Bye, Bye, Birdie

Reviewed by Faryn Tobler

Editor’s Note: Since the permanent reviewer for Littleton High School. Emma Gift, is in the production of Bye, Bye, Birdie, Faryn Tobler was asked to write a review.

Faryn is a sophomore at Littleton High School, and currently in Kryssi Martin’s Acting 1 class. She has been a member of the National Thespian Society for two years, and was a member of the Jr. Thespian Society for three years prior to that. This year she transferred from The Denver School of the Arts in which she was a theatre major for four years. This past summer Faryn and her Mom started a theatre company called Simply Staged Theatre Co. She was able to direct a play called “Red Vs. The Wolf” in which she cast 8-10 year olds. She commented, “It was an amazing experience, and taught me a lot.” She’s currently planning a production for next summer, and hopes it will be a blast!! Currently, Faryn is a part of Shelly Bordas’ Acting Up at the Theatre Off Broadway, and she is in See How They Run by Philip King running in April 2008. On top of it all, she’s a swimmer at Littleton, and takes private vocal lessons.

It is an honor for Colorado Backstage to have her review Littleton High School’s production of Bye, Bye, Birdie. — Holly

The production Bye, Bye, Birdie, written by Michael Stewart with music and lyrics by Mark Hollman and Lee Adams played February 20, 21, 22, and 23 at Littleton High School. It was designed and directed by John F. Kron, and conducted by Don Emmons with vocal direction by Jim Farrell.

Based on the true story of Elvis Presley and his brief service in the U.S. army, Bye, Bye, Birdie uses musical fun to capture the “rock and roll” craze of the 1950s. With its upbeat songs and extravagant humor, Bye, Bye, Birdie was a great experience for all ages.

Littleton certainly succeeded in giving the audience a great show. Every member of the cast, from the main characters to the ensemble showed vocal range and quality as well as a sincere passion for the songs. Supported by a nearly flawless orchestra and student choreography, the cast did a wonderful job of moving the audience. With songs that stick in your head for weeks, Bye, Bye, Birdie was a perfect display of all the talent at Littleton High School.

The first thing that was so captivating about the performance was the dancing. Although everyone focuses on different qualities within a musical, the dancing was one that the show did not allow the audience to look past. The hard work that went into the choreography was apparent from the start. The moves were entertaining, but more than that they expressed the time period through movement. This is one of the hardest jobs that the choreographer has within a show: to incorporate time-period moves, and make them enjoyable for the audience to watch. Student choreographers Kaylen Higgins, and Eric Pung succeeded in doing this. Even through medical struggles that Eric has been encountering recently, he managed to make the show and incredible experience for those who were fortunate enough to see it. Working together Kaylen and Eric did a wonderful job.

The singing and acting generated just as great of a response as the dancing. The main character, Rosie, played by Emily Saggau had a great voice, but even more than that, she gave strength to her character and made Rosie’s situation real to the audience. Teamed up with Coty Dennis, who played Albert, and had wonderful comedic timing, the central characters were a great pair. Ginny DiGuiseppi, who played Kim MacAfee also had a wonderful voice, and did a great job expressing her character while giving her character an innocence that is perfectly “Kim”. Another character that stood out to me, and generated the most laughs with her amazing energy and vocal projection was Ursula played by Brittany Newell. Even though Ursula is a smaller role within the show, Brittany showed the most energy, commitment and engaged focus on stage. I was constantly watching for her reactions to everything that was happening. And of course, Conrad Birdie himself cannot be forgotten. Jeff Garland played the role of Conrad Birdie, and succeeded in bringing his character alive through his naturally comedic talents. He effortlessly made Conrad Birdie an amusing character to watch.

The sets and costumes were just as lively as the talented actors. Using bright costume colors, and painted 2-Dimensional set pieces, the audience was taken on a wild journey showing the obsession of teen fans. Conceptually, the sets were an enhancement, by giving the audience the feeling that they were stuck in a cartoon. Because the show revolves around the outrageousness of small-town occurrences, simple painted set pieces were the perfect choice to bring out the comedy and absurdity of the show. The actors also supported this concept through their animated and over-the-top brilliance.

Having a live orchestra was one of the greatest things that enhanced the show. The music was lively, well conducted, and well played. Many high school productions do not have live orchestras, and hearing one full of passionate students was refreshing.

The only criticism I have is technical. A few of the costumes and props were not time-period. Although these were minor issues, they tend to detract from the production in that they confuse the audience about the time period. Also, if a “cartoon-like reality” was the concept, I truly believe that all of the set pieces should have been painted 2-Dimensionally, not just the pieces that were too hard to obtain. If this was indeed the concept, then it should have been completed or changed to become a complete concept.

Other than minor technicalities, the show was an absolute joy to witness. It kept the audience on their toes, and was a perfectly light evening of theatre. Littleton’s reputation of great musicals was certainly maintained, and the bar was raised.