'Bye Bye Birdie' at Columbia Falls High School
<p>Mark Hader, center, plays Conrad Birdie in the musical comedy "Bye, Bye, Birdie" this Friday and Saturday at the Columbia Falls High School Little Theater. The musical, put on by the Columbia Falls High School Drama Club, is a satirical look at singer stardom in 1958. Directed by Matt Ford. Shows start at 7 p.m. each night. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students and children under five are free. The show will also have performances March 21, 22 at 7 p.m.</p>
Almost 60 students are part of the annual drama production at Columbia Falls High School this spring, with the school staging the musical “Bye Bye Birdie” March 14-15 and 21-22 at 7 p.m. in the Little Theatre.
Thirty-nine actors and 18 musicians take the spotlight in this classic satire on American society. “Bye Bye Birdie” is set in 1958, with a plot inspired by Elvis Presley’s draft notice into the Army in 1957. The story centers on a rock-and-roll singer going off to the Army, and the event’s effects on a group of teenagers in a small town.
The production is directed by Matt Ford, who is at the helm of his fifth show for Columbia Falls. Last year the school produced a comedy, so it is alternating this year with a musical.
“I’ve been amazed at the talent level in the Columbia Falls student body,” Ford said. “They’re hungry for a theater experience, which is a little bit underserved here.”
Ford, a veteran actor from numerous Whitefish Theatre Company and Alpine Theatre Project productions, thought the challenge with this show would be to find enough talent for the male roles.
“This year was a pleasant surprise,” he said. “We have a good strong cast of male actors.”
Karen Ulmer, Columbia Falls band director, has prepared the student band for the show, with choir teacher Jennifer Stephens directing the singers.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students, with free admission for those 5 and under.