Valley Catholic News

Submitted by VCHS Drama Director Ginnie Sutfin

On Wednesday, Feb. 27, the cast and crew treated the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon to a sneak peek of their lates production, Bye Bye Birdie, complete with themed treats of ice cream sodas and apple pie. Check out our Flickr site to see photos from the reception for the Sisters as well as the Bye Bye Birdie promotional photo gallery.

Bye Bye Birdie will be presented in Valley Catholic’s Kelly Auditorium on March 1-2 and 8-9 at 7 p.m. with matinees on March 3 and 10 at 2 p.m. Valley Catholic High School is located at 4275 SW 148th Ave., Beaverton. 

Ticket prices are $10 for adults, $6 for students and seniors, and $3 for children under 5.  Tickets can be ordered at 503-644-3745 or purchased at the door.

The year was 1958 and Elvis Presley was being inducted into the U.S. Army.  Presley’s millions of fans turned it into a major media event – a phenomenon satirized in the classic Tony Award-winning musical and popular film, Bye Bye Birdie, which will come to life this March on the stage of Valley Catholic High School.

With music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Lee Adams and a book by Michael Stewart, Bye Bye Birdie is a funny, affectionate look at pop culture. When pop idol Conrad Birdie announces that he’s going into the Army, the teenage world explodes.  Conrad’s manager decides to take advantage of the mayhem and have Conrad sing one more hit on The Ed Sullivan Show and give “One Last Kiss” to a lucky teenage fan in the small town of Sweet Apple, Ohio. Pandemonium ensues as parents and teens of the town react to Sweet Apple’s celebrity presence. 

Valley Catholic High School Drama Teacher Ginnie Sutfin, who directs the production, said, “If there’s any question as to whether a 1960 musical comedy holds any relevance for a 21st-century audience, just look at the popularity of Justin Bieber, American Idol, or Lady Gaga.  Teenagers and adults today won’t have to work too hard to think how, even fifty years later, the teenage experience remains quite similar to the madness surrounding ‘The King’ or those ‘Lads from Liverpool.’”

Sutfin adds, “In our production, 40 students are coming together to give life to this lovably nostalgic, satirical and funny show, hoping audiences will ‘Put on a Happy Face!’”

The cast and ensemble:

Production credits include musical direction by Jeffrey Childs, choreography by Elizabeth Esch Brown, lighting design by Bradford Johnson and set design by Megan Miller.