Lynn Belvedere

Bye Bye Birdie @ The Reginald

Nancye Hayes and Jay James Moody in BYE BYE BIRDIE @ the Hayes
Nancye Hayes and Jay James Moody in BYE BYE BIRDIE @ the Hayes. Pics by Amelia Burns.

Squabbalogic’s inaugural presentation of  MYSTERY .MUSICAL – a one-of-a-kind venture within Sydney’s music theatre scene,  where audiences are treated to a staged reading and singing of a top secret musical theatre classic, played for just two sold out performances on Saturday 25th January 2015 at Squabbalogic’s home, the Reginald Theatre at the Seymour Centre.

A very talented cast of the inaugural Mystery Musical, all jumped on board, without knowing the show or the role that they would be offered. Squabbalogic’s MYSTERY MUSICAL starred JOHANNA ALLEN (Wicked), BLAKE ERICKSON (Forbidden Broadway), JESSICA JAMES-MOODY (Reefer Madness!), JOSIE LANE (Miracle City), MICHELE LANSDOWN (Drowsy Chaperone), GARRY SCALE (Carrie), ROWAN WITT (South Pacific), and the one and only NANCYE HAYES.

The cast were accompanied  brilliantly on electronic keyboard/piano by musical director Hayden Barltrop, and expertly directed by Jay James-Moody. Squabbalogic  brought to life the classic musical,  BYE BYE BIRDIE.

BYE BYE BIRDIE is one of those famous broadway stage musicals, with book by Michael Stewart, lyrics by Lee Adams, and music by Charles Strouse.  The play is a musical homage to the phenomenon of popular singer Elvis Presley, and his draft notice into the United States Army in 1958. It is a satire on American society in the late fifties, and the piece was originally titled Let’s Go Steady.

The story to BYE BYE BIRDIE reminds us all of the need to have both courage and conviction, to get what you want out of love. Famous and sexy rock star Conrad Birdie is the biggest thing to top the charts and is about to be drafted into the United States Army. His teenage fans are aghast with angst and lust. His struggling manager & songwriter Albert Peterson, is devastated because he has written a song that Birdie was just about to record.

Desperate to create a clever publicity stunt to keep the money coming in, Albert’s longtime girlfriend, Rosie Alvares, pushes Albert to write a new tune that Birdie will perform to one dedicated fan, followed by planting a goodbye kiss on her. Young Ohio teenager Kim MacAfee is instantly declared the winner, and Birdie’s arrival sends the wholesome town of Sweet Apple, Ohio, USA, into utter chaos, but no one has anticipated the jealous wrath of her steady boyfriend.

The audience erupted into spontaneous applause  when the opening music to BYE BYE BIRDIE was played.

Thank you Squabbalogic for organising this superb night of entertainment.

THE CAST:

ROSE ALVAREZ Josie Lane
ALBERT PETERSON Jay James-Moody
KIM MACAFEE Adèle Parkinson
MRS MAE PETERSON Nancye Hayes
MR HARRY MACAFEE Garry Scale
MRS DORIS MACAFEE Michele Lansdown
CONRAD BIRDIE Mikey Hart
HUGO PEABODY Rob Johnson
URSULA MERKLE Jessica James-Moody
RANDOLPH MACAFEE Rowan Witt
MAYOR / MAUDE / ED SULLIVAN Blake Erickson
MAYOR’S WIFE / MRS MERKLE Johanna Allen
GLORIA RASPUTIN Jaimie Leigh Johnson

 THE ENSEMBLE:

TEEN Anna Canillas
TEEN Sophy Carol
SUZIE Prue Borg
LEE Doron Chester
HARVEY JOHNSON Dave Collins
KARL Alex Jeans
TRAINMAN Tim Love
SAD GIRL Claire Mitchell
FREDDIE Alexander Morgan
MARGIE Perri Rugg
TEEN Julianne Sisinni
NANCY Kayla Spiteri
HELEN Erin Waller
DEBORAH SUE Romy Watson
ALICE Jessica Whitfield

Published by Lynn Belvedere

Once we were old enough, my parents took the whole family to the Sydney CBD cinemas every week. Thus began a lifetime interest, in going to the cinema every week, and became a passionate cinephile by watching all those very heavily edited ''Australian Film Censorship Board'' true cinéaste versions of brand new release ''Cinematograph Films''. Greater Union always gave my father (who worked in Cinema Distribution Exhibition) guest double movie passes, to every first-night ''red carpet Opening Night'' at The State Theatre Cinema at 49 Market Street. Up until his death, my dad always received ''two house seats'' for every Opening Night performance events at the Theatre Royal SYDNEY and at Her Majesty's Theatre SYDNEY. As a child, when mum choose not to go, I often went with him, to those live performance events. As a young child, I remember being taken for each new show, at both The New Theatre at 60 Sussex Street, and the Phillip Street Theatre when located at 150 Elizabeth Street, and for classical music concerts at Sydney Town Hall. = = = ★★★★★ = = = Being happy is a choice, and I have always viewed my life, as material ready be made into a series of amazing tentpole movies. My New Years Resolution is kept every year: ''Get to see/review five new live theatre shows each week, and get to see/review six new cinema movies each week'', plus is one of the Australian Cinema Pioneers, and apparently have seen far too much already, but always wanting to experience more and more each year. I am also able to do almost everything that I enjoy doing. Yes, I do have a great daytime job in I.T. as ''Software Design Project Manager'', PLUS each evening until quite late - - - Australian Cinematograph Films historical censorship consultant - product-placement consultant - mystery-shopper consultant - playwright, writer, author, director, producer, photographer, cinematographer, color-grader, subtitles proofreader - arts/ drama/ music/ film critic and judge, journalist, member FIPRESCI & FCCA & AFCA, member AACTA accredited film reviewer-critic-writer, accredited IMDB.COM critic-reviewer-author, projectionist, plus an innovative iconoclast - - - ★★★★★ LYNN BELVEDERE ★★★★★ - - - [usr 5] - - -