By: Margo Moore
The “Bye Bye Birdie” performance is coming up in a few days after months of hard work from the Redwood drama department, a musical which includes a colorful and classical soundtrack from the early sixties.
A student favorite seems to be the song ‘Telephone Hour’. “I play the character stage manager, which is an acting role. So I’ve asked a few people this question and I think everyone seems to really like ‘Telephone Hour,’ and a lot of people also love ‘A Lot of Livin’ to Do’,” says Chloe Marino, ’23. Marino is also in the adult ensemble.
Her favorite song is “also ‘Telephone Hour'”. Marino also enjoys “‘One Last Kiss’ [and] Maybe the ‘American Boy’ one, I forgot the title, just because it kind of gives the preface of what they’re trying to show [about] Conrad Birdie,” Marino says in the song, “They’re trying to sell him, I guess.”
Alyssa Sozinho, ’23, cast as Rose Alvarez, similarly says “‘Healthy Normal American Boy’ is a big fun number where Rosie and Albert try to convince people that Conrad is the perfect man that could do no wrong. Lots of fun acting in that.”
“My favorite song is ‘Rosie’ because it’s the love ballad between Rose and Albert and such a wholesome ending to their love story. I also love ‘One Boy’ because it compares young puppy love to the love of more mature people,” Sozinho continues.
Some numbers are also very good for plot development. Chloe Payne, ’25 plays Helen. She says “‘English Teacher’ is about the main characters, like, the whole reason they’re in the music industry business and like how he actually wanted to be an English teacher and then, ‘American Boy’ is just about the gossip around Conrad who’s the main character, he’s like based off Elvis, so, they’re trying to disprove rumors about him.”
Alyssa Sozinho says “I think ‘Spanish Rose’ contributes to the plot line because it’s when Rose stands up to Albert’s racist mom and embracing the amazing culture of her past. Also ‘What Did I Ever See in Him’ because that’s when Rosie and Kim come together and relate about how their men have been treating them and how they won’t take it anymore.”
Some numbers are well-liked for their physical characteristics, such as dancing or set design. “‘Lotta Livin’’ has a lot of dancing which I think is fun, and like most of the teenagers in it, so it’s fun,” says Payne.
Sozinho says “The number with great physical characteristics is probably ‘Shiners Ballet’ because it’s when Rose goes wild and tries to get the attention of other guys in an entertaining and hilarious way. Also I’d say ‘Honestly Sincere’ because it’s so entertaining as the Conrad Birdie fan girls faint over Conrad.”
“Bye Bye Birdie” will be performed February 2, 3, 4 at 7:00 pm and February 4 at 2:00 pm in the LJ Williams Theater. Tickets can be bought at redwoodrangersdrama.ludus.com or by calling (559)730-7734, general admission is $12.
Margo Moore
Margo, 25', is a sophomore at Redwood High School and a second-year journalism student who works as an arts and entertainment writer for the Redwood Gigantea. She also loves to take photos and publish photogalleries. You can reach her at @margo.mo3574@vusd.us
Tags: drama, drama show, musical, play, redwood high school, theater
