Bye Bye Birdie: A Joy for the Cast and the Audience

Looking out from the stage as a member of the cast of the Bye Bye Birdie it was thrilling to see a full house in the auditorium at all three performances of the high school musical production on November 21, 22 and 23. Peers, parents and other Scarsdale citizens came to support the SHS Drama Club's first production of the year – and to enjoy the show which is a musical favorite for kids and adults of all ages.

The cast, production team, orchestra and teachers worked long hours for two months to perfect Michael Stewart's famous musical. We rehearsed daily --and in the last two weeks it felt like we did nothing but rehearse --as we worked on stage from 3-9:30 p.m. Director and acting teacher Sarah Robbins, along with countless other staff members put countless hours the show to make it the best it could possibly be.

There was tremendous attention to the costumes and the props. Everything from the shoes we wore to the furniture on stage was authentic to the 1950's.

Although the rehearsals were long, they brought the cast close together. By tech week, we were all comfortable with each other and it definitely showed on stage. In the early weeks, we had to be told to smile on stage. But as the weeks progressed, we put our hearts into the rehearsals and when we smiled, it was genuine. By opening night, the acting, singing, dancing, costumes, sets, makeup, hair, and all other components of the show finally came together.

Actors in the show learned to get into our characters by shedding our everyday identities. On stage we evolved into our characters and lived their lives. Sophomore Megan Reynolds played the lead female role as Conrad's (Ellis Jones) number one "fangirl". Over the course of the two-month process, I noticed how her character developed from an average teenage girl to an obsessive and crazy teen.

One of my favorite numbers of the musical was Telephone Hour. It captured the spirit of the teens at the time. The brightly colored costumes and comedic character voices make this one of the highpoints of the show. Ensemble members had their chance to shine with their energetic dancing. It speaks to teens even today ... though we gossip on our cell phones rather than our landlines.

 

Many of the other large-scale ensemble numbers, including Honestly Sincere (above), and Lot of Livin, captured the essence of teen spirit.

The show was wonderful to put on and to see. After the three weekend shows, I would have loved to have performed it again. I cannot wait for the next production at Scarsdale High School.

 

 

Photos by Jon Thaler - see more at www.JonThaler.com.