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The 1950's Return to Gardner!

Posted on Jul. 1st, 2009

Posted by Dan Naden
Gardner Community Theatre

Brian Fibelkorn as Conrad Birdie, Paula Naden (kneeling) as Edna, the Mayor's wife; (background, left to right) Secily Rees as Rose Alvarez, Bart Goering as the Mayor. Photo by Leslie Naden

Have you seen them around town. I have it on good authority that poodle skirts have been spotted around Gardner. And a swaggering guy in a leather jacket, followed by screaming girls. Add in a domineering mother, her brow-beaten son, his frustrated assistant, and a town full of parents who are, at once, starstruck and frustrated by their rambunctious, incomprehensible kids...and you'll have the setting for Bye Bye Birdie, Gardner Community Theatre's summer musical, directed by Annette Cook.

Set in the late fifties, Bye Bye Birdie is a comedy centered around a roguish heartthrob, Conrad Birdie, who is heading off to the Army. His publicist, Albert Peterson, is forced to face the unpleasant loss of his main client to several years of military service. Albert's long-suffering assistant and part-time girlfriend, Rose Alvarez, devises a scheme to save Albert's career: she randomly picks a fan from Conrad's fan club, fifteen-year-old Kim MacAfee from Sweet Apple, Ohio, to receive Conrad's "last kiss" before joining the Army. They take Conrad on the road to Sweet Apple.

Small-town Sweet Apple is a town divided by Conrad's visit. Between the shrieking, ecstatic teenage girls; the parents who are, at once, baffled by Conrad's mesmerizing hold over their kids, and mesmerized by his swaggering allure; and Kim MacAfee's beleaguered and frustrated father, Harry; quiet Sweet Apple is turned upside down by the invasion of the nation's biggest rock 'n roll star. Into the mix comes Albert's mother, Mae, who will stop at nothing to keep her "Sonny Boy" right where she wants him, under her thumb.

Cat-fight tensions between Mae and Rosie; a boisterous, partying Conrad; the rabidly ambitious fan club teens; the mercurial, but camera-loving Harry MacAfee and his family; fainting townspeople; a jealous, but cute, Hugo; Ed Sullivan; and a collection of wolves in Shriner clothing makes for a non-stop, slapstick comedy that's worth coming back to see again and again!

GCT's production of Bye Bye Birdie features the talents of a number of local citizens. Brian Fibelkorn plays the hunky Conrad, Joe DeNoon plays Albert Peterson; Becky DeNoon plays Mae Peterson, Albert's unstoppable Momma; GCT newcomer Secily Rees plays Rosie and is also the show's choreographer. The hilarious MacAfee family is played by: Paul Fibelkorn, as Harry, Terri Thoelke as Doris, Cooper McGuire as Randolph, and Valerie Sass as Kim, the head of the Conrad Birdie Fan Club and the girl to whom he's supposed to offer his "last kiss". Outside the cast of actors, Bye Bye Birdie is fortunate to have the talents of Annie Biggs as our Music Director and Will Biggs as our orchestra director.

In fact, you'll find a lot of familiar faces in the cast, crew, and orchestra of Bye Bye Birdie. Gardner Community Theatre is fortunate to be operating in a community that is naturally rich with talent and energy. Come to our show and look closely at the cast and crew. You'll see friends, neighbors, teachers, and co-workers. You'll see a slice of Gardner. And you'll have a wonderful time with a truly hilarious program.

Our performances are coming up fast, on July 10th, 11th, and 12th. The Friday and Saturday (July 10th and 11th) shows are evening performances, at 7:00PM. The Sunday, July 12th, show is an afternoon performance, at 2:00PM.

Will-call tickets are already on sale from the cast members; on Friday, July 3rd at Price Chopper and the Farmer's Market; on Sunday, July 5th, at Wal-Mart. Tickets will also be available at the door. Tickets cost $8.00 apiece, but children small enough to fit on a parent's lap are free.

Please come see the show! The 50's are back. Conrad is coming!

All photos courtesy of Leslie Naden.

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Dan Naden wrote on 7/6/2009 12:40 pm

It was a lot of fun being in the studio and talking to the people there!

wrote on 7/5/2009 10:08 pm

It was nice to see the cast on kctv5.

Dan Naden wrote on 7/5/2009 6:51 pm

Oops! Forgot to put that in there.

Performances will be held in the auditorium at:
Gardner-Edgerton High School
425 N. Waverly Road
Gardner, KS 66030

Dates:

July 10 and 11 at 7:00PM
and
July 12 at 2:00PM

Tickets are: $8.00
They can be purchased at the door or as "will-call" from one of the cast members.

Children small enough to sit on a lap are free.

For more information, check out our website at:
http://www.gardnercommunitytheatre.org/showbbb.html

It's going to be a GREAT show! We hope to see you there!