(HACKETTSTOWN, NJ) --Everyone’s favorite practically perfect nanny takes flight this holiday season with Centenary Stage Company’s Family Holiday Musical Mary Poppins, November 25 through December 11 in the Sitnik Theater of the Lackland Center.  This “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” musical adventure is an enchanting mixture of irresistible story, unforgettable songs, breathtaking dance numbers, astonishing stagecraft and a live orchestra. 

Centenary Stage Company’s Family Holiday Musical not only signifies the start of the holiday season for many but celebrates all of Centenary Stage Company’s programming by combining community members, CSC staff, Centenary University Theatre Department faculty and students, Young Performers Workshop students and professional guest artists.

Based on the books by P.L. Travers and the classic Walt Disney film, Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins delighted Broadway audiences for over 2,500 performances and received nominations for nine Olivier and seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

The jack-of-all trades, Bert, introduces us to England in 1910 and the troubled Banks family. Young Jane and Michael have sent many a nanny packing before Mary Poppins arrives on their doorstep. Using a combination of magic and common sense, she must teach the family members how to value each other again. Mary Poppins takes the children on many magical and memorable adventures, but Jane and Michael aren't the only ones upon whom she has a profound effect. Even grown-ups can learn a lesson or two from the nanny who advises that "Anything can happen if you let it."

Boasting a cast of over seventy performers Mary Poppins features several audience favorites returning to the Sitnik Stage.   Leading the principle cast, in the title role of Mary Poppins, McKenzie Custin (Bethlehem, PA) returns to CSC.  Audiences will remember Custin from her portrayal of Dorothy from the 2012 CSC production of The Wizard of Oz.  An alumni of CSC’s Young Performers Workshop, Custin received her BFA in Musical Theater from Montclair State University and has since worked at such theaters as Forestburgh Playhouse, Highlands Playhouse and NY Musical Theatre Festival.  The charming Cockney-accented song-and-dance everyman, ‘Bert’ will be played by Hackettstown native and former YPW alumni, Justin Buccitto (New York, NY).  Residing in Manhattan, Buccitto an award – winning choreographer and international dance teacher, has a wide range of credits spanning from MTV’s MADE to The Metropolitan Opera and Papermill Playhouse.  As a teacher, Buscitto is currently on faculty at Broadway Dance Center, Cap 21 and Circle in the Square.  Centenary Stage Company favorite Osborn Focht (Hoboken, NJ) returns after last seasons celebrated turn as Scrooge in a ‘Christmas Carol’.  Audiences will also remember Focht for his acclaimed appearances in the CSC productions of Peter Pan (Capt. Hook), Christmas Carol (Scrooge), Oliver! (Bill Skyes), Rounding Third (Don), Tartuffe (Tartuffe) and The School for Wives (Chrysalde).  Focht’s other credits range from Broadway to regional theater, as well as, television and film.

Rounding out the principle cast are several CSC veterans including CSC Artistic Director Carl Wallnau (Hoboken, NJ), Lea Antolini – Lid (Sparta, NJ), Jeremy Hilgert (Delaware Water Gap, PA),  Maria Brodeur (Rockaway, NJ), Cara Kramer (Clinton, NJ) Jeff Foote (Denville, NJ) Megan McGill (Pompton Lakes, NJ), James Russo (Wayne, NJ), Donald Danford (Rockaway, NJ), Deirde Worth (Hackettstown, NJ), Cindy Livingstone (Cranberry Lake, Byram Township NJ) and Debbie Lockwood (Hackettstown, NJ).

The full cast also features;  Tatiana Garcia (Clifton, NJ), Maxine Spann (Washington, NJ), Jenna Black (Hackettstown, NJ), Cydney Black (Hackettstown, NJ), Megan Schmiedhauser (Stanhope, NJ), Victoria Pulido (Hackettstown, NJ), Iyonnah Cousins (Paterson, NJ), Ameer Copper (Newark, NJ), Claudia Raglievich (Hackettstown, NJ), Dominick Garatino (Andover, NJ), Joshua Boyer (Budd Lake, NJ), Chris Kolwicz (Mahwah, NJ), Izac Cruz (Budd Lake, NJ), Sasha Onishchuk (Oakdale, NJ), Nick Bettens (Stanhope, NJ), Angelina Taystra (Washington, NJ), Jana Byrnes (Hackettstown, NJ), Tom Farber (Highbridge, NJ), Joe Anselmo (Dumont, NJ), Brianna Morris (Parsippany, NJ), AJ Lewis (Oxford, NJ), Lauren Taglienti (Hackettstown, NJ), MacKenzie Cutcliffe (New York, NY), Tyler Donovan (Blairstown, NJ), Nicole Boscarino (Wayne, NJ), Maria Alessi (Wayne, NJ), Ethan Rice (Keeper, NJ), Tess Clark (Hackettstown, NJ), Guila Bailey (Washington, NJ), Annabelle Plociniak (Stanhope, NJ), Matthew Sigler (Hampton, NJ), Jackson Yawger (Columbia, NJ), Ivana Velez (Hackettstown, NJ), Olivia Berlingerio (Oxford, NJ), Sebastian Gutkin (Long Valley, NJ),  Rachel Lee (Flanders, NJ), Olivia Mancuso (Port Murray, NJ), David Yawger (Columbia, NJ),  Sydney Lewis (Port Murray, NJ), Lexie Miller (Hampton, NJ), Olivia Ribnicky (Long Valley, NJ), Cody Jackson (Washington, NJ), Andrew Nussbaum (Long Valley, NJ), Alani Rose (Long Valley, NJ), Brianna Ascione (Randolph, NJ), Gracelyn Donovan (Blairstown, NJ), Kiana Rodiguez (Randolph, NJ), Brandon Vita (Hackettstown, NJ), Andrew Wire (Branchville, NJ), Jovani Catala  (Washington, NJ), Teax Armijo (Chester, NJ), Elaine Belenguer (Long Valley, NJ), Zack Clark (Hackettstown, NJ), Jacob Jackson (Washington, NJ),Quinn O’Hara (Hackettstown, NJ), Raphael Pelczmann (Morristown, NJ) and Kira Herkenham (Hackettstown, NJ).

Evening performances of Mary Poppins are Fridays November 25, December 2 and December 9 at 8pm; Saturdays, November 26, December 3 and December 10 at 8pm and Thursdays, December 1, December 8 at 7:30.  Matinee Performances are Friday November 25, Sundays November 27, December 4 and December 11, Saturday December 10 and Wednesdays November 30 and December 7 at 2pm.  Ticket prices for Mary Poppins are $27.50 for adults and $22.50 for children under twelve on Matinees and Friday evenings.  Saturday evening ticket prices are $30.00 for adults and $25.00 for children under twelve.  Thursday evening ticket prices are $27.50 for ALL SEATS.  Thursday evening is also our Family Night.  Enjoy a two for one rush ticket special when tickets are purchased in person at the CSC box office as early as two hours prior to performance time.  Rush ticket offer is not valid for advance ticket sales.

For more information or to purchase tickets visit centenarystageco.org or call the box office at (908) 979 – 0900.  Tickets may also be purchased in person at the CSC box office located in the David and Carol Lackland Center on the campus of Centenary College; 715 Grand Ave. Hackettstown, NJ.  The box office is open Monday through Friday from 1 – 5pm and two hours prior to every performance.  Centenary Stage Company tickets may also be purchased through the mobile app. Ticket Trove.

The 2016-17 season of performing arts events at the Centenary Stage Company is made possible through the generous support of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the NJ State Council on the Arts, the Shubert Foundation, the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, the Sandra Kupperman Foundation, and CSC corporate sponsors, including Premier Season Sponsor Heath Village Retirement Community, Silver Sponsors Hackettstown Medical Center, Home Instead Senior Care (Washington), The Holiday Inn in Budd Lake, and Fulton Bank of New Jersey, and Centenary Stage Company members and supporters.