Darlington’s fine arts department will present the famous Broadway musical “Bye Bye Birdie” Feb. 20-22 in the Old Gym on the Upper School campus. The production will feature students in grades 6-12.
“With the Darlington Old Gym as our performance space, our producer and director have had incredible creative license and opportunity for the set, and they have really delivered,” said senior Anna Stephenson, who plays Rose Alvarez. “It is different from anything Darlington has done in recent years, and that alone should entice one to become an audience member. Besides that, we have a hardworking and talented cast of students who are all coming together to create art, and that is a beautiful thing.”
“‘Bye Bye Birdie’ is a satire done with the fondest affection,” said the show’s producer, Linda Hom. “It is tops in imagination and frivolity, and it features well-known musical numbers like ‘Put on a Happy Face,’ ‘Honestly Sincere,’ ‘Kid’ and ‘A Lot of Livin’ to Do.’”
The Tony Award-winning production tells the story of Conrad Birdie (senior Carl Edge), a rock ‘n’ roll singer who is about to join the Army. His agent, Albert Peterson (senior Garrett Brown), is worried he will lose everything once Conrad enlists, so he and his secretary/love interest, Rose Alvarez (Stephenson), concoct a plan to save the company with one final national publicity appearance.
The plan is that Conrad will bid farewell to one randomly selected, typical American teenage girl and fan club member with an all-American kiss. Kim MacAfee (senior Stephanie Schecter) of Sweet Apple, Ohio, wins the honor, and while her parents are initially upset, they change their minds when they are given the opportunity to appear on the “Ed Sullivan Show.”
“‘Bye Bye Birdie’ is a funny, entertaining musical with a lot of singing and dancing. What else could one want?” Schecter said. “It’s going to be a fun show, for both the cast and the audience members. Everyone who comes to see it will love it.”
The show will be presented through a special arrangement with Tams Witmark Music Library Inc. in New York, N.Y. It is directed by Rudy Childs, who has also directed a number of successful musicals for Rome Little Theatre and Stars in Our Eyes, including “My Fair Lady,” “The King and I,” “Annie,” “Peter Pan,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Cinderella,” “Shenandoah” and “Hello Dolly!” He has also directed several Follies events for Rome’s Junior Service League.
“Rudy has a thorough eye for detail that allows him to constantly find new ways to add depth to the show and our performance,” Stephenson said. “He really understands theatre, and he does a wonderful job passing down his knowledge to the cast. This makes each rehearsal an enriching experience, while his sense of humor always guarantees laughter. We are incredibly lucky to have him.”
Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Jan. 19. Admission for Friday and Saturday night is $30, which includes dinner at 6:30 p.m. before the 7:30 p.m. show. Admission on Sunday is $20, which includes dessert and coffee at 2:15 p.m. before the 3 p.m. show. A very limited number of $10 general admission tickets will be available for each show (at the door only) on a first come, first served basis.
Seating for all shows is limited, so we urge you to secure your seats in advance by e-mailing Nancy Brass at
bnbncb@aol.com. Please include your name, daytime phone number, number of tickets you wish to purchase and date of the show(s) you wish to attend. Acceptable forms of payment include cash, check, Master Card and Visa.
