On opening night, as the applause rolls through the auditorium and chimney sweeps take their final bows, she is not standing center stage.
She stands to the left of the audience.
In the dark.
Smiling.
And if you watch closely, you’ll see it — that unmistakable look of excitement and joy that only a teacher knows. The kind that says, They did it.
The director is Tracy Bean — Ms. Bean.
director Tracy Bean
While the curtain call belongs to the students of Christian County Public Schools, the quiet pride in the shadows belongs to her.
This moment did not begin tonight. It began thirty years ago — thirty years in Kentucky public schools as a choral director. Twenty-four years in Hopkins County. Three in Simpson County. And now, in her third year at Hopkinsville High School, teaching choir, musical theater, theater, and the History of Visual and Performing Arts.
Beyond the classroom, she leads music at Ogden Memorial Methodist Church — directing choir, praise team, and handbells. And this marks her second year as CCPS Senior High Musical Director. Last season it was Beetlejuice Jr. Now, it is Mary Poppins Jr.
And as kites soared across the stage and chimney sweeps tapped in perfect time, Ms. Bean stood in the dark and watched something greater than a musical unfold.
She watched growth.
She watched courage.
She watched students transform into a company.
The stage glowed under the careful design of Craig Hodge, whose love of theatre began at age twelve and has never dimmed. With 28 stage roles and 20 productions directed across Campanile, Heritage Christian Academy, and CCPS, he brought technical excellence to every light cue and sound swell.
The rhythm in every step came from Brittany Fleming, choreographing her first musical after two decades of shaping color guard performances. And somewhere in that ensemble danced her daughter, Kylie-Ann Fleming — a full-circle moment that felt as magical as any umbrella trick.
But the heart of the show belonged to the students.
Around them swirled honeybees, bankers, strollers, nannies, sweeps, and dreamers from elementary school through senior year. There were freshmen stepping into their very first musical and seniors taking one final bow before graduation. Band students. Athletes. Choir members. Future nurses. Future teachers. Future performers. And yes — future leaders.
Backstage, seniors moved props in near silence. Microphones were checked and rechecked. Scene changes happened like clockwork. Tech students worked without spotlight, understanding that sometimes the greatest art happens where no one is looking.
And perhaps that is what made Mary Poppins Jr. more than a performance.
It was unity.
Elementary students standing beside seniors. Schools across Christian County represented on one stage. Hosted by the students of CCPS, this production became more than entertainment — it became community.
In Hopkinsville, that matters.
Because when the final note fades and the house lights rise, what remains is not simply applause. It is confidence built. Friendships formed. Young voices strengthened.
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