‘Birdie' lands and lives it up on Shelter Island School stage
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There might be some who doubted that the Drama Club could pull off yet another brilliant performance, but they did it again this weekend with their presentation of the musical “Bye Bye Birdie,” under the direction of playwright John Kaasik and with the help of a whole lot of volunteers.
In his program notes, Mr. Kaasik wrote that it seemed like “only yesterday” that some of the actors graduating this year were second-grade mice wearing floppy ears, dancing across the stage in “The Nutcracker.” Now, he said, those floppy-eared mice have “blossomed into the talented artists they are today” and were on stage for four exhilarating, high-energy performances this past weekend.
Musical directors Phyllis Power and Keith Brace led an orchestra of 12 musicians. Following Saturday night's sold out performance, Ms. Power had enjoyed being part of the production that included well over 20 musical numbers. Flushed, smiling and clutching flowers the students had presented her at the curtain call, she said “The whole thing's been fun.”
Produced by Anu Kaasik and set in 1958, “Bye Bye Birdie” tells the story of what happens when 15-year-old Kim MacAfee of Sweet Apple, Ohio, is selected to give “one last kiss” to rock and roll star Conrad Birdie before he joins the Army. Birdie's agent, Albert Peterson, and Albert's mother, Mae, make the trip to Sweet Apple, as does Mr. Peterson's loving and patient secretary, Rose Alvarez.
The teenagers of Sweet Apple were played by Ariana Loriz as Helen, Morgan McCarthy as Nancy, Jillian Calabro as Alice, Tara Sturges as Margie, Lisa Kaasik as Penelope and Michael Mundy as the bespectacled Harvey Johnson.
Teen dancers were Lisa Rasmussen, Emily Gibbs, Kaela Loriz, Shelby Willumsen, Claire Read, Michelle Card and Katrina Kaasik. Some of them, along with Katy Binder, made up Conrad's fan club.
Teen dancer Emily Gibbs also played Gloria Rasputin, a blond bombshell doing an over-the-top dance number that ended with her doing the splits, then comically being unable to get up. Dustin Mulcahy had the part of the mayor of Sweet Apple. Rachael Heinze, his wife, elicited laughs with her fawning adoration of Conrad Birdie, David Oliver seemed mighty relaxed in his role as the bartender at Maude's and didn't Jay Card look just right in his role as a policeman!
Elliott Zabel played Albert Peterson. This is Elliott's third lead role in as many years. In “Les Mis” he led us into a revolution and in “Miss Saigon, we held our collective breath as he evacuated Americans from the Embassy during the fall of Saigon. In “Birdie,” the senior displayed not only his talent as a serious actor but his versatility as a song and dance man, effortlessly nailing a mid-air heel click and a rollicking penguin walk, while singing during a dance number that produced cheers and shouts from the appreciative audience.
As the feisty, fiery Spanish Rose, Nicolette conveyed a woman torn between moments of hopefulness and exasperation. Sara Mundy's portrayal, too, was a perfect fit. Both actresses have beautiful voices and comedic timing. All their moments on stage were captivating but the scenes with Mae Peterson and at Maude's bar were memorable.
Katrina Kaasik, a senior, and junior Michelle Card shared the role of Kim MacAfee, the teenager chosen to receive Conrad Birdie's kiss. Katrina has had lead-role experience in numerous productions, most notably the musicals “Les Mis” and “Miss Saigon,” and Michelle has participated in school plays since the 8th grade. “I've had various solo parts ... but this is my first lead ...” she wrote for the program notes. Both Katrina and Michelle were excellent as Kim, whether it was while interacting with Mrs. MacAfee (“Doris. Mother. Mommy!”), singing “How Lovely to be a Woman” and “One Boy,” or alone and nervous in the ice house with an amorous Conrad Birdie.
Seniors Kelsey Heinze and Megan Staudenraus played Kim's mom, Doris, a typical 50s housewife with a steady, calming influence, while dealing with a sometimes grouchy husband and a sometimes hysterical daughter.
Nick Kestler was Kim's steady boyfriend, Hugo Peabody, who gets jealous thinking about Conrad Birdie kissing his girl and punches him on national television. The scene, acted out in slow motion, was one of many audience favorites.
Anyone who's ever seen Mia on stage before knows that she's got an expressive face and a knack for comedy. Hope's Mae was equally funny and both were at the top of their game when singing “A Mother Doesn't Matter Anymore.” In her program notes, Hope wrote, “...I channeled into my inner Grandpa; his passion and crazy personality inspired my character. R.I.P. Grandpa, I love you.”
Matthew Dunning handled his first school play and the role of 10-year-old Randolph MacAfee like a consummate pro, not only in how he delivered his lines and reacted to being told to “shut up!” but also during the musical number, “Kids.” Hopefully, we'll be seeing more of this young actor in future productions.
And speaking of Conrad Birdie, Kieran Wilson was right in his element playing the teen heart throb. If Hope channeled her Grandpa, then Kieran must have channeled Elvis because he sang like Elvis and made girls (and women) faint at the swivel of a hip, or the curl of a lip, not to mention scream at whenever anyone said his name. Like the other seniors, Kieran has had a lot of experience on the stage and he put all of it to work as he took on the demanding role of Conrad and made it his own.
Pouting fifth graders Serina Kaasik and Elizabeth Dunning, both performing in a Drama Club production for the first time, had one of the show's liveliest scenes, dancing with Albert (Elliott) when he urged them to “Put on a Happy Face.”
There were so many bits of business happening on stage at the same time through the whole performance it was difficult to take note of everything. But there were plenty of special moments, like when Conrad tossed his sunglasses behind him and guitar man Lennon Sarfati, caught them or how each time Paul Mobius's ginormous train made an appearance on stage, audiences went wild. Lisa Rasmussen's on-the-money portrayal of an enquiring news reporter was a hoot, and David Oliver was a standout as bar owner Maude and part of a singing quartet that also included Ariana Loriz, Jay Card and Chandler Olinkiewicz.
Eleven of the actors who performed in “Bye Bye Birdie” are seniors, so this weekend's shows were the last for them here. Following Saturday's performance, School Board President Rebecca Mundy reminded the audience that though we're losing some of our star performers and Drama Club members, there were plenty of “younger ones” eager to keep up the tradition of great theater that's been established here. Ms. Mundy expressed her hope that the community will continue to support “our arts.”
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1 comments found
Awesome : 2/6/2010
This was an awesome play! My Friend Serina Kaasik was in it!
