November 22,2000
Middlebury College Says Hello To
“Bye, Bye Birdie”
MIDDLEBURY, Vt. The Middlebury
College Musical Players (MCMP), a student group dedicated to bringing
musical theater productions to campus, will perform “Bye, Bye Birdie”
on Friday, Dec.1 at 9 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 2 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.;
and Sunday, Dec. 3 at 1 p.m. All performances will take place at the
McCullough Student Center on Old Chapel Road off South Main Street
(Route 30).
The plot of the show, which is set in
the late 50s, revolves around rock icon Conrad Birdie, who is being
drafted into the army. His manager Albert Peterson arranges for
Conrad to perform one last song and bestow one more kiss on a lucky
fan. The honor falls upon Kim MacAfee, much to the disgust of her
steady boyfriend Hugo. As the show progresses, Albert must come to
terms with his secretary and girlfriend Rosie, a mob of angry
parents, and frenetic teens.
“Its a timeless theme,” said
Tom Marks, director of the show and a Middlebury College senior. “We
saw fans go nuts over Elvis in the 50s and Beatle-mania in the 60s,
and were seeing the same thing today with N Sync and the
Backstreet Boys. The show still rings very true.”
Senior Kirk German stars as the
over-wrought and indecisive Albert. This is Germans second lead
role with MCMP his first was in 1998 as Matt in
Fantastiks. Alberts long-time love interest, Rosie
Alvarez, is being played by sophomore Maressa Perreault, who is
making her Middlebury College stage debut.
The rest of the cast is a mix of
newcomers and veterans to MCMP. First-year student Erin King of
Waterbury, Vt., stars as Kim, to whom Conrad will give his farewell
kiss. Mike Stevens, another first-year student, is taking on the role
of Conrad. Juniors Katharine Decker and Mike Apicelli, who both
appeared in last years production of “A Funny Thing Happened on
the Way to the Forum,” have returned to play Kims
parents.
According to Marks, the 25-person
cast and 15-person orchestra have high expectations for “Birdie.” The
show features well-known musical numbers such as “Put on a Happy
Face,” “Telephone Hour,” and “Kids.” “We hope to draw life-long fans
of the show, as well as those who have never seen it before.
Its fun theatre. You cant help but leave with a very big
smile,” said Marks.
General admission is $5, and
admission for children, students, and seniors is $3. Tickets are
available at the Middlebury Inn, the Middlebury College McCullough
Student Center Information Desk, or by phone at (802)
443-4900.
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