Over the next few weeks, drama students will have an intense rehearsal schedule to prepare for “Mary Poppins,” the upcoming spring musical.

The musical will premiere on April 27 in the McAfee Center, with additional shows on April 29 and May 4 and 5.

“Mary Poppins” will be the first spring musical that incorporates theatrical flying. So far, students are only able to block each flying scene since the actual equipment has not yet arrived. Measurements for students that are flying have already been sent out to the flying company, ZFX Flying Effects, which prepares custom harnesses. During Spring Break, the company will load equipment into the McAfee Center, which the main characters will be able to use in three separate rehearsals.

“We’ve started thinking a lot about those mechanics, as far as what each actor will actually be doing when they fly,” drama teacher Sarah Thermond said. “But we don’t have it totally nailed down yet.”

The theater has its limitations for stage technology, which sometimes calls for modification of certain flying tricks. For example, one of main character Bert’s original tricks on Broadway cannot be done without paying thousands of dollars for additional tracking, Thermond said.

The first few weeks of rehearsals were dedicated to learning and polishing the choreography, inspired by the Broadway production, and modified to fit the ability levels of the student and utilize a cast of 49, much larger than the original production. At the beginning of March, vocals were integrated with the choreography and into each scene.

According to Thermond, the ensemble is one of the most important parts of the show with an extremely large role. “Mary Poppins” is known for its iconic ensemble numbers, and the few solo songs that were written specifically for Broadway performances did not appear in the original movie.

“I think that the leads are definitely important to tell the story of the play, but the show could not happen without the ensemble,” sophomore ensemble member Surbhi Bhat said. “Not only do we sing and dance, but we contribute to the story in a way that the main character cannot since we add the extra magic, visuals and fun.”

After the music program’s concert series, orchestra teacher Andrew Ford selected students to practice for the musical’s live score. Integrated rehearsals with the cast were scheduled to begin the week before spring break.

In the movie version, Julie Andrews and Dick van Dyke play their iconic versions of Mary Poppins and Bert, which have become models for future renditions of the two main characters. Although it is necessary for actors to stay true to characters that are familiar to audiences, Thermond encourages cast members to include a personal touch to their roles in order to flaunt the strengths of each student.

“As long as our actors are interpreting the character in a way that is consistent with the script and the tone of the story, I actually encourage them to do slightly different things,” Thermond said.

Costumes were designed by Sarah Thermond’s mother Cathie Thermond, who has volunteered for the school’s drama department since her daughter was a student. The sets will stay true to the late-Victorian era, in which the story takes place, with the exception of the scenes with more fantastical elements.

Since darker tones were more common during that time, the costumes and overall scenes are more muted in color, Thermond said. On the other hand, bright colors and jeweled tones are used in an alternate version of the actors’ original costume during the scenes where Mary Poppins brings other characters into a nonrealistic world.

In general, musicals have fewer props than plays due to frequent scenery changes during a show, and in many cases, the stage must be empty enough to fit about 40 ensemble members that have to dance and sing. However, the few props needed have to be very specific to the show. Special props in “Mary Poppins” include furniture that can be repeatedly broken apart and reassembled, star-shaped gingerbread cookies that don’t crumble on stage and items that appear out of nowhere, Thermond said.

The production began its move into the McAfee Center on March 19 and 20. The first full run through took place on March 23.

The musical is intended to appeal to all audiences, with a “simple childhood story” that requires precision, skill, technical difficulty and complex themes and characters.

“I can already think of several moments in the show where I think audience members might burst into spontaneous applause, or be totally in shock of something a kid does,” Thermond said. “I think people often feel that way when they come to a really hardcore musical, but this one just has even more opportunities than ever, so it’s a good time, and I’m really excited for people to see it.”