The Musical!

At the beginning of the year this daunting behemoth lies in wait, fooling all of us
into thinking its this light hearted way to end our year. Bring in a live band? No problem! Bring
in some new actors? Piece of cake! Lets add singing and dancing to the mix? Childs play!
Then it hits. And the musical hits hard. It comes when seniors are frantically waiting to hear
about their futures. The musical dances through spring, keeping us inside when the sun is
beckoning us to come join it. Testing, sports, finals, and we are here day after day, trying to put
on a happy face.
To say it is difficult is an understatement. There are moments it feels impossible. But, we do it.
We find a way to get over all of the hurdles, fight back the distractions, and make it to the
opening curtain.
Bye Bye Birdie, originally titled Lets Go Steady and billed as a happy teenage musical with a
difference. It was then that the stories appeared in the paper of rock-and-roll idol Elvis Presleys
draft into the United States Army. Before leaving the US for an eighteen-month tour in Germany,
Elvis was to give one special member of the Womens Army Corps one last kiss.
After brainstorming, the writing team came up with the concept of a rock-and-roll idol going to
the Army, and the effect that it has on the teenagers of a small town in Ohio. The original name
of the Elvis-inspired character was Ellsworth which was later changed to Conway Twitty.
Unfortunately there was a real Conway Twitty -- a direct rival to Elvis -- who was threatening to
sue. Finally the name was changed to Conrad Birdie.
The Monte Vista Theatre Arts department has had an awesome year. The Productions classes
created two huge hits with A Flea in Her Ear and the Agatha Christie Thriller, And Then There
Were None. Theatre Arts II and II just performed some amazing pieces at our annual Scene
Nights. We also had the pleasure of seeing The Unfortunates in San Francisco, right before
heading up to Ashland for some more phenomenal theatre.
The program is expanding to include a second period of Theatre Arts I and there are rumors
about a possible trip to Broadway next year!
It is always necessary to take a moment to thank the people who helped get us here. Ed Cloyd
and the Bye Bye Birdie Band make us sound legit. Jodi Reed is our sunshine and vocal guru
who fills our hearts and lungs with beautiful music. Anthony Pena joined us on the Ashland Trip,
which was a great way to thank him for his support through the years. We would also like to
thank Diana Govnik and Tim Soucy for always being there when we get some crazy artistic
vision want to create. They speak our language and have always come through with great art.
We would also like to thank Dr. Kevin Ahern, JP Ballou, Megan Keefer, Liz Pagano, France
Farrell, and the rest of the staff at Monte Vista for providing students the opportunity to create
worlds on stage. Our families know how much time, energy, and passion we put into this crazy
theatre thing. Thank you for understanding when we need just a few more minutes to work on
something!

Lastly, we would like to thank each of you for coming tonight. All of the hurdles we encounter
are worth it. They are worth it for tonight. The hard work of the Stage Crafts crew and actors
needs an audience. Art needs to be experienced. It is the connection between artist and audience
that inspires our lives each and every day. Keep doing it! Go help art happen. Make it, buy it,
support it, or whatever you can do to keep the color in our lives. We hope you enjoy the show!
-Chris Connor,