Coming to the Aptos High Performing Arts Center: Bye Bye Birdie, A Musical Comedy, with a Book by Mike Stewart, Music by Charles Strouse, and Lyrics by Lee Adams. The production features a cast and crew of more than 50 Aptos High students and a live 20-piece orchestra, made up of volunteer community members and students, under the direction of Terrel Eaton.
The story is loosely based on the teen-aged hysteria that ensued in 1958 when Elvis Presley enlisted in the Army; Conrad Birdie’s name was inspired by 1950s music icon Conway Twitty.
The music is infectious with such memorable tunes as “Put on A Happy Face,” “Honestly Sincere”, “Got A Lot of Living to Do”, “The Telephone Hour”, and “Rosie”, among many others. The Broadway production opened on April 14, 1960 with the original cast that included Dick Van Dyke, Chita Rivera, Paul Lynde, Dick Gautier, Susan Watson, Kay Medford and Charles Nelson Reilly.
The Aptos HS cast features seniors Joshua Westgate and Isabel Crossen as Albert Peterson and Rose Alvarez, with juniors Savannah Smith and Jacob Bayani tackling the roles of Kim MacAfee and Conrad Birdie. Playing Mae Peterson, one of the greatest (and by greatest we mean horrible and awful) mothers ever put on stage, is sophomore Bella McCord. Rounding out the lead roles are Samuel Roberts (Mr. MacAffee), Mikaela Reed (Mrs. MacAfee), Dario Russo (Randolph MacAfee), and Ethan Abelar as the hapless and hopeless romantic, Hugo Peabody.
The production crew is led by Stage Manager Sophia Tatum-McNeilly (junior) and Technical Director Jackson Meduri (senior). Reserved seating is available when purchasing tickets online (following the link on the Aptos HS homepage at www.aptoshs.net). Non-reserved tickets will be sold at the door, subject to availability, 30 minutes before curtain.
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Ticket prices: Adults: $12, Students & AHS staff: $10, Seniors and kids 12 & under: $8
Performance dates/times: April 8*, 9, 14, 15, 16 at 7 p.m. and April 10 at 2 p.m.
*Note: All seats on opening night, April 8, are just $6!