WHS says hello to 'Bye Bye Birdie'

WASILLA — Music director Sara Guhl says Wasilla High School’s production of the musical “Bye Bye Birdie” is “pure entertainment.”

Wasilla junior Mackenzie Seims, who plays Rose Alvarez in the show, agreed that “there is nothing serious in this play” about a rock-n-roll king who gets drafted for the U.S. Army in the late 1950s. Rather, author Michael Stewart takes Americans to task for their obsession with celebrities and immature or illusory outlooks on life through exaggerated characters.

Seims plays alongside senior Wyatt Gag as Albert Peterson, the “mama’s boy” and manager of the fictional rock star, Conrad Birdie. In his deference to his mother (as a grown man) and failure to make a decision regarding his relationship with Alvarez (his off-and-on girlfriend/secretary), Peterson represents the sheltered adult who does what’s easy, rather than follow his dreams.

Seims’ Hispanic character highlights Albert’s lack of worldly understanding by reminding him that “Spanish is not a religion” in one of the first scenes. She also calls him out on not following his dreams or at least putting his Harvard education to use in the song “An English Teacher.”

Conrad Birdie, played by senior Eli Ickes, is perhaps the most significant jester of the show, mugging and gesturing for an audience of teenage girls in the throes of fandom throughout the play.

“My character’s kind of over-the-top, egotistical, big-headed,” Ickes said. “I’m all that and a bag of chips.”

The young Kim MacAfee, played by senior KelsieLyn Overway, thinks so, too. When Kim is selected to receive a kiss from Conrad in a sort of stunt to introduce his new music (written by Peterson), her life is suddenly “booming with excitement,” Overway said. But in some ways this is a false excitement, as Kim seems to think her selection a matter of merit, that she has somehow attained some level of adulthood with the honor in the song, “How Lovely to Be a Woman (Like Me).” She even begins calling her parents by their first names, Doris (played by Kayla Munday) and Harry (played by Michael Matthews).

Director Warren Foster said the plot isn’t totally diluted to pink cardigans and poodle skirts, however.

“There’s not a lot of deep meaning behind it but it does explore some human emotions,” he said.

“Bye Bye Birdie” is Foster’s directorial debut, though he recently served as the casting director and associate producer for “Moose: The Movie,” in which he also played the character of Adrian. With about 15 years of acting with Valley Performing Arts (and more in the film industry in California) behind him, Foster said he sees himself as a better actor than a director, but wouldn’t rule out directing again completely.

“I never say never,” he said.

Foster’s daughter April, who plays Ursula Merkle in the upcoming show, is a freshman at Wasilla High this year, and the main reason he agreed to direct, he said.

Though working with a high school cast is more challenging than being part of a group of professionals and has been an adjustment, Foster said the majority of the students have a good attitude, a love for theater, and have responded well to his coaching.

“I’ve seen them come a long way,” he said.

Shows are at 7 p.m., Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 5-7 and 12-14 in the Wasilla High School theater. Tickets are $7 for students with ID, $10 for adults or $25 per family. For more information, contact Sara Guhl at 352-8219 or sara.guhl@matsuk12.us.

Contact reporter Caitlin Skvorc at 352-2266 or caitlin.skvorc@frontiersman.com.