You saw them when they came around the school singing their Valenchimes to faculty and students alike and in their latest production A Spark of Madness (a student-written dedication to the life of Robin Williams). Now, Drama and Chorus are teaming up for another great performance known as Bye Bye Birdie May 7th through May 8th.

The story was originally influenced by Elvis Presley’s draft notice into the Army back in the late 1950s. The main character, Conrad Birdie, is a twist on the name Conway Twitty, one of Presley’s biggest rock’ n’ roll rivals.

“The cast is perfect and their voices fit the roles they play so well,” says Drama teacher, Mrs. White. The cast is over thirty students with lead roles being played by Junior Zach Garner as Conrad Birdie, Senior, Tyler Peterson as Albert Peterson, Lillian Kraack as Rose Alverez, and Junior Jenna Dahlin as Kim MacAfee.

The drama and chorus students are setting high goals for themselves trying to turn a classic broadway production into their own without changing the moral of the play. WIth multiple numbers and opportunities for error, they work more diligently to minimize the errors and to hit all of the right notes.

The cast works very hard every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday striving towards perfection to make sure that come opening night they will have everything under control. “The hardest part is fitting all the pieces together,” says Mr. Bogue. However, Peterson has a different opinion adding with some humor, “The hardest part of the production so far has to be the singing! Guys have to sing so high!”

On the flip side the best part of the production will be “when we can finally show everyone how hard we’ve been working to put on a great production,” states Garner. Mrs. White calls it “the original fan girl experience because the production is so relatable even though it’s in an older setting.”

Overall, it’s safe to say that many students, faculty members, and adults throughout the community will be very impressed with this select group of students who decided to take on the challenge to perform such an amazing show. So, make sure to stop by May 7, 8, or 9 at 6:30 to see Bye Bye Birdie in your very own Newsome Auditorium!