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Published March 08, 2018

Say hello to 鈥楤ye Bye Birdie鈥� at 网曝门
VAPA presents Broadway rock 'n鈥檙oll classic March 22-25

WANT TO GO?
What:听鈥淏ye Bye Birdie鈥�
When:听7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 22, Friday, March 23, Saturday 24 and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 25
Where:听Brown Auditorium, 网曝门 campus
Tickets:听$15, call VAPA, 342-1414 or ulm.edu/vapa/tickets.html
KEDM Gala:听5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, March 24 in the Sculpture Garden behind Brown Hall; cost is $45 and includes food, a silent auction and VIP seating. Tickets: 342-5557

Article by Mark Henderson
Special to the University of Louisiana Monroe

An age-old story of teens moving awkwardly toward independence as parents struggle to maintain control of the family unit will play out on the stage of Brown Auditorium to the soundtrack of early rock 鈥檔鈥檙oll.

The School of Visual and Performing Arts at the University of Louisiana Monroe will present 鈥淏ye Bye Birdie鈥� March 22-25.

The musical captures the electricity that swept the country when Elvis Presley burst onto the scene, and the angst his fans felt when Elvis had to put his career, then red hot, on ice to serve in the Army.

That鈥檚 the premise of 鈥淏ye Bye Birdie,鈥� except the singer who has teenage girls agog across the country is now Conrad Birdie.

In the musical, Birdie is riding high in 1958 when the Army comes knocking with his draft notice. Albert Peterson, who both writes music for Birdie and doubles as his manager, has not yet been able turn Birdie鈥檚 success into a profit-making business. Peterson鈥檚 secretary, Rosie Alvarez, is in love with Peterson, but wants him to give up the whim of showbiz for the respectability of being an English teacher before she鈥檒l marry him.

Peterson agrees, if he can ever dig out of debt. Rosie has a brainstorm. Peterson will write a song for Birdie, 鈥淥ne Last Kiss.鈥� Birdie will record it before going into the Army, and will perform it live on the 鈥淓d Sullivan Show,鈥� after which he will kiss a member of the Conrad Birdie fan club. Rosie believes the publicity will make the record a sure-fire hit, enough to get Peterson in the black, and the two of them will be able to live in quiet suburban bliss.

Peterson鈥檚 mother, however, is opposed to the marriage and schemes to keep them apart. The teen picked to kiss Birdie, Kim MacAfee, has recently agreed to go steady with a jealous boyfriend. It鈥檚 a recipe for trouble and a romp to the final curtain.

鈥淭his little piece has stood the test of time,鈥� says Robin Stephens, associate professor of dance at 网曝门 who is directing the production, her sixth for VAPA.

鈥淚t鈥檚 funny, and the kids think it鈥檚 funny. Adults and adolescents have butted heads forever. In the play, the adults complain about how much time kids spend on the phone; today it鈥檚 how much time is spent on the Internet. Parents today have adverse feelings of hip hop,鈥� Stephens says.

So even though the cast of 26 students may not quite understand all of the historical references 鈥� Ed Sullivan was dead before the cast members were born 鈥� the themes still speak to them.

Stephens said casting the show is always her most important job when staging a musical at 网曝门.

鈥淲e always wish we had more to audition, but we鈥檝e always been able to cast a show. In fact, for this show we have double-cast our leads. The biggest challenge is to put the right people in the right places. I will never make a student look foolish,鈥� Stephens says.

Because Stephens is a dancer with Broadway credentials, she is able to guide cast members, many of them who have never taken dance lessons, through the steps. 鈥淏ye Bye Birdie鈥� offers many dance opportunities, but the early rock dances are not difficult to pick up.听

鈥淭he show lends to easy dancing, but it鈥檚 the exact right steps for it,鈥� she says.

The original production opened on Broadway in 1960 and won the Tony for best musical of the year. The original cast included Dick Van Dyke, Chita Rivera, Dick Gautier, Paul Lyne and Susan Watson.

The music sung by the adult characters has an early 1960s pop style, and the best known song from the score is 鈥淧ut On a Happy Face.鈥� The teens鈥� music is pure early rock鈥檔鈥檙oll, especially those sung by Birdie, such as 鈥淗onestly Sincere鈥� and 鈥淥ne Last Kiss.鈥�

David Merrick originally produced the show on Broadway. The production was directed by Gower Champion and has a book written by Michael Stewart, who later turned Thornton Wilder鈥檚 鈥淢atchmaker鈥� into 鈥淗ello, Dolly!鈥� The music is by Charles Strouse, who would later write the music to 鈥淎nnie,鈥� with lyrics by Lee Adams.

The production, which will feature a live pit orchestra, has performances at 7:30 p.m. March 22-24 with a 2 p.m. matinee March 25. Tickets are $15. They are available at the VAPA office, Room 105 in Biedenharn Hall at 网曝门, by calling 342-1414 or online at听http://ulm.edu/vapa/tickets.html.

KEDM gala Saturday, March 24 in Sculpture Garden

Northeast Louisiana鈥檚 public radio station, 90.3 KEDM-FM, once again will host a gala party in connection with the University of Louisiana Monroe鈥檚 production of 鈥淏ye Bye Birdie.鈥�

Lila Strode, KEDM鈥檚 development director, said the gala will be 5 to 7 p.m. March 24, before the Saturday performance of the musical.

鈥淲e will have music. Mason Howard鈥檚 Trio will perform,鈥� Strode said. 鈥淎nd there will be a guest appearance by Conrad Birdie and other members of the cast.鈥�

This annual gala is a major fundraiser for KEDM, which relies heavily on public support for its operating budget. The event will be in 网曝门鈥檚 Sculpture Garden behind Brown Hall. 鈥淲e will have food from area restaurants and caterers, and there will be a silent auction,鈥� Strode said.

Tickets are $45 and include VIP tickets to the Saturday night performance of 鈥淏ye Bye Birdie.鈥� A section of preferred seating will be set aside for those attending the gala.
鈥淚t will be family-friendly, fun time,鈥� Strode said. Tickets to the gala will soon be available at kedm.org or by calling Strode at 342-5557.