While you’re back in the Bay, are there any spots you’d like to visit?
Well I love Fourth Street in Berkeley. I lived really close to that area, and I love walking around it. They have a lot of great, boutique-y shops. There’s also a core power yoga that just opened up, so I’m definitely going to go there. There are so many places I want to go … and so many things I want to eat! I’m definitely going to go to Café Gratitude. I love it there. And I’m going to eat a lot of Indian food and Thai food—all of the delicious food you can get in the Bay. Oh and I’m really excited because I’ve just really gotten into vintage shopping and there’s so much of that on Telegraph. I really want to discover all these places that I’ve never taken advantage of before.

Where did you play as a kid growing up in Berkeley?
We went to the Adventure Playground in the Marina. I don’t know if its still there. It was actually probably pretty dangerous, thinking back on it. It was this really big playground and the whole point was that you never stop growing. You asked for nails and hammers and create your own playground. We went there all the time.

Did you ever have any nannies or babysitters growing up?
I don’t think we ever had a babysitter. I had an older brother.

Do you have any suggestions about fun places in the area for nannies to take their kids?
I love the Marina in Berkeley. There’s lot of hills to roll down—it’s nice to play in nature. There were always lots of dogs to play with. And we used to go fly kites there. Flying kites in the Marina—that’s very Mary Poppins. I also used to go to the Lawrence Hall of Science all the time. That’s definitely something fun to do as a kid. I always go there when I come back home and walk around and look at the beautiful Bay.

How does it feel to be back near your hometown performing such an exciting show?
I went and saw everything that came to San Francisco. I think the last show I saw was Wicked at the Orpheum. I just can’t believe I’m coming and performing. It’s really exciting because I have people coming to see me pretty much every night. It will be great knowing someone in the audience. It’s exciting because when you’re on tour you’ll do shows in random places you’ve never been to and you won’t know people in the audience there.

Where did you get your acting start? Any regional theaters around here?
I did my first show when I was seven, in Alameda. My first role was Nellie in Annie Get Your Gun—she’s one of Annie Oakley’s sisters. My brother and I were both in that. Then the Music Man, Annie—I played all of the little girl parts.

Wait you’re with Diablo magazine? I definitely did an interview with you guys when I was Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz when I was 12—so like 10 or 11 years ago. I think you did a photo shoot with me! And I was like ‘That’s a big deal. I’m gonna be in Diablo magazine!’ But yeah I really worked with a bunch of theater companies around the Bay Area. Pleasanton was kind of as far as my mom was willing to drive.

How do you feel about playing one of the most beloved Disney characters?
It’s pretty cool. People always ask me, ‘Do you feel pressure filling Julie Andrews’ shoes?’ And then I think about that and I’m like, ‘Oh you’re right; it’s a really big job.’ But it’s been really fun and not anything I ever thought I’d do. Playing Mary Poppins—she’s so out of this world. It’s been a pleasure and an honor to play someone so beloved to so many people.

What’s your favorite song in the show?
It changes all the time. Right now it’s ‘Supercal….’ I can’t even say it. I say it every night in the show. ‘[Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ is] really fun to sing.

Do you have any recommendations for all the nannies out there?
I think it’s kind of funny because I’ve had to choose how to play this part. You’re given the line and what you know of the character, but then you fill in the blanks. And I’ve chosen to add some quirkiness and to play up how much fun it is to be with the kids and do the magic. So I think that fun should always come first before anything else. Fun is the most important thing.

Mary Poppins, May 8–12, Orpheum Theater, 1192 Market St, San Francisco, times vary, $40–$180, (888) 746-1799, shnsf.com.

VIVIENNE – Jennifer Chong, Laura Jinparn
ENID HOOPES – Hayley Mason
KYLE – TBD
PILAR – Sultana Gardizi
MARGOT – Angie Pardini
SERENA – Emily Jones
DELTA NU’S – Juliana Ortiz (Kate), Arielle Werner (Leilani), Jane Kennedy, Karina Werner, Allie Re and Katie Kronick.
MALE ENSEMBLE
Nicholas Crossen, Larry Hawelu, Adrian Huerta, Anthony Pearson, Eldon Rodenbough, Griffin Silva, Bruce Mitchener, Andrew Allen, Wes Enos and Mark Metzker.
FEMALE ENSEMBLE
Erika Chaney, Lucy Clearwater, Jesse Epstein, Rosalind Neisinger, Hailey Schneider, Sophia Blake, Christine Curolla, Danielle Dominguez and Grace Mesenbring.