M’CHIGEENG – The year is 1958. Conrad Birdie is a rock n’ roll star who is hitting his stride when the United States Army calls with a draft notice. It’s about to be bye-bye for Mr. Birdie, but not before one last big publicity stunt involving a farewell kiss with one lucky fan.
That’s the setting for this year’s upcoming Manitoulin Secondary School (MSS) musical production of ‘Bye Bye Birdie,’ which hits the high school stage for a three-night run next week.
“Things are going really well. We’re very excited; I’ve heard from the technical team and the directors that they expect this will be the best show we’ve ever done. It’s ambitious, it’s a huge undertaking,” said producer and MSS teacher Yana Bauer.
What normally happens with MSS musical theatre productions is the directorate will meet to begin planning for which musical they wish to perform during the coming year. Then, students audition and get assigned parts and undertake months of preparation before the curtain call.
However, things went slightly differently this year—it’s the first time MSS has had a musical theatre course, which served as a fifth-period class.
“This year, the students in the musical theatre course had to pitch a show to the directorate. They had to do the legwork and find a production that would be relevant for a Manitoulin audience and would work on our stage with our performers, as well as figure out a props inventory, costume ideas and costs,” said Ms. Bauer.
She added that it was neat to allow the students to have that freedom and level of responsibility for the process. Once they made their pitches, the directorate decided on what would be the best fit.
“The kids are a lot more invested and they have a better sense of what goes into a production than in previous years because they’re seeing the process from beginning to end,” said Ms. Bauer.
This is not the first time MSS has attempted ‘Bye Bye Birdie.’ A previous production a few years back was derailed by job action, something that seemed to follow the musical into this school year.
Ms. Bauer said she hoped the current Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation rotating strikes would not escalate so that the production could proceed as planned.
The play’s directorate is the same as last year and the supervising teachers seem to have found their preferred niches for a production of this sort. Mike Zegil is artistic director, Chris Theijsmeijer takes on musical direction, Casey Boisvert is in charge of choreography, Heather Theijsmeijer is the technical director, Jill Ferguson is the head of costumes and Allie Carrick is serving as stage manager.
The character of Mr. Birdie (Sam Howson) is managed in the play by songwriter Albert Peterson (Ethan Theijsmeijer) and his partner Rose Alvarez (Abbie Harper). Twenty-eight MSS students have offered their talents for on-stage roles, with many of them playing two or even three characters.
As is often the case, a handful of elementary school students have signed up for roles as well. Ms. Bauer said they have been embraced by the older students and are making a positive addition to the performance.
The band consists of a mix of current students and MSS alumni who will be jamming out the play’s soundtrack. As might be expected, it draws influence from the rock n’ roll heyday of the 1950s and Ms. Bauer said some people from that era may remember fond memories from the time.
This production has faced the usual challenges that tend to surface while working on a show in rural Northern Ontario over the winter—snowstorms, far commutes and conflicting rehearsal times. Occasional strike days further complicated the process.
“We have, as always, a resilient group of adults, youth and parents who are committed and hard-working. The community has been amazing too in terms of stepping up, finding hard-to-find props … the number of people who have come forward has been amazing,” said Ms. Bauer.
The construction and behind-the-scenes crew have likewise been facing and overcoming challenges (such as a lighting control board that arrived less than two weeks before showtime).
As is the case with other MSS productions, the team has managed to incorporate certain local references, including recently-controversial Little Current street names, into the musical.
Ms. Bauer said MSS’ ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ show will rival any school, even those with bigger arts programs.
“We’re taking on things other schools would balk at,” she said. “We love the show so much. It’s so much fun; we’ve never done a show in the ‘50s era. It’s great music and there’s a bunch of new kids who are actors this year.”
Advance tickets can be purchased at any of the Island’s Guardian pharmacies or at the IDA in Gore Bay. Otherwise, the $16 tickets can be bought at the door on a show night.
‘Bye Bye Birdie’ takes to the MSS stage for a three-night run between February 13 and 15, beginning at 7 pm each night. There will be one intermission during the evening.
