The next show in the 65th Music Circus season is the hit musical comedy Bye Bye Birdie. Performances are Tuesday, July 7 through Sunday, July 12. The spirited cast includes Broadway performers, Music Circus audience favorites and some fresh faces making their Music Circus debuts.
Full of hummable hit songs by
Charles Strouse, who wrote the music for the hit musical Annie,and
Lee Adams, this bouncy, bright and bubbly Tony Award-winning Broadway smash introduced the world to
Dick Van Dyke. Musical comedy chaos breaks out when
Elvis Presley-like rock 'n' roll rebel Conrad Birdie arrives in Sweet Apple, Ohio to publicize his Army draft departure by sharing "One Last Kiss" with a small town fan. With "Put On A Happy Face," "A Lot of Livin' to Do" and other favorite musical theatre songs.
Tickets for Bye Bye Birdie range from $40 to $83, and are available by phone at (916) 557-1999, online at Tickets.com, or in person at the Wells Fargo Pavilion Box Office, 1419 H Street in Sacramento. Evening performances July 7 - 12 are Tuesday through Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Matinee performances are Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. For more information visit SacramentoMusicCircus.com.
Broadway's LES MISERABLES cast member
Nathaniel Hackmann is taking us back to the sixties as Conrad Birdie in this production of Bye Bye Birdie. His manager, Albert Peterson, will be played by
Larry Raben, the off-Broadway director of Falling for Eve and Broadway/off-Broadway actor from The Producers, I Married an Angel and I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change.
Janine DiVita, seen on Broadway in Grease, Anything Goes and The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and in the feature film "Boychoir," will play Rosie Alvarez. Playing Ursula Merkle will be Emmy Award-winner Sainty Nelsen, whose new FX series "Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll" premieres in July and whose voice can be heard in the animated series "Eureka Seven: Ao" and "Psycho-Pass." Kim MacAfee will be played by
Amanda Jane Cooper, who played Glinda in the first national tour of Wicked and had a recurring role on the ABC series "Selfie."
Rebecca Baxter, who played Cinderella at New York City Opera, was nominated for a
Helen Hayes Award for her portrayal of Cunégonde in Candide, and guest-starred in ABC's "The Middle" last season, will play Mrs. MacAfee.
Seen on Broadway in Newsies, Xanadu, Jekyll & Hyde, Beauty and the Beast and Cyrano - The Musical,
Stuart Marland is playing Mr. MacAfee.
Mary-Pat Green, playing Mae Peterson, was in the original Broadway cast of Sweeney Todd and Candide, has appeared in many television series including "The Middle," and will soon be seen in theaters in Marvel's "Fantastic Four."
Garett Hawe, playing Hugo Peabody, made his Broadway debut playing Neleus in Mary Poppins, appeared in Newsies and can currently be seen in Matilda The Musical. Younger brother Randolph MacAfee will be played by
Hunter Clary, last season's Mowgli in The Jungle Book, Winthrop in The Music Man and Prince Achmed in Aladdin at El Dorado Musical Theatre.
Joining the cast is
Nick Adorno, a long-time fan of Music Circus who is making his debut after performing in Sacramento Theatre Company's production of Closer Than Ever. Also making her Music Circus debut is
Ashley Anderson, who performed in the first national tour of The Wedding Singer and recently wrapped filming on the new Hallmark movie, "The Ivy League Farmer."
Kim Arnett is returning for her eighth season at Music Circus, where she performed in last year's A Chorus Line, Mary Poppins, South Pacific and Brigadoon. Maria Briggs, who toured in
Irving Berlin's White Christmas and performed in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, is making her Music Circus debut this season.
Steve Geary, who has been seen on Broadway in The Producers, Aida, Contact, Cats and Miss Saigon, joins the cast in his Music Circus debut.
Devon Hadsell has performed regionally in West Side Story and Mary Poppins and is making her Music Circus debut with Bye Bye Birdie. Celebrating her third season with Music Circus is Sacramento's own Danielle Hansen, who recently toured with
Shirley Jones in The Music Man - In Concert and was seen this season in My Fair Lady and Big River. Returning to Music Circus after her 2010 performance in 42nd Street is
Sarah Marie Jenkins, who jumped rope through the first national tour of Legally Blonde and also toured in Guys & Dolls, Swing! and Peter Pan with
Cathy Rigby.
Adam Lendermon, who toured nationally in Cats, internationally in West Side Story and sang Children of Eden in concert at the John F. Kennedy Center, is returning to Music Circus after appearing in last year's Brigadoon and La Cage aux Folles.
Michael McGurk, who has appeared on Broadway in The Wedding Singer and The Music Man, is back for his seventh season at Music Circus where he previously performed in The Music Man and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Joining the cast is
Kathryn Mowat Murphy, who has both performed in and associate choreographed for Chicago and A Chorus Line at Music Circus and is currently working on the up-and-coming show, Carson the Musical. After performing on Broadway in
Irving Berlin's White Christmas and touring in The Little Mermaid, Dennis O'Bannion is back in his home state to perform at Music Circus, where he also appeared in My Fair Lady and Big River this season. Cast member
Andy Richardson, also a performer in Big River, was a member of the original Broadway casts of Newsies, Gypsy starring
Patti LuPone and
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Angelina Sark was recently seen on the New York stage in Sitting Pretty and is returning to Music Circus for the first time this season since 2008, when she appeared in The Sound of Music and Evita. Coming straight from the world premiere of
Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice: A Musical, Brian
Steven Shaw is kicking off his third season at Music Circus with Bye Bye Birdie. Returning to Music Circus for his eighth season, where he's appeared in this season's My Fair Lady and Big River and last season's South Pacific, Brigadoon and La Cage aux Folles, is
Shannon Stoeke, who has toured nationally in Camelot, Peter Pan and Hair.
The Bye Bye Birdie cast also includes members of the
California Musical Theatre Academy's Junior Company, a program that trains young performers to participate in a Music Circus production alongside professional actors and crew:
Ben Ainley-Zoll, Lindsay Alhady, Laurel Bane, Kate Brugger, Lizzy Carey, Karissa Lee Carleton, Connor Chavez, Madison Coleman, Natalie Collins, Serena Feniger, Lindsay Hatch, Olivia Ingram, Elizabeth Lamora, Dylan Margolis, Jackson Margolis,
Grace Matayoshi, Camryn Smith,
Tristan Smith,
Noa Solorio and Emily Trnka.
The Director for Bye Bye Birdie is
Glenn Casale, who has been Artistic Director for
California Musical Theatre since 2008 and has directed more than 50 productions for Music Circus and Broadway Sacramento over the past 20 years.
Randy Slovacek has not only choreographed the national tour of Hello, Dolly!, and A Chorus Line and Chicago at Music Circus, but has also performed in all three shows on Broadway/in national tours. Dennis Castellano has been a musical director at Music Circus since 1981 and when he's not conducting at regional theatres across California, he is teaching students at UC Irvine where he is head of the musical theatre program.
Music Circus is produced under the leadership of Artistic Director Glenn Casa.
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