Note from the Director:
Before Baz Luhrmann brought Elivis back into the forefront of Amrican pop culture, the musical Bye Bye Birdie was spoofing his career. Based on the fan reaction when Elvis was drafted into the Army, Bye Bye Birdie tells the tale of Albert Peterson, Conrad Birdie's overworked songwriting manager and his desperate attempt to get out of the debt that his pop icon has saddled him with.
The Mechanicsville Theatre Company at Mechanicsville High School chose to bring this family-friendly nostalgic show to life mainly because of the show's fun music and simple storyline. In our fast paced modern world it's good to look back and realize that even in simpler times, there were similar issues. Bankruptcy and financial woes are real for Albert who needs to save the company in order to find a life he really wants. Worshiping icons isn't a new penenomenon, we just have more access now through social media. Parents and children continue to struggle to understand each other and ultimately everyone just wants to find love.
Bye Bye Birdie, at its heart is a love story. A love story between Albert and Rosie, Hugo and Kim, and Conrad and his fans. It is our hope that you can see our enthusiasm for this show in the energy the students bring to the stage.
I have been blessed with an amazing artisitc team. My co-director and former student, Camilla Ridenour, willingly came alongside me to lend her expertise, especially in the area of character development. Ms. Fisher-Lasky, our choral director, provided hours of expert music rehersal to both teach the songs and coach our soloists. Zach Shrader, former student, shared his talent once again in designing lights. Jeff Bessilleu and Joe Noone lent their expertise in teaching our students about sound and lights. Our show coordinator, Sara Matthews kept our parents informed and ensured that all of the volunteers kept up with the demands of a large musical. Holly Dean provided so much support in addition to being the Boosters Treasurer, by designing custom jackets, costumes and set items. The parent committees are the behind the scenes worker bees that ensure the set is constructed, publicity is created, custumes are organized, the company is well fed during tech week and that we have concessions. Finally our students have worked hard for the past 10 weeks to bring our vision to life. From our backsage ninjas keeping set and cosume changes running smoothly, to our booth crew to our actors onstage, no part is more valuable than another. This has been a collaborative effort. We are so proud to share our "community love letter" with all of you.
