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Dunedin Troupe To Present 'Bye Bye, Birdie'

Cheryl Bentley/SUNCOAST

The Dunedin Showcase Theater will present "Bye Bye Birdie" March 11 – 15 at the Dunedin Community Center. Cast members include, from left, Esther Schwegman, Marie Burke and Elizabeth Dow. A special role in the play was created for Burke, 87, whose husband recently died.

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By Cheryl  Bentley | The Suncoast News

Published: March 6, 2009

Updated:

Depressive economic times call for a moment of relief.

That's what the Dunedin Showcase Theater promises in its production of "Bye Bye Birdie." The play opens Wednesday at the Dunedin Community Center.

"It's so upbeat," said director Lil Barcaski. "It's not one of those dragging, sad musicals."

Additionally, it is a play to which many of the area's senior citizens can relate. It opened on Broadway in 1960 and is set in the late 1950s, a time that has meaning to many senior citizens, noted Barcaski. "They were young then, getting out of high school, starting their families."

The play was sparked by Elvis Presley's being drafted into the Army in 1957. The name of the main character, Conrad Birdie, is a takeoff on Conway Twitty, another singing idol of the late '50s and early '60s. The plot centers around teenage idol Birdie's draft into the Army and the ensuing attempt to find a young woman from his fan club to whom to sing "One Last Kiss" on "The Ed Sullivan Show."

The play features a diversified cast whose ages range from 10 to 87. The 87-year-old is Marie Burke, who lost her husband last year. Producers wrote in a special part for Burke. The play represents Burke's new lease on life, Barkaski said. "She's on stage having the time of her life."

Griffeth Whitehurst, 19, a musical theater major, will star as Birdie. Nathan Daugherty, 17, is music director. Young people make up about half the cast, Barcaski noted.

The Dunedin production will be Barcaski's second stint directing the play. She previously directed it in Ridgefield Park, N.Y. "I had forgotten how wonderful the music is," she said. That music includes "Put on a Happy Face" and "A Lot of Livin' to Do."

The play received three Tony Awards, including the award for best musical.

The Dunedin Showcase Theater has been producing plays for the past three years. It stages four adult theater productions and two children's shows each year.

The lowdown

The Dunedin Showcase Theater will present "Bye Bye, Birdie" at the Dunedin Community Center, 1920 Pinehurst Road, Dunedin. Shows are 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 11; Thursday, March 12; Friday, March 13; and Saturday, March 14. Matinees are 2 p.m. Saturday, March 14, and Sunday, March 15.

Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the door. On Thursday, March 11, tickets are two for $25. For the Saturday, March 14 matinee, tickets for seniors and students are $10. Tickets are available at the Dunedin Community Center and Hale Activity Center, 330 Douglas Ave. Call 727-230-2667 for additional ticket information.

Cheryl Bentley can be reached at 727-815-1069 cbentley@suncoastnews.com.

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