On March 14 – 17 at 7 PM, FCHS Bonner Auditorium was the place to be for all fans of Theatre. Emily Tucker presented “Bye Bye Birdie” through the talents of a hard working cast and crew. This was the second FCHS Drama presentation that Franklin County Fun has attended. After last year’s performance of “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten” my expectations were high. And, I was not disappointed.
For those that may not be familiar with this play, it is a musical about a developing love affair between Albert Peterson, played by Joshua Kaplonski, and Rose Alvarez, played by Kristin Scott, all within a whimsical atmosphere of teen idol chaos. I was surprised to discover that this was the first time on stage for Joshua and Kristin; my hat is off to both of you for this wonderful achievement. The plot itself revolves around a rock and roll superstar named Conrad Birdie, played by Samuel Scholfield, and the chaos that happens when his agent stages a publicity stunt on The Ed Sullivan Show. Conrad is supposed to kiss one lucky girl from Sweet Apple, Ohio before being drafted into the army. But, as any good story line would have it, everything goes wrong.
This achievement could not have been possible if not for many other cast, crew and orchestra members. Multiple running story lines were well presented. The live orchestra is a rarity these days with the advent of MP3 technology. Any play that utilizes a live orchestra must cross additional hurdles of scene cues and synchronizations. These were crossed flawlessly. The scenes were another major undertaking. Multiple sets were used and changed so many times that I lost count. Everything was nicely laid out and adorned appropriately. Take your time going through the photo galleries for this event and notice the details within each set. Unfortunately, many of these will have been missed, such as the bottle of Aspirin on top of the file cabinet that I am sure was to ease the headaches of Mr. Albert Peterson. The choreography was well done and everyone in attendance left with a song in their heads declaring their love and faithfulness to teen-dream Conrad Birdie…mine lasted for two days.
A special note to any NON-Theatre types that might be reading this review, I count myself amongst this group, I have been to three plays so far and thoroughly enjoyed each of them. And, being a good ol’ country boy that would prefer hunting and fishing over just about anything else, that is no light statement. So, the next time you have a chance, or definitely during next year’s play in the FCHS Bonner Auditorium, take the time to see a play. You might discover that you have a hidden unique taste for something truly special, LIVE Theatre.
By Tommy Amos
“Smile, You’re Online!”
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Set 1 - Set 2 - Set 3 - Set 4 - Set 5 - Set 6
