Tag Archives: The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati

Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s MARY POPPINS JR. 

CINCINNATI – The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati (TCT) opens its 107th MainStage season with Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins JR., playing October 9-25, 2026, at the Emery Theater. Tickets start at $12 and are on sale now at thechildrenstheatre.com.

This delightful adaptation of the Broadway and West End hit brings the unforgettable Banks family and the magic of Cherry Tree Lane to the stage. With colorful characters, an irresistible score, high-flying theatrical effects, and the Emery Theater’s immersive stage technology, this production offers an incredible crowd-pleasing experience for all ages. The musical includes favorite Sherman Brothers songs such as “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Feed the Birds,” “Step in Time,” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” along with new songs by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.

Kim Kern, President and CEO of The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati, said: “Mary Poppins is a story generations know and love, and the Emery Theater gives us the opportunity to tell it with an entirely new sense of scale and wonder. From the moment Mary flies into Cherry Tree Lane, audiences will be surrounded by the music, movement, and theatrical magic that make this show so special. It is a practically-perfect way to open our 107th season, and we cannot wait to welcome families back to the Emery!”

Public Showtimes include:

• Friday, October 9, 2026: 7 PM – OPENING NIGHT
• Saturday, October 10, 2026: 2 PM and 5 PM
• Sunday, October 11, 2026: 2 PM
• Saturday, October 17, 2026: 11 AM and 2 PM (ASL and Audio Described Performance)
• Sunday, October 18, 2026: 2 PM
• Saturday, October 24, 2026: 2 PM and 5 PM
• Sunday, October 25, 2026: 2 PM

Important information for opening-weekend patrons: BLINK Cincinnati will take place Thursday, October 8 through Sunday, October 11, from 7 to 11 PM throughout downtown Cincinnati, Over-the-Rhine, and Northern Kentucky. Because the free light and art festival is expected to draw large crowds and will affect traffic, street access, and parking near the Emery Theater, patrons attending performances October 9–11 should plan to arrive early and allow extra travel time. Public transportation is encouraged. Visit blinkcincinnati.com for current maps, road closures, parking, and transportation information. Pre-paid guaranteed parking passes for TCT patrons are available now at thechildrenstheatre.com.

Good to know: This production uses theatrical fog and haze, and actors will be flying on stage. This production runs approximately 70 minutes without intermission. Ideal for ages 4+.

Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins JR. is based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney film. Original Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. Book by Julian Fellowes. New Songs and Additional Music and Lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. Co-Created by Cameron Mackintosh. Adapted by iTheatrics under the supervision of Timothy Allen McDonald.

Original London and Broadway Production Credits

Produced by Cameron Mackintosh and Thomas Schumacher. Co-Choreography by Stephen Mear. Lighting Design by Howard Harrison. Scenic and Costume Design by Bob Crowley. Co-Direction and Choreography by Matthew Bourne. Directed by Richard Eyre.

The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati Production Credits

Stage Direction by TCT Artistic Director, Roderick Justice. Choreography by TCT Associate Artistic Director, Maddie Jones. Music Direction, Jacob Priddy. Scenic Design, Seth Howard. Lighting Design, Yelena Babinskaya. Resident Costume Designer, Alix Frisch. Original Costume Design, Noelle Wedig-Johnson. Sound Design, Daniel Massey. Video/Projection Design, Lightborne. Flying Effects, ZFX. Technical Direction, Maggie Foley & Andrew Nunley, Properties Master, Adam Borchers. Director of Production, Dani Lobello. Production Stage Manager, Jadi Davis.

Presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com Any video and/or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.

Disney & Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins JR. is made possible by Season Sponsors The Charles H. Dater Foundation and H.B., E.W. & F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, N.A., Trustee. Production Sponsor The P&G Fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation. PNC Foundation provides additional funding for MainStage Ticket Subsidies. Dress Run Sponsor TriHealth. Additional Sponsors include The Sutphin Family Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, and The Shubert Foundation INC. And Media Sponsors 12 WKRC-TV and Q102.

This production is made possible in part by an investment of public funds from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). The OAC is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically.

The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati is supported by the generosity of tens of thousands of contributors to the annual ArtsWave Campaign, the region’s primary source for arts funding. 

Disney & Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins JR. will be performed in the beautifully renovated and reimagined Emery Theater, 1112 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. Tickets start at $12. Visit thechildrenstheatre.com anytime or call the TCT Box Office at 513.569.8080 x10, Monday – Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM to purchase tickets. 

CAST:

• KATIE BAUER:  Ensemble
• AMY S. BAUMANN:  Miss Andrew
• * LEVI BAUM:  Michael
• PHOENIX BILLS:  Northbrook/Ensemble
• TROIAN BUTLER:  Ensemble
• CAMMI CALDWELL:  Katie Nanna/Mrs. Smythe/Ensemble
• MAIYA CALDWELL:  Ensemble
• *HAILEY CHANG:  Ensemble
• *CELIA D’ASCENZO: Jane
• COLIN DECH:  Ensemble
• EDRICO EVANS-PRITCHETT:  Ensemble
• EMMA HACKWORTH:  Neleus/Ensemble
• * JAVIN HILL:  Robertson Ay
• *DEZ FLYNN HUTCHENS:  Ensemble
• KYNDRA D. JEFFERIES:  Mrs. Corry
• JAMES JONES: Bert
• EVAN KOONS:  George Banks
• *PATRICK LYTLE:  Ensemble
• AARON MARSHALL:  Von Hussler/ Ensemble
• SEAN MOSS:  Chairman
• AMY OBLINGER:  Mrs. Brill
• ZACHARY PETRIE:  Ensemble
• ALEXIS PINTO:  Ensemble
• EMMA RILEY:  Mary Poppins
• COLTON SLADE:  Ensemble
• * KEYA VADIVELU:  Ensemble
• MARY VOSSEBERG:  Bird Woman
• MICHELLE WELLS:  Winifred Banks
• PORTER WILLS:  Ensemble

* Denotes TCT’s Young Artists Company

Covedale Elementary – 2026 JumpStart Program

Bramble Elementary Selected for Fully Funded JumpStart Theatre Program

The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati also celebrates local schools that participated in the 2026 JumpStart Theatre Showcase

CINCINNATI – The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati (TCT) is proud to announce that Bramble Elementary has been selected as the newest local school to participate in the JumpStart Theatre program beginning with the 2026–2027 school year.

The Educational Theatre Foundation (ETF), in collaboration with New York City-based companies iTheatrics and Music Theatre International, created JumpStart Theatre, a three-year scalable program designed to build sustainable musical theatre programs in underserved schools that previously had none.

Bramble Elementary was selected following an application and review process that included site visits and interviews with school administrators and the educators who will lead the program.

“We are thrilled to welcome Bramble Elementary to the JumpStart Theatre family,” said Kim Kern, President and CEO of The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati. “This program gives educators the training, tools and ongoing support they need to create meaningful and self-sustaining theatre experiences for their students. We look forward to partnering with Bramble Elementary and watching their program grow over the next three years.”

Through JumpStart Theatre, Bramble Elementary will receive services and materials valued at $12,000, including professional training, mentoring and production support. Students will have opportunities to participate in many aspects of creating and presenting a musical theatre production, both onstage and behind the scenes.

Teams of three or more educators from each participating school take part in professional development boot camps throughout the year. Led by experienced teaching artists, the workshops provide training in areas of musical theatre production and are designed to empower school teams to develop programs they can continue independently.

Local Students Take the Stage at the JumpStart Theatre Showcase

TCT also recently celebrated the accomplishments of its participating JumpStart Theatre schools during the annual JumpStart Theatre Showcase, held April 14, 2026, at TCT’s Red Bank facility.

Students from Batavia Middle School, Covedale Elementary, Spencer Center for Gifted and Exceptional Students, Mt. Washington School and Shroder High School came together to perform, celebrate one another’s work and share what they had learned throughout the school year.

“The Showcase is always an inspiring reminder of what can happen when students are given the opportunity to express themselves through theatre,” said Angelo Cerniglia, TCT Education Director. “The confidence, creativity and teamwork they demonstrate are extraordinary. We are incredibly proud of the students and educators from each participating school.”

The annual Showcase brings JumpStart Theatre schools together in a supportive environment where students can perform for their peers and celebrate the progress of theatre programs throughout the region.

For more information about the JumpStart Theatre program or to make a gift, visit thechildrenstheatre.com/jumpstart-theatre-program/.

About The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati
At 107 years old, The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati is the nation’s oldest professional theatre for young audiences and the only professional theatre in the region devoted entirely to children. In 2025, TCT reopened the restored historic Emery Theater, now the most technologically advanced theater in the country and home to its MainStage productions. Through TCT MainStage, TCT on Tour, and TCT Academy, TCT educates, entertains, and inspires more than 100,000 children and families each year, awakening a lifelong love of theatre in the young and the young at heart. For more information, visit thechildrenstheatre.com.

About the Educational Theatre Foundation
The Educational Theatre Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Educational Theatre Association, whose shared vision is to build a global community of creative problem solvers, effective collaborators and empathetic individuals through theatre. ETF advances the field of educational theatre by broadening representation and increasing access for all. Learn more at foundation.schooltheatre.org. 

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