Ovation! Performing Arts Northwest Presents BYE BYE BIRDIE

Ovation! Performing Arts Northwest presents Bye Bye Birdie over two weekends at Bainbridge Performing Arts this January. America's top performer Conrad Birdie is being drafted into the Army; how will he say "Bye Bye" to his most devoted fan? This classic musical set in 1958 will feature an all-ages cast singing and dancing their way through a marvelous score with a rockabilly beat.

Rock star Conrad Birdie is the biggest thing to top the charts. Women love him, men want to be him, and teenage girls around the country scream with glee at the mere mention of his name. But when the United States Army drafts Birdie, manager Albert Peterson sees his meal ticket preparing to fly the coop (much to the delight of longtime love Rose Alvarez, 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 small-town America to plant his goodbye kiss on one lucky fan for the entire world to see. Their selection of super fan Kim Macafee sends the wholesome enclave of Sweet Apple, Ohio into chaos. Kim's boyfriend, Hugo, 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 Sweet Apple can't take its teens' riotous rebellion, inspired by the arrival of bad-boy Birdie. Will Sweet Apple ever be the same?

Director Scott Breitbarth earned a B.A. in Film Production at the University of Southern California in 2015 before returning to Seattle as a filmmaker, choreographer and freelance promotional artist for BPA and organizations all across King and Kitsap. He has built and designed projections for multiple BPA productions, including Big Fish (2017), last year's summer productions of Willy Wonka and Into the Woods, and this season's Return To The Forbidden Planet (2018). He made his choreography debut in the community last winter with Masquerade (2018) at Ovation! Performing Arts Northwest.

Ovation!'s Bye Bye Birdie stars Daniel Opalski as Albert Peterson, Giselle Vincent as Rose Alvarez, Ross Eide as Conrad Birdie, Deborah Rice as Mae Peterson, Audrey Trabucco as Kim MacAfee, Ethan Gallahon as Hugo Peabody, Ellie Osburn as Ursula, Mino Christante as Mr. MacAfee, SueEllen VanDuyne as Mrs. MacAfee, Dane Bowman as Randolph MacAfee, Phillipa Myler as Gloria Rasputin, Genna Johnson as Harvey Johnson, Lilyane Christante as Penelope Ann, Lyra Cromwell as Margie, Wini Deitrich as Alice, Danika Logdahl as Helen, Nicole Washington as Nancy, Lizzy West as Deborah Sue, Lucas Beringer as Fred, Jeff Trabucco as Mayor (plus Maude's Second Customer and Quartet), Miles Yanick as Maude's First Customer (and Quartet), Evan Lenz as Charles F. Maude (and Quartet), Dana Sweatman as Mayor's Wife, Mitzi Haley as Mrs. Merkle, Helena Myler as Mrs. Johnson, Bridget Crampton as One Girl, Momoka Motonaga as One Girl, and Trey Field-Bennet as Reporter 3. The production also includes a Teen Ensemble, featuring Mirabel Christante, Ginger Jenson, Inya Olson, Olivia O'Rourke, and Noa Render, and an Adult Ensemble featuring Deanna Basby, Jackie Greisen, and Miranda Jorgens.

Suitable for all ages, Bye Bye Birdie appears at Bainbridge Performing Arts with a Pay-What-You-Can Preview Thursday at 7:30 p.m. on January 2. First-weekend performances are January 3 - 5, with shows Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday & Sunday at 3:30 p.m. Second-weekend performances are January 9 - 12, with shows Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 7:30 p.m., an Early Matinee on Saturday at 2:00 p.m., and the Closing Matinee on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. Tickets, $24 for adults, $22 for seniors, $19 for students, youth, military, and teachers, may be purchased online at www.bainbridgeperformingarts.org, by phone at 206.842.8569 or in person at BPA, 200 Madison Avenue North, Bainbridge Island. BPA Box Office hours are 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and one hour prior to each performance. Visit Ovation! online at www.ovationmtb.com.

BPA is supported, in part, by Bainbridge Community Foundation, Bainbridge Island Ace Hardware, Bainbridge Island Magazine, the City of Bainbridge Island, One Call for All, and Town & Country Markets.

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