You talk the show, but you don’t get a full process as you do when you start from the beginning. On Broadway, you don’t get an intense rehearsal in regards to going into the details. That’s exciting because you find something new when you join a show from the beginning. It’s a brand new production, all new staging, all new choreography. All of that stuff and getting to perform in the Broadway company was a once in a lifetime type of performance opportunity.ĭrayton was exciting for me because it was a chance to go back to the beginning and start fresh. I got to perform in a lot of the television press leading up to the Tony’s. I got to perform with the show on the Tony Awards. It’s a one-time thing, a show of a lifetime. The show just recently opened, I was first replacement in the show. Ledbetter: Initially, when I joined the Broadway company, it was my Broadway debut. What were the different dynamics between a Broadway performance vs. You’re not in the scene for very long, but you have to go there to keep the story going. As you saw, it’ll go back to that nursery scene for just a few minutes and then move right on again. Niegel West, who directed it, did a great job staging it, keeping the flow and keeping everything moving forward. The cast, the musical numbers, and the company never stops changing costumes and make-up. It’s enormous with all of the technical things that go along with it. It’s the probably one of the biggest shows Drayton has ever done. Ledbetter: Great Choice! Great Timing! It’s a big show. I thought Mary Poppins was a great selection to open the new Dunfield Theatre. When you can reach and open the eyes of somebody that hasn’t necessarily looked to theatre as a first place for entertainment, it’s brilliant. Ledbetter: That’s so great!! That’s brilliant. I have to let you know that I didn’t think my husband, who is a service manager/mechanic type, would enjoy a performance with all of the singing and choreography, but during intermission he looked at me and said “This is amazing!!” People in the company are so kind, so generous, and so talented. We didn’t know what the production would be like and it has far exceeded our expectations. We knew one person in the cast and we knew Alex because we had spoken on the phone. There are some great restaurants and everyone is so friendly.
Ledbetter: Cambridge is a lovely little town. What do you think of our little town of Cambridge? His personality is charming, up-beat, and so endearing. Classes include dance technique, mock auditions and in depth scene study and choreography workshops.Īfter meeting with Mark, I’d love to participate in their classes. When they are not performing, the couple teaches Broadway Master Classes to students in NYC and across the US. Jen was part of the ensemble in Mary Poppins on Broadway. They met on the first national tour of ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ where they played opposite one another. Mark and Jen are no strangers to theatre.
Jen plays various roles in the performance as well. Mark explained that he is very excited that he and his wife, Jen Taylor, are embracing this experience together. All hands were on deck preparing for the afternoon Matinee performance of Mary Poppins. Like most actors, the interview got underway as we made our way to a quiet corner table in the grand entrance of the Dunfield Theatre.
I had the opportunity to review the inaugural performance of Mary Poppins in Cambridge, Ontario, where I confessed that my favourite character was the ever charismatic and charming Bert, played my Ledbetter. Broadway actor Mark Ledbetter, from New York City, is nothing short of compelling.
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