B-A performing ‘Bye Bye Birdie’
Mirror photo by Rachel Foor / Bellwood-Antis High School students take part in the dress rehearsal for their presentation of “Bye Bye Birdie” starting April 11 in the high school auditorium.
Mirror photo by Rachel Foor / Bellwood-Antis High School students take part in the dress rehearsal for their presentation of “Bye Bye Birdie” starting April 11 in the high school auditorium.
Mirror photo by Rachel Foor / Bellwood-Antis High School students take part in the dress rehearsal for their presentation of “Bye Bye Birdie” starting April 11 in the high school auditorium.
Mirror photo by Rachel Foor / Bellwood-Antis High School students take part in the dress rehearsal for their presentation of “Bye Bye Birdie” starting April 11 in the high school auditorium.
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The Bellwood-Antis High School will put on three shows of "Bye Bye Birdie" from Thursday, April 11, to Saturday, April 13, at 7:30 p.m. in the high school auditorium.
"Bye Bye Birdie" is a classic musical that premiered on Broadway in 1960 with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Lee Adams and a book by Michael Stewart. The story is set in the late 1950s and revolves around the excitement surrounding a rock 'n' roll star named Conrad Birdie, who is about to be drafted into the army. The plot centers on the efforts of Birdie's manager, Albert Peterson, and his secretary and girlfriend, Rosie Alvarez, to stage a farewell performance for Birdie on the "The Ed Sullivan Show" and capitalize on his popularity before he leaves for military service. The lucky girl chosen for Birdie's farewell kiss is Kim MacAfee, a typical American teenager from Sweet Apple, Ohio, who idolizes Birdie.
Director Molly Burns said that she chose "Bye Bye Birdie" for the school musical because of Bellwood's size, saying that she really tries to "gear the show toward the kids I know I have."
"I thought this show would be fun for the kids and feature the seniors who have been involved for years," Burns said. "The upbeat music and recognizable songs make this show great for the audience as well."
This year's production is especially exciting for Burns as her daughter, Trinity Riva, is playing Rosie Alvarez.
"Because of that, I've known most of the seniors since they were in kindergarten and it's been so fun to get to direct them their last year," Burns said. "Thad Dick, who is playing Conrad Birdie, is a real character so I'm sure his numbers will be entertaining."
Cast/crew
The cast includes Jacob Caracciolo as Albert Peterson, Trinity Riva as Rosie Alvarez, Thad Dick as Conrad Birdie, Annie LeGrand as Kim MacAfee, Christian Jennings as Harry MacAfee, Kimmy Bennett as Dorris MacAfee, Jace Rimmey as Randolph MacAfee, Miranda Tornatore as Mae Peterson, Colin Matthews as Hugo Peabody, Gigi Juart as Ursula Merkle, Morgan Kienzle as Alice/Gloria R., Lily Burns as Helen (Sad Girl), Aliyah Smith as Margie Ann, Amera Snyder as Nancy, Alia Bennett as Penelope, Tristin Riva as Harvey Johnson, Killian Worthing as Freddie (Fred), Elijah Strayer as Carl, Jake Mercer as Mayor, Dalton Poorman as policeman, Eric Johnson as reporter No. 1, Rachel Gormont as reporter No. 2, Julia Johnson as Mrs. Merkle, Lucas Fulmer as Mr. Johnson, Derek Stivers as Maude, Griffin Blake as Train Man, Payton Martin as Traveler, Riley Barnhart as Phyllis, Ezri Bumgarner as Lee, Lily Briggs as Suzie and Amalia Grov as Debbie.
The show is under the direction of Molly Burns and has three students on its stage crew: Abigail Eckenrod, Maddalena Pulcinello and Alexis Schratzmeier.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students. They can be purchased online at https://search.seatyourself.biz/webstore/accounts/blwd/buy-tix or at the door.