Monroe teen learning to fly

With her penchant for magic and her ability to fly, Mary Poppins is one of the most enchanting and well-known characters in all of theater. For Sultan actress Maleah Haverly, Mary Poppins has always been her dream role, and one that she has aspired to play ever since she was a little girl.

So when the 15-year-old Monroe High School student got the opportunity to audition with Ludus Performing Arts youth theater for a part in its upcoming production of “Mary Poppins,” her heart was filled with hope that she would be selected to portray the iconic, magical British nanny. And even if she didn’t earn the top spot, Haverly would have been perfectly happy with any role, as long as she could be part of the show. 

But she didn’t have to settle for another role because, according to Ludus director Steven Ortiz and his assistant, Mackenzie Kienitz, Haverly nailed it. She commanded the room the instant she walked in, Kienitz said, and they knew right away they had found their Mary Poppins.

Haverly was cast in the 13-performance production, which debuts in Everett on Friday, July 8.

“It’s nothing short of a dream come true,” she said.

A lifelong dancer and performer, Haverly basically grew up on stage. Her mom, Macy, a longtime employee at the Monroe Police Department, enrolled her in dance classes when she was very young, and she took to it right away. She grew up studying ballet, tap, lyrical, hip hop and more. 

“It was cute because in the recitals when she was little she was always the one that would linger on stage blowing kisses, bowing, curtsying and making the audience laugh, because she did not want to get off stage,” Macy said. “And that’s pretty much stayed the same way ever since.”

Over the years, being a dancer evolved into being a theatrical performer. Haverly has been in several shows, including Monroe High School’s recent production of “Big Fish,” and hopes to someday perform at the 5th Avenue Theatre. Her audition with Ludus was the first time she stepped outside the boundaries of a school production.

For Haverly, the idea of playing Mary Poppins was a big deal.

“When I was a kid, I would watch ‘Mary Poppins’ every single day,” she said. “I just loved it so much because it was so magical. What other character do you know that goes up banisters and flies in through windows and jumps into sidewalk chalk pictures?”

It was more than the magic of Mary Poppins that captivated her — it was the underlying message. Mary Poppins was endlessly positive, had high moral values and was “practically perfect in every way,” Haverly said.

“Her job, basically, is to travel from family to family and just fix everything and make the world a better place,” she said. “There’s really no other character that you can compare to her, and so that’s why I’ve just always loved her.”

To say she was nervous for the audition is a bit of an understatement.

“Performance has just kind of been a part of my life for so long and so now, nerves are kind of nullified and I just kind of get excited for performances,” Haverly said. “This was the first time in a while that I’ve gone into an audition or a performance absolutely terrified.”

The events leading up to the audition were serendipitous — almost as though Haverly followed a magical chalk-drawn pathway of her own. The situation unfolded in perfect harmony with the Mary Poppins philosophy that, “anything can happen if you let it.”

It started early last December, when Haverly’s mother found a Mary Poppins doll on a Monroe-based online garage sale. Haverly’s birthday is Dec. 5, so Macy bought her the doll as a gift, and a symbol of inspiration and hope that maybe someday she would achieve her dream role. The stage was further set in January, after a random act of kindness performed by Macy, who was browsing the same online garage sale when she stumbled across a pair of boots she thought her daughter would like.

When Macy went to pick up the boots, she learned the woman selling them would soon undergo back surgery. 

As she was driving away, she couldn’t get the woman out of her mind. She felt compelled to check in with her later to make sure she had all the help she needed during the surgery and following recovery period.

“I thought I should just check with her,” Macy said. “So I contacted her and asked her if she had help lined up. She thought that was really nice, so she wanted me to come and visit her after she had her back surgery.”

So Macy did. She brought her a smoothie and the two chatted about their families. It was in the course of their conversation that Macy learned about Ludus. 

Based out of Lake Stevens, Ludus is a nonprofit youth theater group that focuses on high-quality productions. The family-operated theater was founded in 2013 by Ortiz, who manages the organization with help from his mom, dad, brother, Kienitz and other volunteers. His vision for Ludus is to provide a way for kids and young adults to improve their self-confidence and pursue artistic endeavors, by giving them the opportunity to perform in professional-level theatrical productions.

Ludus, which serves kids and adults age six through 26, is funded through parent donations, monetary and in-kind donations, ticket sales and fundraisers. The group rehearses at Lake Stevens Middle School, and performs at the Snohomish County Public Utility District theater at PUD headquarters in Everett.

When Macy visited the Ludus website and discovered the group would be holding auditions for a summer performance of “Mary Poppins,” it was, quite literally, show time. Maleah sprang into action, obtaining professional headshots, organizing her theatrical resume and hunting for a suitable monologue to perform at the audition.   

“It was a team effort. We had a friend do her head shot and her sister helped with her resume,” Macy said. “It was kind of neat — really fun.”

They decided to go and see a Ludus production, to get a feel for what the shows were like. They attended a performance of the musical, “Into the Woods,” and were impressed by the quality of the performances, costumes and sets.

“Their sets are really, really amazing,” Maleah said. “We were really impressed by the sets.”

Selecting her monologue was challenging, she said. Haverly wanted to grab the casting director’s attention and at the same time demonstrate she would be able to embody the characteristics of Mary Poppins. She reached out to a friend for guidance, who sent her a rather cantankerous monologue called “Protesting Poppins.”

“It was this British nanny being very prim and proper and acting like Mary Poppins, but bashing her at the same time,” Maleah  said. “It was really, really funny how contradictory and ironic it was, so I thought that it would be something to remember.”

The audition took place at the end of March. In addition to the monologue, Maleah  had to sing two songs and submit her headshot and resume. Ortiz was unable to attend her first audition in person, but watched her performance using the video conferencing platform FaceTime. He and Kienitz were impressed by both her acting ability and the carefully chosen monologue.

“That’s what really catches our attention; when someone puts that type of thought into their monologue,” Ortiz said. “That was a gigantic boost for her, and on top of that, she was a great performer.”

Rehearsals are held three times a week and on Saturdays, and will increase in frequency as show time gets closer. During a recent rehearsal, Maleah  slipped glibly into the Mary Poppins character just as easily as pulling on her long, white gloves. It is a role she feels she was meant for, and she is excited to have been trusted with such an important character.

Now, it’s time for Maleah  to learn how to fly.

The technical aspects of a show like Mary Poppins are one of the reasons Ortiz wanted do it. Feeling ready to tackle new challenges, the show will feature flying along with a liberal dose of magic. To help keep Maleah  safe while she’s flying, they’ve recruited Brent Stainer, a division chief with the Everett Fire Department who has 15 years in technical rescue. As of Saturday, June 11, the group shifted its rehearsals from the school to the PUD stage, giving Maleah  just under a month to master flight.

“She’s going to be practicing flying every rehearsal,” Ortiz said.

Maleah has enjoyed her experiences with Ludus, and already has plans to audition for a future production. The graciousness of the other cast members has been remarkable, she said, and everyone has made her feel welcome.

She loves that it was her mother’s random act of kindness that brought her to her dream role. 

“I love how God used her generosity to provide us with this great opportunity,” Maleah  said. “It just goes to show that a little bit of kindness — a spoonful of sugar, if you will — goes a long way.”

For more information about Ludus or to buy tickets for “Mary Poppins,” visit www.ludusyouththeatre.org or the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Ludus-Performing-Arts-185069811532987.