DIRECTORS NOTE
While we were sad not to be able to present Bye Bye Birdie last spring, perhaps being able to present it this year is just perfect. Bye Bye Birdie is a show full of joy and fun – just what we need at this point. There were times I didn’t know if it was going to be possible to pull this off in a few weeks; with many roles being re-cast and new cast members coming in, it seemed at times like this was a huge mistake. Add a brand-new baby into the mix, and it seemed impossible.
But, to see the kids on stage smiling and singing and dancing and just enjoying being together showed that having every detail perfect is not what this year’s show is about – it is about joy. Joy that the pandemic is waning and joy that we are on the road to normal and joy that we are able to be back together in one room doing what we love.
We are thrilled that some of our original cast members were able to return home to SJV and finally perform in their leading roles. We are thrilled to have some newcomers to the SJV stage find their way to us, even in a year where nothing was normal. And we are thrilled to have our 2021 graduates be able to perform in their senior show.
This year, more than ever, many thank yous are in order!
I am thankful Administration of SJV, especially Mr. Lamberson, for their support in making this show possible. I am so proud of the cast and crew for their hard work during the past few weeks – it took 100 percent from every person on stage (and in the booth) to make this show possible. An extra special thank you to Grace McKinney and Elizabeth Alvarado for running the sound and lighting cues, arguably the most challenging job of all. Thank you to Adia for showing up once again, to be my right-hand lady. What a pleasure it has been to work with you all these years. Thank you to Grace for jumping right back in and being an amazing student director and choreographer. Your ability to lift up your fellow actors and help them be the best they could be was an inspiration to watch. I am so grateful to Joe Fano for jumping right back in and making the sets the best and safest for our kids. A HUGE thank you to Mike Fran, without whom we couldn’t have pulled this off. The kids are so lucky to have you. Thank you to my family for helping take care of Emma during the run of the show. And finally, the hugest thank you to my mom and husband, who selflessly held it down at home the past few weeks because they knew how much it meant to me and the kids to be able to get back into the Little Theater to finally present this show! We’re back!
