The lights dim and conversations turn to whispers. The pit orchestra plays in harmonization. Lights illuminate the stage, and a crowd of colorfully dressed actors march onto the stage.

This is “Bye Bye Birdie.”

Over 100 students in the cast, crew and pit, in addition to Director Cindy Baker, Vocal Director Julia Dale and Band Director Trevor McLaine, brought the late 1950s to the stage.

Since January, cast and crew alike have dedicated upwards of 120 hours immersing themselves in the small town of Sweet Apple, Ohio. In the auditorium and music hall, characters Conrad Birdie, Kim MacAfee, Alfred Peterson and Rosie Alvarez were brought to life.

The show ran from April 3 through April 5 at 7 p.m. and April 6 at 2 p.m. Tickets were $10 for students and seniors and $13 for adults, and could be bought online or at the door. On both the Friday and Saturday showings, the musical sold out.

But, this year, the actors aren’t just saying goodbye to the school year and seniors in the production. This is also the last theater production for Cindy Baker, the drama teacher who has worked at the school for 19 years.

Gallery • 18 Photos

media by River Brown

Lola Claggett ‘25 and Kyle Walsh ‘25 sing “Lot of Living” in the second act of “Bye Bye Birdie” during the spring musical’s final dress rehearsal in the auditorium April 2. Claggett and Walsh played Kim MacAfee and Conrad Birdie, respectively. As Birdie prepared to say goodbye after being drafted into the war, his producers planned for him to kiss a fan at random, so happening to be MacAfee. “The inspiration that helped me to really connect with Kim was my 15-year-old self,” Claggett said. “I tried to picture my [younger] self in her shoes. How would I react to my favorite celebrity coming to my town?”