Young People's Theatre Workshop presents BYE BYE BIRDIE 5/26- 6/4

Young People's Theatre Workshop (YPTW) presents the hip-swiveling, rock 'n roll musical comedy Bye Bye Birdie, on stage at The Players Club of Swarthmore May 26 to June 4. The Bye Bye Birdie cast includes more than 60 student thespians from the Philadelphia area, ages 8-18. Show dates are May 26, 27, 30, June 1 and 3 at 7:30 p.m., May 29 at 6 p.m. and May 28 and June 4 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 and all seats are reserved. Call 610-558-0988 to reserve tickets.

With music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Lee Adams and a book by Michael Stewart, Bye Bye Birdie is fun for the whole family. It's the dawn of the sensational '60s and popular rock star heartthrob Conrad Birdie (Simon Shankweiler, Swarthmore) is the biggest thing to top the record charts. Women love him, men want to be him, and teenage girls scream at the mere mention of his name. But when the U.S Army drafts Birdie, manager Albert Peterson (Aidan Cole, Wallingford and Patrick Gaughan, Wallingford) sees his meal ticket preparing to fly the coop, much to the delight of longtime love Rose Alvarez (Annie Mutz, Swarthmore and Zoe Bock, Swarthmore), who can't wait for Albert to ditch the music biz and become something respectable, like an English teacher.

Desperate for a publicity stunt big enough to help them survive Birdie's departure, Albert and Rose hatch a plan: send Conrad to Sweet Apple, Ohio, to plant his goodbye kiss on super fan Kim MacAfee (Isabel Zarrow, Swarthmore and Elizabeth Hughes, Media). This plan sends wholesome Sweet Apple into chaos. Kim's boyfriend, Hugo (AiDan Cunningham, Rutledge), can't take the humiliation of his lady love's televised lip-lock. Rose can't take another minute of Albert's distracted ways. And the town's straight-laced parents can't take its teens' riotous rebellion, inspired by the arrival of bad-boy Birdie. Will Sweet Apple survive?

Familiar tunes include "Put On a Happy Face," "Telephone Hour," "Kids," and "Lot of Livin' to Do."

The production staff is led by Claudia Carlsson, Joe Southard, and Darrin Peters. The Players Club of Swarthmore is located at 614 Fairview Road-just off Route 320 in Swarthmore. Young People's Theatre Workshop offers year-round theatre education classes and performance opportunities for students in elementary, middle, and high school. For tickets to Bye Bye Birdie and information on YPTW's other programs, including summer camps and workshops, call 610-558-0988, email yptw@aol.com, or visit Young Peoples Theatre Workshop on Facebook.

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