The Goodspeed Musicals production of Bye Bye Birdie, the 1960’s-set musical inspired by Elvis Presley, officially opens July 13. With direction by Jenn Thompson, the cast features Broadway actors Janet Dacal (Wonderland, In the Heights) and George Merrick (Honeymoon in Vegas, South Pacific).
Thompson’s new take on the youthful classic, which began performances June 24, includes two added songs by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams: “Bye Bye Birdie” from the 1963 film and “A Mother Doesn’t Matter Anymore” from the 1995 television presentation.
The show features choreography by Patricia Wilcox with dance arrangements by David Krane. Michael O’Flaherty serves as music director; F. Wade Russo is assistant music director; and Dan DeLange is providing orchestrations.
Michael Stewart, Strouse and Adams’ rock-n-roll musical follows the MacAfee family and the residents of Sweet Apple, OH, when teen idol Conrad Birdie comes to town to serenade one lucky fan before he enters the army.
The principal cast of the Goodspeed production includes Tristen Buettel, Alex Walton, Donna English, Warren Kelley, Rhett Guter, Kristine Zbornik, Ben Stone-Zelman and Dorcas Leung. The ensemble features Paul Aguirre, Emily Applebaum, Hannah Bradley, Lauren Fijol, Jeremiah Ginn, Michael James, Kristen Hoagland, Logan Scott Mitchell, Brittany Nicholas, Eddie Olmo II, Marci Reid, Jake Swain and Branch Woodman. The swings include Austen Danielle Bohmer and Michal Kolaczkowski. Tyler Manemeit is the understudy.
The creative team features Tobin Ost (scenic design), David Toser (costume design), Philip Rosenberg (lighting design), Jay Hilton (sound design) and Mark Adam Rampmeyer (hair and wig design).
See highlights from the recent production of Anything Goes at Goodspeed Musicals below:
Tickets for Bye Bye Birdie are available through the Box Office at (860) 873-8668 or online at goodspeed.org.
(Updated July 13, 2016)
