent who can fight for you and send you out to whatever is out there in the industry. So, organizing some footage of yourself, having some monologues prepared, preparation meets opportunity. That’s always something that I always say.

Ultimately the biggest thing I always want our younger generation to have and make sure they have when entering this industry is passion. It’s not worth it if you do not have the passion because it is a hard industry. Sure, the opportunities here and some of us can go from show to show and some people don’t and you’ve got to try. That passion is what keeps you determined, resilient, and keeps you going. Yeah. If you don’t have that passion, then maybe you can do something else.

Thank you very much for your time today, and good luck with your upcoming Brisbane season!

A Conversation with Jack Chambers 4
Image Credit: The Otaku’s Study

How to purchase tickets for Mary Poppins the Musical

Tickets to see Mary Poppins the Musical at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s Lyric Theatre are now available for performances up to and including 1 January 2023. You can purchase tickets via the official QPAC website, or by contacting their box office team during business hours on 136 246. Tickets are priced between $59.90 and $189.90 excluding transaction fees, with pricing potentially dependant on session choice, whether it is a school holiday session or not and seating reserve – with special offers available for schools and bookings of groups of four tickets and 10+ tickets.

Special Thanks

A big thanks must go to Jack Chambers for taking some time out of his busy schedule to speak with me earlier today.

Furthermore, thank you to the Michael Cassel Publicity Team (Especially Kelly!) for arranging this opportunity and making it possible.

Sam
Sam
Founder of The Otaku's Study. I have been exploring this labyrinth of fandom these last fifteen years, and still nowhere close to the exit yet. Probably searching for a long time to come.

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