Teenage musicians, actors and dancers will travel back to the 1960s for a production of the Tony Award winning musical “Bye Bye Birdie.” The production, featuring a cast of 27 students and a 15-piece pit band, opens Thursday at Oconto Falls High School.
The musical was inspired by a real life event when Elvis Presley was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1957. This sparked the creativity of writers Michael Stewart, Charles Strouse and Lee Adams.
The show was first produced on Broadway in 1960.
In the story, teenage heartthrob Conrad Birdie (loosely based on Presley) is the biggest thing to top the music charts. When Conrad’s agent, Albert Peterson, finds out Conrad has been drafted into the Army, he sees an opportunity for a publicity stunt, and his longtime love Rose Alvarez sees a way for Albert to get out of the unstable music business.
Together, they hatch a plan to send Conrad to the Midwest, where he will plant his goodbye kiss on one lucky fan, Kim MacAfee, for the entire world to see on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” But jealousy, teenage mayhem and Albert’s overbearing mother may get in the way of Rose and Albert’s carefully planned media event.
The cast and band have been rehearsing since August, and the actors are busy getting into character.
“He’s a big mama’s boy,” said Nick Borisch, describing his role as Albert. “And he wouldn’t try to do anything to hurt her intentionally, but with a little shoving, poking and prodding from Rosie, he decides to finally start going against his mother. And he’s also trying to get Conrad to shape up and ship out for the Army.”
Leah Wons, who plays Kim, said her character is “trying to be mature and elegant, but she’s very obsessed with Conrad Birdie.” Victoria Bain-Vrba portrays Kim’s mother, Doris MacAfee.
“She’s the perfect mom and puts everyone before her, and I like how she’s so selfless. It’s fun to play someone like that,” Bain-Vrba said.
Oconto Falls High School stages a musical every other year. This year’s directing team is Amy Thiel, vocals, Ben Burish, pit band, Anne Renier, choreography, Wayne Strei, drama, and Don Voermans and Gayle Gander, technical coordination. The sets are designed and constructed with help from Marie Kurzynske’s interior design class and Gander’s technical theater students.
Strei, who has directed productions in Gillett, said he enjoys working with the Oconto Falls students. He also produced this summer’s production of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” a collaborative effort of Gillett and Oconto Falls students and directors.
“I can’t imagine a better young cast to work with,” he said of the “Birdie” cast.
Samara Kaiser, who plays Rose Alvarez, said the show will be ready for opening night.
“We’re bringing together all the big dance numbers as a group very well, and I’m really excited that people will be able to see that,” she said. “People should come because we worked hard on it, and we all deserve the big audiences and the round of applause at the end.”
The cast and chorus also includes Garret Gubbels, Spencer Elkins, Angelo Betow, Gabe Grenke, Andrea Shamburek, Kiana Archiquette, Michaela Dickson, Jennifer Deau, Eja Sweig, Alex Kamke, Camden Jackson, Hunter Ryczek, Peter Murphy, Jen Longsine, Paige Bain-Vrba, Kaitlin Kramarczyk, Taylor Pritzl, Haley Pritzl, Jacob Ellman, Aliza Dickinson, Joseph Conklin, Kaitlyn Brunette and Ashley Baeten.
The pit band includes students Tanner Nys, Samuel Fletcher, Jacob Larson, Liam Spillane, Matthew Judd, Kim Schliep, Sierra Seizyk, Matt Lyng, Cameron Box, and guest musicians Greg Schliep, Paul Backus, Danny Smith, Sue Collins, Laurie Karnopp and Mary Slavek.
Tom Karban is the set designer and construction director.
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