About 40 actors make up the cast of “Bye Bye Birdie.” There are young people and teens, who are breaking into theater, performing alongside adults who are Encore alumni and seasoned performers, who are well-known in the local theater community.
“This is also a great way to get so many members of the community involved in theater, and bring them in into Encore, and hopefully, there’s 30 more years after this, and on the 60th anniversary, we’ll see ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ again,” Brown said.
With a jam-packed schedule, actors have been rehearsing four days a week, over a six-week span at Faith Church. This week, Encore has moved rehearsals into Parrish Auditorium.
“You’re going to see the actors shine. The focus is really on them. As far as the set, we’re keeping it a little more simplistic so that the choreography can shine through, and the costumes also bring a lot of color to the stage,” Brown said.
Set in 1958, “Bye Bye Birdie,” features an Elvis-type rock star, Conrad Birdie, who gets drafted into the Army, and his last hoorah before he goes, is to bestow a kiss on a teenage fan from Sweet Apple, Ohio. Tim Macuski stars as Conrad Birdie in Encore’s production.
Cast member Linda Eschenbrenner, a Fairfield resident, is performing in the production alongside two of her children, and three granddaughters. She plays Phyllis in the cast and also sings in the adult ensemble.
“I have one line. I try to bring as much comedy to it as I can,” said Eschenbrenner. “I try to be a fun character.”
She said, “it’s wonderful” to be acting with three generations of her family.
“I loved it when they did shows when they were younger. My son and daughter did shows when they were in high school, and my son has continued performing in a lot of different productions as an adult,” Eschenbrenner said. “It’s been great to watch my granddaughters develop as people, and it has given them confidence.”
She said “Bye Bye Birdie” is a classic musical. It has some great songs like “Put on a Happy Face,” “One Last Kiss” and “A Lot of Livin’ to Do.”
“It’s a fun show. There’s lots of laughs in it,” Eschenbrenner said. “The actors are just so talented. It’s unbelievable.”
Encore was founded 30 years ago by Diane Noonan and Lynn Huff as a summer youth theater program for teens. The program has provided young people with an opportunity to express their talents as they’ve worked together with their peers from other area schools.
Fifteen years ago, Encore expanded the program to include younger students from local elementary schools with Encore Jr., a fall show that includes students from grades 3rd-6th This has allowed younger children to get an earlier start in theater and drama.
More than 2,500 students have benefitted from the Encore experience and many of them have gone on to stages in Chicago and Broadway, among others. Encore’s professional quality shows continue to attract audiences from across the region to fill the 450 seats in Parrish Auditorium.
While maintaining Encore’s focus of educating youth, the nonprofit further expanded a few years ago to incorporate the talents of adults, teens, children and families in its summer productions. “Once Upon a Mattress,” presented in 2023, was the first Encore show that adults performed in.
In broadening its scope, adults now perform alongside kids and teens to bring quality productions to the region. The organization’s mission has evolved to display local talent of all ages.
HOW TO GO
What: “Bye Bye Birdie” the musical
When: 7:30 p.m. July 17-18, 2 p.m. July 19
Where: Parrish Auditorium on the Miami University Hamilton campus, 1601 University Blvd., Hamilton
Cost: $16
Tickets: (513) 596-5277 or online at https://search.seatyourself.biz/webstore/accounts/encorecommunitytheatre/buy-tix
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