Get ready to “put on your happy face” for Bye, Bye Birdie, presented by Lovejoy High School! Set in a time of petticoats and bobby socks, Bye, Bye Birdie is set in small-town Sweet Apple, Ohio, when the famous Conrad Birdie arrives for “one last kiss” before heading off to war.

This fun and exciting show brings back some Lovejoy musical veterans, but also showcases the school’s new talent. Kayla Graham, who played Belle in the 2008 production of Beauty and the Beast, returns as small-town American girl Kim McAfee. Kim’s jealous but well-meaning boyfriend Hugo is played by Matt Rector, a frequent supporting actor. Drew Shafranek, new to Lovejoy, is the hilariously egotistical star Conrad Birdie.

Also starring are senior Leah Griffin as the controlling mother of Albert Peterson (returning favorite Jacob Saffle) and Maddy Neill as Rosie Alvarez, Albert’s love interest and secretary. Brittany Cox returns to center stage for her role as Ursula, the shrieking teenage Conrad Birdie Fan Club devotee. A mob of teen girls (featuring Erin McInerney and Angela Kelly) follow Conrad throughout the show, from Penn Station to Sweet Apple, and swoon over his suggestive antics.

Bye, Bye Birdie is a treat the whole family can enjoy. Lovejoy High School Fine Arts Department will present this delight from Thursday, January 28, through Saturday, January 30, at 7:00 pm in the Lovejoy High School auditorium. Tickets go on sale January 19^th at $10 for students and $12 for adults. Shows sell out quickly! Purchase your tickets online at http://lhshome.lovejoyisd.net/OnlineCallBox.html or at the Lovejoy High School store.

Written in 1959, the show was based on the nation’s real reaction when Elvis Presley was drafted into the army. The press attention, songs, and sense of adoration create a funny, lovable show about the trials of teenage love, jealousy, and overbearing mothers. Bye, Bye Birdie was an immediate hit when it opened on Broadway on April 14^th, 1960. This year marked a revival of Birdie on Broadway, with a cast that includes movie star John Stamos. Because of the awards and recognition the show won for its delightful score and script, the revival has brought crowds of all ages.

Bye, Bye Birdie
January 28–30, 2010
7 p.m.
Lovejoy High School
2350 Estates Parkway, Lucas

Tickets:  $10 students, $12 adults
http://lhshome.lovejoyisd.net/OnlineCallBox.html
or the Lovejoy High School Store