Heartthrob hotspot
Hannah Melton, who plays Rose Alverez, and Matt Day, who plays the songwriting Albert Peterson in “Bye Bye Birdie,” get cozy under a streetlight in this recent promo shoot. “Birdie” opens at Lake City Playhouse at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 11. (BROOKE WOOD/Lake City Playhouse)
BROOKE WOOD/Lake City Playhouse Easton Townsend plays the dreamy heartthrob Conrad Birdie in Lake City Playhouse’s production of “Bye Bye Birdie,” which opens Friday at Lake City Playhouse.
COEUR d’ALENE — Parents, lock up your daughters — Conrad Birdie is coming to town, and he has one last kiss to deliver.
Audiences will be transported to a simpler time of 1950s-era teenage celeb-mania when "Bye Bye Birdie" rocks onto the Lake City Playhouse stage Friday, May 11.
The show features all regional actors, starring Easton Townsend as Conrad, Hannah Melton as Rose Alverez and Matt Day as Albert Peterson.
"The operation includes an Elvis-like celebrity's live aired farewell performance before going off to war," explained Melton. "It also includes 'One Last Kiss' to be given to a teenager from Sweet Apple, Ohio. Rose's motivation is to be able to marry Albert following Birdie's departure to war."
When Conrad, a rock 'n' roll icon, gets drafted and chooses one lucky teenager to kiss before deployment, Sweet Apple is turned upside down with fainting females, jealous boyfriends, grumbling parents and much more.
"Birdie" is fun for the whole family, with nine or so musical numbers choreographed by Wood and Trigger Weddle.
"It's super fun choreography, super simple choreography," said director Brooke Wood. "It's character-driven, as in, 'How would your character dance?'"
The 43-member cast includes actors who range in age from 9 to older than 70.
"Last year when we were making this season for the Playhouse, we were thinking about some great community shows that include all ages of people," Wood said. "That's when 'Bye Bye Birdie' came up.
She said the cast, which has many young people, has been very dedicated in conducting research on heartthrobs such as Conway Twitty and Elvis Presley to capture the essence of what "Birdie" is all about.
"This group of kids is just the sweetest," Wood said. "This is probably one of the sweetest casts I've ever worked with. This cast has rose to the occasion."
This production of "Birdie" also includes a unique take on costuming. Wood said the costumes are outlined in black and the set is designed to appear like sketches from Archie Comics.
"The Playhouse has an artist, Elodie Chen, and she has painted these gorgeous Archie-themed murals on the walls," Wood said. "Every time she comes in it’s almost like Christmas."
The show opens at 7:30 p.m. Friday and runs through May 27. Show times are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $25 for adults and $23 for seniors, students and military.
For information, email info@lakecityplayhouse.org or visit www.lakecityplayhouse.org.
Lake City Playhouse is located at 1320 E. Garden Ave., Coeur d'Alene.