'Bye Bye Birdie' in Batavia: Youth theater to stage classic musical
Director Kristi Wright of Carol Stream says an energetic and fun-filled performance is on tap this weekend when Spotlight Youth Theater Aurora presents "Bye Bye Birdie" at the Batavia Fine Arts Centre.
The show, which opens Friday, Feb 12, and runs through Sunday, Feb. 14, is filled with catchy tunes and funny characters, according to Wright.
The Daily Herald caught up with Wright - and assistant director Trevor Dotson of Elgin - to find out more about this production.
Q. Why did you choose "Bye Bye Birdie" for your fall play?
Wright. "Bye Bye Birdie" is a classic musical filled with fun, crazy, and classic songs and characters. Conrad Birdie (an Elvis-like character) is coming to the small town of Sweet Apple, Ohio, to give the randomly picked fan, Kim MacAfee, a goodbye kiss before he heads off to the army. The people of Sweet Apple are flipped-over-backwards when news spreads that this megastar is coming to their humble little town. Already cartoonlike characters such as Mr. MacAfee, Ursula, Hugo, and Mrs. Merkel go crazy with delight, disgust, and whatever other emotions one might have when your simple life gets turned upside-down.
Q. What have been some of the challenges in putting together this production?
Dotson. Our cast has done a wonderful job of rising to the occasion. However, with a cast of nearly 100 people, it is sometimes hard to make everything onstage look cohesive and purposeful. One scene in particular, "Healthy Normal American Boy," is a full-cast number where Conrad Birdie makes his first appearance in the town of Sweet Apple, Ohio. As a directing team we have worked really hard to make sure that the town of Sweet Apple have committed character choices that express their opinion for Conrad.
Another scene that I know the cast has worked extremely hard on is "Lot of Livin' to Do." Our choreographer, Julie Gernand, has done a tremendous job filling this number with energy and fun. The cast has really worked to polish their dancing and their blocking in this scene.
Q. What criteria did you use for casting the lead roles? Was this a difficult or easy show to cast?
Dotson. At auditions we based our criteria on three things: acting, dancing, and singing. Especially for the leads, we look for someone who has mastered all three. We also look at stage chemistry within acting partners: who works well and natural on stage. Casting a show always brings hard choices, especially when working with a cast who brings their "A" game to auditions. We had a fairly smooth process of finding the perfect character for each cast member.
Q. What do you think audiences will like about this show? Or what do you think will be their favorite part or scene?
Wright. Not only does this show have a strong cast with wonderful leads, but our ensembles are so much fun to watch. The teens in "Telephone Hour" hit it out of the park with their powerful vocals (vocally directed by Brittany Schmutzler), and their high-skilled dancing. The Conrad Birdie Fan Club Members are hilarious and their "fan-girling" is something you do not want to miss.
This show is filled with just about everything you can want in a musical - catchy tunes that the greats such as Dick VanDyke, Chita Rivera, and Paul Lynde made famous ("Put On a Happy Face," "One Last Kiss," "Hymn for a Sunday Evening" aka the "Ed Sullivan song"), strong 1950s-style dancing, hilarious larger-than-life characters, and a cast so full of energy that they will make you want to join them.
If you go
What: Spotlight Youth Theater Aurora's production of "Bye Bye Birdie"
When: 7 p.m. Friday; 2 and 6 p.m. Saturday; and 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12-14
Where: Batavia Fine Arts Centre, 1201 Main St., Batavia
Tickets: $10-$14. Visit <a href="https://www.spotlight.org/gettickets.aspx">https://www.spotlight.org/gettickets.aspx</a> or call (847) 516-2298.