Production for the spring musical “Bye Bye Birdie” is underway!

The Broadway Knights have just wrapped up with auditions for their upcoming spring production, “Bye Bye Birdie!”

Chosen last year by choir director Steven Rodriguez and former theatre teacher David Ireland, they wanted to put on a slightly bigger show than last year’s production of “Little Shop of Horrors” to garner more interest. Rodriguez states that “Bye Bye Birdie” allows a larger cast, but still has an impressive group of leads. 

Following the departure of Ireland, the production’s future fell into uncertainty. The show was nearly changed but after much discussion, it was eventually taken on by new teacher, Carina Wolf. Wolf describes teaching at Rialto High as a dream come true. “I couldn’t imagine working at a more welcoming place or with better theatre loving students,” says Wolf.

Set in the fictional town of Sweet Apple, Ohio, the show follows a songwriter as one of his most successful clients is drafted into the Army. Largely inspired by the culture of 1950s America, it’ll be a spectacle for all ages. 

“Bye Bye Birdie” had previously been performed at Rialto High under the direction of former theatre teacher, Mary Bartlett.

When asked about her vision for the show, she stated, “My vision for ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ is to make all the nostalgia and fun of the 1950’s come to life for the audience and for the performers to enjoy creating those fun nostalgic feelings.” 

Auditions were a stressful, yet fun experience for everyone involved. Many students were auditioning for their first ever musical and overcame their fear to put on a great audition. Auditions consisted of singing a theatrical song, learning a dance, and acting out scenes from the show. Everyone had their strengths and weaknesses but after each audition, the whole theatre would burst into applause. 

Senior Alyson Pineda states, “I love how supportive everyone is of each other. It’s very heartwarming.” 

One student who had never auditioned for a musical, was sophomore Maite Quintana. Quintana has been involved in theatre since her freshman year but hasn’t auditioned for a musical yet. She stated, “I wanted to audition because I wanted to be a little like my cousin and I think it would make him proud that I got a role in ‘Bye Bye Birdie.’ I also wanna try different types of theatre genres, and being in a musical puts me in a different point of view.”

The musical will be a breath of fresh air in a time plagued by testing. It’ll be a fun experience for everyone, so bring the whole family. Go see it this coming spring, you won’t want to miss it!