By PR Levey

“Bye Bye Birdie” is practically a rite of passage in the world of high school musicals. It’s hard to believe, but there are people in their 70's now who were in their high school productions of “Birdie,” and today, teens all over the world are still putting on their poodle skirts or slicking back their hair to take the trip to Sweet Apple, Ohio.  Now it’s Irvington Conservatory Theatre’s turn to bring this beloved, iconic musical to the stage, performing at Valhalla Theatre in Fremont, March 7-23.

This smartly-designed production is both an homage to, and a comment on the mythical idyllic life of teens in small town America in the 1950s. Blending distinctly 21^st-century technology, like robotic lighting and big-screen video, with the familiar ‘50s look gives the production a fresh, modern feel. The open sets are modular, multi-level, and a sleek silver, with delightful vintage furniture and props popping in and out to create a typical 50s kitchen,  a small-town Tiki bar, or a perfect “Mad Men” New York office. Irvington’s production is sophisticated and cheeky.  Video clips, which intermingle historic footage with additional material from the cast, occasionally throw jarring images at us to remind us that the nostalgic 1950s were, in retrospect, a pretty scary time.

Nothing is scary in Sweet Apple, though, and the beloved story of fifteen year old Kim MacAfee (winsome and perfectly-cast senior Katie Kelly, most recently seen at Irvington in The Diviners), who just got “pinned” to the wonderfully dorky Hugo Peabody (freshman Tim Sanders, who audiences may remember as Huck Finn in StarStruck Theatre’s Tom Sawyer last year) learning that she’s just been chosen at random to be kissed on national television by teen heartthrob Conrad Birdie.  Conrad’s been drafted into the army, and his songwriter, Albert Peterson, at the insistence of his longtime, long-suffering secretary/girlfriend Rosie Alvarez, has written a farewell song for Conrad. The song is intended to be the ticket out of show business and into normal married life for Rosie and Albert.  However, nothing goes as planned: Hugo’s jealous, Rosie is frustrated with Albert’s undying devotion to his overbearing mother, and Conrad and Kim long for a fling before settling down.

Robert Ritchie is engaging as Albert Peterson, a pleasant-voiced dreamer who’s painfully henpecked by two women—he’s a man with a good heart and no spine to hold it up. As Rosie, Jennica  Christman is an inspired choice. She represents everything that women were fighting for at the time – and to this day --  in a single character. She’s a scorned woman, a career woman, an ethnic minority, and a single woman in a man’s world, and she deals with every one of these issues in the space of two hours. Without a hint of the abrasiveness or desperation seen in other Rosies, Jennica Christman shines, even through material which modern audiences may find politically incorrect.

Director Scott Di Lorenzo found a dream of a Conrad Birdie in Gabriel Block. Block does not list a great deal of theatre experience in his bio, but you’d never know it from his performance. His presence is electrifying, and his smile works its magic all the way to the back row. His intensity will cause some sweaty palms in the audience.

Other standouts include Savannah Riddle as Ursula, the over-the-top fangirl friend of Kim’s, Kaeo Tiwanek-Finkes, who plays Mr. MacAfee without trying to do a Paul Lynde impression and still makes him funny,  14-year-old Molly O’Donnell, who doesn’t look a day over 28, camping her way through the role of Gloria Rasputin, and Lauren D’Ambrosio as Mrs. Mae Peterson, Albert’s mother, who brings down the house in the second act with her number (which was added to the show for the Broadway revival a few years ago) “A Mother Doesn’t Matter Anymore.”

Irvington’s production boasts a strong ensemble, and they have an unusual plethora of talented boys to round out the cast. The girls hold their own, too, with lovely harmonies one moment and wild screams the next.  Director Di Lorenzo has wisely kept the screaming to the bare minimum.

The young directing team of Di Lorenzo, and husband and wife team of Jennifer and Chris Olson as vocal director and choreographer, respectively, have a lot to be proud of. They’ve breathed some freshness into a chestnut of a show that could easily become a parody of itself.  Along with musical director Charlie Rodda and his enormous, 30+ piece onstage orchestra (an innovative feat in itself) it’s possible to get excited about “Bye Bye Birdie” again. 

Bye Bye Birdie performs at Irvington High School’s Valhalla Theatre March 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, and 23. Thursday-Saturday curtain is at 7:30 p.m., Sunday matinees at 2:00. Ticket prices range from $12-$20; all seats on Thursday evenings are $10. For more information, see www.irvingtondrama.com.

The Diviners, an engaging slice-of-life play by Jim Leonard, Jr., explores beliefs and religion in a light Biblical allegory set in rural Indiana during the Great Depression. Told through a series of vignettes, rather than through a linear plotline, The Diviners is entertaining and thought-provoking. Under Scott Di Lorenzo’s thoughtful direction, the characters are well drawn, and each young actor is given an opportunity to explore a new depth of emotion. 

The story begins as CC Showers (Robert Ritchie) arrives in town. CC is a former preacher in search of work, and in search of himself. He finds the Layman family—Ferris, a widowed father, (Matt Hong) his affection-starved, dutiful daughter, Jennie Mae, (Katie Kelly, who shares the role with Rachel  Ho) and her fourteen-year-old brother Buddy, (Jacob Rosen) a mentally-challenged, emotionally damaged boy with a deep phobia of water--and the gift of divining, finding unseen water.  It’s a gift that’s needed by the farmers whose livelihoods are ravaged by the Dust Bowl. 

Water is their salvation, but the townspeople of Zion believe it’s their souls that need saving. The town has been without a preacher for a decade, and their thirst for religion makes them look to the reluctant CC Showers as their savior.  Water is also on Showers’ mind. He develops a close relationship with Buddy, and discovers that the boy has been too terrified of water to wash himself. He makes it his mission to help Buddy overcome his fear and regain his health.

The three leads, who are the most seasoned performers in the cast, carry the show’s emotional depth. Senior Robert Ritchie gives a sensitive, mature performance as CC, and he has a strong rapport with each of the other actors.  Senior Katie Kelly plays Jennie Mae with a heartfelt beauty, alternating between school-girlish innocence and world-weariness with aplomb.  She has a face and voice made for the stage. Angelic-looking freshman Jacob Rosen gives an impishly endearing, yet ultimately gut-wrenching performance as Buddy. These three actors transcend the high school level and deliver thoroughly satisfying, exceptional performances.

The rest of the cast warms into their roles as the play progresses.  In their thirst for spirituality, each townsperson has an encounter with the preacher that they take to be a religious experience; but CC claims “he spent his whole life doin’ for the Lord; he’s doin’ for himself now.” Everyone is certain that there is something holy about CC—yet they ignore the inherent holiness of the filthy “idiot boy” Buddy, who truly has a heavenly gift.

The supporting characters work together to portray a different point of view toward CC and Buddy. Norma Henshaw, played by Samantha Liu, (who shares the role with  Kyra Halpenny ) longs so much for a preacher that she sees miracles in everyday interactions with CC.  Skeptical Luella (Thao Le, who shares with Savanna Benedetti) has become so devoid of beliefs that she cannot accept Buddy’s powers even when they’re proven to her. Goldie, (Savannah Riddle, shared by Cheyenne Genberg ) who owns the town’s diner, portrays the archetype church woman who’s lost the thread of the meaning behind Christian charity. She gives a spirited performance, and is fun to watch. Matt Hong as Ferris Layman projects a little more age and world-weariness without resorting to common high school clichés.

Other notable performances include Frances Ramsel (who alternates in the role with Mina Baldovino) as Darleen, Norma’s rebellious niece who longs to dance and enjoy the company of men.  She has a nice sense of the time and style of the piece. Zachary Lew as Melvin embodies a local boy who has the self importance of having seen a little of the world and thinks he knows it all. The supporting cast needs to enunciate a bit more to make their otherwise lovely portrayals even better.

Beautiful scenic painting and a sepia wash to the lighting design gives a sense of time; the muted costuming color palette gives the sense of the poor farmers of the Dust Bowl and a feeling of looking at a distant time.

The cast needs to speak louder over the scene changes, because we lose some dialogue during them. A bit of music would help dampen the sound of the rolling set pieces and might make the changes smoother.

The emotional conclusion leaves the audience shattered as the townspeople discover the terrible toll their thirst for redemption has taken.  As a biblical allegory,  The Diviners asks the audience to always question who is the saved and who is the savior, and reminds us that angels are always around us.

The Diviners will be performed November 29, 30 and December 1, 6, 7, and 8 at 7:00 p.m., with additional Saturday matinees at 2:00 on December 1 and 8. Tickets are $12. Contains mild profanity.  For tickets, visit www.irvingtondrama.com or call 510-656-5711. Tickets are also available at the door at Irvington High School’s Valhalla Theatre, 41800 Blacow Road, Fremont, CA.