Highland Park High School To Perform “Bye Bye Birdie” This Spring.
Fans of musicals will have plenty to sing about this spring when Highland Park High School’s musical department performs their rendition of “Bye Bye Birdie,” a popular musical created by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams. “Bye Bye Birdie” is a satire on American society that tells the story of a rock “n” roll icon, named Conrad Birdie, who gets drafted into the Army, and his plan to win America’s hearts and avoid military service.
Set to debut in March 2010, Highland Park High School’s performance of “Bye Bye Birdie” will be directed by Keith Presty, with casting still to be determined.
When asked for his opinion on the musical, Oliver Suskin-Santarelli, a 17 year-old senior at Highland Park High School, said,
“This is my favorite musical. It has a great story, and some really good songs. I’m a huge fan of it and want to leave my senior year having done this musical.”
Suskin-Santarelli took the starring role in Highland Park’s production of “The Music Man” last year. While casting has yet to be determined for “Bye Bye Birdie,” don’t be surprised if Suskin-Santarelli takes another starring role.
“A lot of people were asking for this musical. It’s very popular and there are a lot of parts available for the kids here at HPHS,” said Suskin-Santarelli, who just recently saw a Broadway performance of the show featuring Johnathon Stamos.
The exact dates of the performances have not yet been determined, but you can expect to see “Bye Bye Birdie” performed live sometime in late March 2010.
