ESH Travels to the Rockin ‘50s in Latest Musical

“We love you Conrad!” started bursting out the opening of the show, captivating the audience right away. When the group of Conrad’s fan club started to scream and shout Birdie’s name while running through the aisles in the auditorium, I was on the edge of my seat.

This year’s spring musical Bye Bye Birdie was very lively and well-performed. Taking place in both NYC and Sweet Apple, Ohio, this musical is about Conrad Birdie, a famous teenage singer and icon, played by sophomore Josiah Minotto, being drafted into the army. His songwriter Albert, played by Alex Pack, is devastated, but his girlfriend Rosie (senior Rachel Protheroe) tells him to write a song to be performed by Birdie on a television contest, as his last hurrah.

The lucky winner of this contest is Kim McAfee, played by senior Sammi Snyder, and she gets the opportunity to kiss Conrad, leaving her boyfriend jealous and hurt.The plot thickens as the musical goes along, building up to a great climax. This famous musical was based off Elvis Presley when he was drafted into the United States army in 1957.

While tackling important issues in society during the 1950s, this show nevertheless is humorous and very upbeat. Mae Peterson, Albert’s mom, played by junior Sierra Posey, kept criticizing him for not “loving” her whenever he did not listen to her. Posey’s amazing acting as Mae brought many laughs, especially when she said, “You don’t need your mama anymore!” over a simple goodbye from her son.

Bye Bye Birdie was very enjoyable for all ages of people. As I was in the audience, I heard many older folks chuckling at the song “What’s the Matter with Kids”. They were even reminiscing about their time as teenagers, because this musical took place in their era and brought back memories.

Some other main characters in Bye Bye Birdie include Ryan Truckermiller as Hugo, Rose Kershner as Ursula, Nick Panase as Randolph, and Adama Solecki and Christina Flamporis as Mrs. and Mr. MacAfee.

Congrats to the whole cast for a very successful show, and good luck to the seniors who will graduate!