‘Bye, Bye Birdie’ hits Millbrook High School

MILLBROOK — The classic musical production, “Bye, Bye Birdie,” will be performed by the Millbrook High School Drama Club, 97 Miles off Broadway, on Friday, March 9, at 7 p.m., Saturday, March 10, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 11, at 2 p.m. The story of “Bye, Bye Birdie” was inspired by Elvis Presley, when he was drafted into the Army in 1957. In the musical, Conrad Birdie is a rock star who goes to a small Ohio town to make a farewell television performance on the “Ed Sullivan Show” and kiss his biggest fan before he is drafted. “Bye, Bye Birdie” was a big success when it became a musical in the mid-1960s, with the screenplay by Michael Stewart and Irving Berlin and music by Charles Strouse. The members of 97 Miles Off Broadway have been rehearsing nonstop for the performance. Production Director Karen Burrows said the drama club was originally planning to do a production of Cinderella, however the rights were blocked. “Bye, Bye Birdie” was then chosen as the musical.“‘Bye, Bye Birdie’ is a lot of fun. The music moves. It is much more contemporary and there are a lot of comical moments in the show, as well as a ton of dancing,” said Burrows. “Heather Holohan, owner of The Studio in Amenia, has been helping out with the choreography this year. She is remarkable with the kids and they have tremendous respect for her.”This year’s production has a lot of younger students with less experience who need more attention, but there are also some older students who have been involved with past productions. Burrows said they have yet to have a rehearsal with the entire cast, which is not unusual since so many of the students are involved in other activities. “While other larger districts have to eliminate students, our students are sought after for all the sports and activities, and therefore we must be accepting of all the conflicts,” said Burrows. “I am usually missing several people at all rehearsals. We face issues with equipment in the auditorium not working, so we must be very creative with the use of backdrops, sound and lighting.”Burrows travels back and forth to North Carolina, which is challenging. She said despite the conflicts, the students work hard and are motivated to do a great job.“This is my last year directing,” Burrows said. “I have directed for eight years at Millbrook High School and as my husband and I are going to semi-retire to Wilmington, N.C., in June, we will miss all these wonderful children that we have seen grow from the third grade on up. We will miss the people we have become friends with and the village of Millbrook in general.”The main cast members for this show include Cara Frisina as Rosie the secretary and suffering girlfriend; Ryan Curley as Conrad Birdie’s manager; AJ Brown as Conrad Birdie; and Leigh Davis is Kim MacAfee, the teenager selected to receive “one last kiss” from Conrad Birdie.Other members of the cast include Kevin Guo as Mr. Harry MacAfee; Eva Anderson as Mrs. Doris MacAfee; Corey Orlik as Randolph MacAfee; Time Desjardin as Hugo Peabody; Julia Farese as Mae Peterson; Robert Birrenbach as the mayor, Maude the bartender and ensemble; Alison Marti as ensemble and Ursula; and Alison Simmons as Gloria and ensemble.The rest of the cast is Zach Wolff, Jon DeBella, Laura DeBella, Peter Kiewra, Lydia Kiewra, Elizabeth Olivencia, Alex Ross, George Ouimet, Shelby Whalen, Steven Hurley, Emily Reid, Emma Keeley, Andrew Wilson, Jo Jo Covert and Rachel Galano.Aaron Dehaan is the assistant to the director; Alexis Clements is musical director; Dan Koch is pit director; George Ouimet is in charge of set design and construction; John Tringali is technical director; Moona Guo is the assistant manager; costumes are being handled by Leigh Davis; and Sarah Walenta is crew chief. “I truly love these kids,” said Burrows. “They work hard and they give you everything they have. They have become my second set of children, and I care deeply not only about how they perform and what skill sets they learn, but that they grow emotionally and that they realize they can accomplish anything in their lives if they believe they can do it.“What are your hopes and wishes for your cast on opening night, you ask?” she said. “That they have a great time and that it all comes together for them.”