On March 10th and 11th of 2000, the Newcomerstown Thespians presented Bye Bye Birdie, a musical comedy in two acts at the Newcomerstown Middle School Auditorium. The performance was a huge success to everyone involved, and sold out both nights.

Starring

Allan Simms.........Albert Peterson        Sarah Kaiser........Rose Alvarez

Justin Sparling......Conrad Birdie           Jessica Sparling....Kim MacAfee

Trevor Biggs.........Hugo Peabody          Emily Schrickel.....Mae Peterson

Corey Spring.........Harry MacAfee          Kellie Chittum.....Doris MacAfee

Josh Keating........Randolph MacAfee    Matt Fitzgibbon....Harvey Johnson

Adrienne Dansby....Ursula Merkle         Carly Burdette......Mrs. Merkle

Scott Dennis.........The Mayor               Becky Watson......Mayor's wife

Estella McKinney....Nancy                    Tarah Jurin...........Suzie

Veronica Poffel......Helen                    Angela Cochran.....Alice

Heather Beall........Penelope Ann         Mary Murphy.........Margie

Eric Hickman.........Freddie                  Brett Jacobs........Charles Maude

Brittani Girton.......Gloria Rasputin       Josh Dunlop.........Mr. Johnson

Ashley Gadd.........Deborah Sue            Nicole Boucha.......Sad Girl

Randi Welch.........Sad Girl                   Curtis Gipe...........Train Man

Drew Jones...........Train Man       

Synopsis

Act I

      Albert Peterson, manager of rock star Conrad Birdie, finds his entire future going down the drain when Conrad is drafted into the Army and his secretary, Rose Alvarez, hands in her resignation, reminding him of his unfulfilled promise to become An English Teacher. Albert promises to give up Almaelou Music as soon as he earns enough money to pay back his debts, and Rosie comes up with a scheme. Albert will write a song called "One Last Kiss," and Conrad will sing it on the Ed Sullivan show and give his last kiss to Kim McAfee, a randomly-selected member of one of the Conrad Birdie fan clubs.

      Hugo Peabody has just given his pin to Kim, and the news spreads from phone to phone throughout Sweet Apple, Ohio within minutes - The Telephone Hour.

      Kim gives up the Conrad Birdie fan club because she's simply too old for it. She's quite grown up now, and happy about it - How Lovely To Be a Woman. She receives the call about the part she's going to play in Conrad Birdie's farewell and becomes ecstatic.

    Albert arrives at Penn Station to rehearse with the trio who have come to greet Conrad. He entices a sad girl to dance with him and Put On a Happy Face. Rosie arrives with the luggage and so does Mama, who squashes Albert beneath her thumb whenever he broaches the topic of Rosie or giving up Almaelou. Shortly afterwards Conrad himself arrives and Albert and Rosie field leading questions from reporters - Healthy Normal American Boy.

      Half the town of Sweet Apple has come to the train station to meet Conrad. All of them leave with him except Kim and Hugo, who tells her exactly how he feels about her kissing anyone but him. She assures him that he has absolutely nothing to worry about - One Boy.

      The mayor of Sweet Apple is in the middle of a lengthy speech presenting the key to the city to Conrad when he is interrupted by Kim's friend Ursula, dying to hear from Conrad, who begins performing Honestly Sincere. By the time he is finished the whole crowd is lying in a dead faint.

      The members of the Conrad Birdie Fan Club serenade Conrad all night long with the We Love You, Conrad song. Mr. MacAfee is incensed, due in part to lack of sleep and the fact that he is being rushed though his breakfast by Kim and Mrs. MacAfee, who want everything to be perfect for Conrad. When Conrad guzzles a beer for breakfast and submerges again, Mr. MacAfee is close to throwing him out of the house, but Albert smooths things over by promising him his moment on the Ed Sullivan Show, which leaves him awed - A Hymn to a Saturday Evening.

      Albert asserts himself and writes Mama that he is finished with Almaelou, but when she arrives in person, she quells him once more, leaving Rosie furious. She finds Hugo, who has once again decided that the kiss is off, and asks him to do her a small favor.

      Live, on the Ed Sullivan Show, Conrad sings One Last Kiss while Mr. MacAfee knocks Kim out of the limelight to bask in it himself. As Conrad is about to kiss her, Hugo charges in and knocks him out cold. Kim storms out and declares she never wants to speak to him again, and he follows after her. Rosie stalks off as well, leaving Albert on the air with an unconscious Conrad and a still stage-struck Mr. MacAfee.

Act II

      Rosie packs her bags, wondering What Did I Ever See In Him and declaring that from now on, she intends to live life to the utmost. Kim promptly decides to go with her and packs her own bags.

      Mama, Conrad and Albert arrive as Rosie is leaving. Albert haughtily lets her know that the kiss is scheduled to take place at the train station the next day, shifting to begging her to stay when she walks out the door. Kim starts to follow her, and is promptly ordered to return upstairs by Mr. MacAfee. Albert tells Mama that he loves Rosie and that he's going out to look for her, no matter what. She tells him that Conrad is leaving for a night on the town and won't be back in time to kiss Kim at the train station. Albert orders him to stay and leaves in search of Rosie. Conrad and Kim decide that they have A Lot of Livin' To Do.

      Conrad meets Kim and some of the other teenagers in the streets of Sweet Apple, and they leave try the wild life - A Lot of Livin' To Do (reprise). Mr. and Mrs. MacAfee are thoroughly disgusted with Kids!

      Hugo attempts to drown his sorrows at Maude's Roadside Retreat and is kicked out for being a minor. Rosie arrives and introduces herself as Spanish Rose. Albert calls her and she refuses to speak to him - Baby, Talk To Me. She hangs up on him and tries to crash a Shriner's meeting. Maude promptly throws her out.

      Rosie sneaks back into the meeting and wreaks havoc with the Shriners as the meeting degenerates into a Shriner's Ballet.

      Rosie finally escapes the Shriners and meets Hugo, who tells her that Kim and Conrad have run away to the ice house. Rosie heads back into Maude's to telephone Albert and is swept off by the Shriners. Albert and Mama show up, searching for Rosie, and Albert finally stands up to Mama and tells her to go home. She leaves and the parents of Sweet Apple arrive, demanding to know if Albert knows where their children are - Kids! (reprise). Albert puts them off but Rosie unwittingly informs them where Kim and Conrad are.

      Kim is trying to impress Conrad with her worldly wiseness at the ice house. They are joined by all the teenagers in Sweet Apple, who have decided to follow Conrad to the ends of the earth - Ice House Livin'. They are interrupted by a swarm of angry parents and policemen, one of whom arrests Conrad. Kim flings herself happily into Hugo's arms and Conrad is dragged away with half the town following. Albert orders Rosie to pack their things so they can leave to get married the following day. Mama still whole-heartedly disapproves but she can't crush Rosie's effervescence - Spanish Rose.