Photo Flash: Anita Gillette & More in Reagle Music Theatre's BYE BYE BIRDIE

Tony Award nominee Anita Gillette stars as Mae Peterson, the comical mother of all martyred mothers who nearly loves her son Albert to distraction. With more than 75 stage and screen credits to her name, Gillette is probably best known for playing quirky mothers – most notably on television opposite Tina Fey (30 Rock), Marg Helgenberger (CSI) and John Goodman (Normal, Ohio); and in movies opposite Jennifer Aniston (She's the One), Bill Murray (Larger than Life), Mary Louise Parker (Boys on the Side) and Jack Black (Bob Roberts). Audiences may also remember her for her funny and tender performance in the Oscar-winning film Moonstruck in which she played Mona, the hapless mistress to Cosmo (Vincent Gardenia).

In her early career on Broadway, Gillette moved quickly from the ensemble to replacement to featured actress to lead, making her debut in the chorus of Gypsy in 1959 only to take over the roles of Thelma and then June during the show's two-year run. She later starred in Carnival, Guys and Dolls, Woody Allen's Don't Drink the Water, Cabaret, and Neil Simon's Chapter Two, for which she earned a Tony nomination as Best Actress in a Play. Most recently Gillette has starred Off-Broadway in The Big Meal at Playwrights Horizons and in Nora and Delia Ephron's Love, Loss, and What I Wore at the Westside Theater. She also recently made her one-woman cabaret debut in Anita Gillette: After All at Birdland to rave reviews.

Joining Gillette in Bye Bye Birdie as the swoon-inducing rock 'n' roll idol Conrad Birdie is handsome rising star Ryan Overberg. A professional actor who has moved from New York to Boston to continue his training at the Boston Conservatory, Overberg most recently turned heads as the muscle-bound (and muscle-brained) Sonny in the SpeakEasy Stage production of XANADU. Other credits include musical heartthrob Link Larkin in the national tour of Hairspray, Roger in Rent, The Who's Tommy, The Big Gay Musical, and Le Cabaret Grimm at the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF).

Additional cast members are Jacob Sherburne as Albert Peterson, Carman Napier as Rosie Alvarez, Gillian Gordon as Kim McAfee, Brad Walters as Mr. Harry McAfee, Linda Lodi as Mrs. Doris McAfee, Josh Sussman as Randolph McAfee, Naree Ketudat as Ursula Merkle, Matt Phillipps as Hugo Peabody, and Shonna McEachern as Gloria Rasputin. Adult ensemble members are Kelly Naugler, Sierra Kagen, Cathy Nardone, Kristina Riegle, Kristen Almechatt, David Carney, Tony Feole, Christopher King, Tom Richardson, Gary Vincent, James Sheehan, Peter Mill, and Zach Green. Teen ensemble members are Courtney Blanch, Emily Grace Smith, Hayley Richardson, Meredith Langton, Kim Rose, Briana Fallon, Emily Tiberio, Laura Girard, Alex Nemiroski, Darren Bunch, Connor Fallon, Nahshon Rosenfeld, Josh Zammuto and Jared Green.

The Reagle Music Theatre production is directed and choreographed by Ovation Award-winning Broadway veteran Larry Sousa. Music director is Dan Rodriguez and conductor is Jeffrey P. Leonard. Assistant choreographer is Rachel Bertone; scenic designer is Richard E. Shreiber; lighting designer is David Wilson; sound designer is Shane Bourgeois; production stage manager is Chelsea Parrish; and technical coordinator is Lori E. Baruch.

For tickets and more information, visit www.reaglemusictheatre.org and check out the production shots featuring Anita Gillette below!

Ryan Overberg

Gillian Gordon

Jacob Sherburne and Company

Carman Napier and Company

The Company

Anita Gillette and Company

Gillian Gordon

Ryan Overberg and Company

Carman Napier

Carman Napier and Company

Carman Napier and Company

Carman Napier

Anita Gillette

Ryan Overberg and Gillian Gordon

Gillian Gordon, Ryan Overberg and Company

Anita Gillette

Ryan Overberg and Gillian Gordon