Okotoks musical theatre students are back in the limelight with a rockabilly classic.
Opening Dec. 9 is the Alberta High School of Fine Arts’ (AHSFA) production of Bye Bye Birdie, a story about the titular teen idol and musician Conrad Birdie being drafted into the U.S. Army and leaving his manager Albert Peterson’s record company in the lurch.
Peterson’s secretary, Rosie Alvarez, played by AHSFA senior Abigail Kirk, cooks up a plan to bail the company out.
“So they decide before Conrad goes off to war Albert should write a song called One Last Kiss and they pick Kim’s name for the last kiss he will give to the girl before he goes off to war,” Kirk said.
“It’s my first year playing a lead where I get to actually perform in the musical," she added. "I’m happy I get to play it in my senior year, and all the songs Rosie has are just so, so fun.”
Written in the 1950s by Michael Stewart (the book), Charles Strouse (music) and Lee Adams (lyrics), the play was inspired by then-heavyweights Conway Twitty (with the main character being a play on his name) and Elvis Presley, who was conscripted around the time the play was written.
Set in 1958, the rockabilly style brings plenty of boogie, and although she's more a singer at heart than a dancer, Kirk was grateful for the growth fostered by the program.
“The dance numbers, I’m not a dancer, so it’s difficult to do something that challenges me,” she said.
Stage manager and senior Sarah MacDonald said the Alberta Dance Academy was instrumental to that growth by donating the time of dance teacher and choreographer Shelby Snow for the production.
“Shelby, our choreographer, she’s helped out so much with all of our dance choreo,” MacDonald said. “We’ve incorporated a lot of different moves, and (Abigail) is also an incredible singer.”
Overseeing the program are theatre teacher Jessica Kelly and Matt Ellis, both graduates of the school themselves who help students overcome their challenges, such as MacDonald's role as stage manager.
“Kelly and Ellis are so awesome, it’s Kelly helping us with all the acting and stage directions and dance, and Ellis does all the singing and technical stuff,” said MacDonald, extolling her teachers.
The program is a great privilege for the students, Kirk added.
“We have a gorgeous theatre, which a lot of schools don’t have, that isn’t in the middle of the cafeteria (as it once was prior to renovations),” she said.
“There’s tons of seats, the tech group helps a lot, and we get to do some really, really incredible musicals.”
The upcoming production will be no exception, she added, with the program back in full swing.
“There’s lots of numbers that are very much a lot of dance, and there’s some that are just little hand movements,” Kirk said. “There’s a couple of really, really exciting ones that are going to be super fun to watch.”
The production will be staged at 7 p.m. on Dec. 9, 10, 14, 16, and 17 as well as a 2 p.m. matinee on Dec. 10.
Tickets and information can be found at ahsfa.ca/bye-bye-birdie.
