Bye Bye Birdie Cast Announced for January Show
October 29, 2018
As many watched TGB and let out a sigh of relief that Fall Fest Week was concluding, those that auditioned for this year’s musical, Bye Bye Birdie watched anxiously as the cast list was scheduled for posting following the show.
Auditions for the musical were held on October 15 and 16. Upwards of 70 NDA students gave it a shot.
“Mrs. Salerno and I have created a detailed process,” said Mrs. Andrea Gilson, lead director for the show. Mrs. Chris Salerno is in charge of the stage music, Mrs. Kim Flinchum does choreography and Mr. Steve Johnson directs the pit.
On October 17, over a dozen students received a callback, an opportunity for them to read as specific character’s lines to aid the directors in deciding the best placements for them in the cast.
“Students are graded via rubric on several areas from vocal tone to stage presence. Our scores are then calculated. Students who received a 70 or above on a combined score are looked at for casting and lead roles,” said Gilson.
The cast is made up of more than 40 students and a large pit orchestra.
According to Gilson, the production is “huge” and requires the students to “embrace the 1958 time period” to “effectively portray the mood and various levels of hysteria on stage.”
“This production needs to be ‘over-the-top’ in gestures, facial expressions, and dialogue,” she said.
Bye Bye Birdie differs from previous musicals Gilson has directed due to its being more of a “classic.”
Gilson shared her most significant challenge with this production will be the staging.
“I am having difficulty designing a set that will not only capture the time period but be able to effectively depict the numerous stage changes,” said Gilson.
Moreover, Gilson has been “beyond impressed” with the enthusiasm and energy of the cast.
“This musical is fun and uplifting, and I think the cast is going to make it a memorable production,” she said.
Bye Bye Birdie will be performed in the NDA auditorium January 17 through January 19.
The cast is as follows:
Maya AbuJamra Rosie Alvarez
Megan Berndt Parent /Adult Chorus
Elizabeth Bolin Teenager/Teen Chorus
Joey Bonadonna Parent/Adult Chorus
Bekah Boucher Alice/Teen Trio/Teen Chorus/Understudy for Kim
Alex Brabant Mayor/Quartet/Adult Chorus
Bella Brabazon Suzie/Mrs. Merkle/Teen Chorus
Emily Burgess Teenager /Teen Chorus
Maddy Burgess Deborah Sue /Teen Chorus/Understudy for Ursula
Shayla Cauldwell Parent/Adult Chorus
Jack Christenson Harvey Johnson /Teen Chorus
Micah Dennis Parent /Policewoman/Adult Chorus
Abby Elfner Parent/Adult Chorus
Briana Fitzgerald Parent /Adult Chorus
Sonja Gapinski Teenager /Teen Chorus
Drew Gunville Charles Maude /Quartet/Reporter/
Adult Chorus/Understudy for Albert
Marybeth Healy Mayor’s Wife /Adult Chorus
Elizabeth Hoeppner Kim MacAfee
Tara Janas Teenager /Teen Chorus/Understudy for Mae Peterson
Molly Kukiela Parent/Adult Chorus
Xinwen Liang Parent /Adult Chorus
Jacob Massart Teenager/Teen Chorus
Ellen Meeuwsen Margie/Gloria Rasputin/Teen Chorus
Abby Meyer Mrs. Doris MacAfee
Maggie Otradovec Nancy/Teen Trio/Teen Chorus/Understudy for Rosie
Lizzy Parish Parent /Adult Chorus
Charles Peterson Albert Peterson
Charlie Rickards Randolph MacAfee
Elizabeth Rickards Teenager/Teen Chorus
Daniela Ron -Garcia Parent /Adult Chorus
Sam Ruffell Teenager/Quartet/Teen Chorus/Understudy for Hugo
Elizabeth Scott Parent /Adult Chorus
Audrey Sladek Parent/Adult Chorus
Monica Sosa-Hernandez Helen/Teen Trio/Teen Chorus/Understudy for Mrs. MacAfee
Noah Sternig Hugo Peabody /Understudy for Conrad
Josie Sullivan Teenager /Teen Chorus/Sad Girl Dancer
Max Timmer Teenager/Teen Chorus/Sad Boy Dancer
Tommy Tressler Conrad Birdie
Hannah Vanden Heuvel Mae Peterson
Jake VanderLeest Mr. Harry MacAfee
Mattea Vecera Ursula Merkle
Ethan Vogel Parent/Policeman/Adult Chorus
Tommy Zakowski Teenager/Teen Chorus/Quartet/Understudy for Mr. MacAfee
Yunmei Zhang Parent/Adult Chorus
Bella Zingler-Hoslet Penelope/Reporter/Teen Chorus