Cornerstone Playhouse to host 'Bye Bye Birdie'

SUSSEX BOROUGH — Bye, Bye Birdie, which was written by Michael Stewart, features music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams. It won four Tony awards, including Best Musical. Cornerstone’s production will be directed by Tommy Wright.
Rock star Conrad Birdie is the biggest thing to top the charts. Women love him, men want to be him and teenage girls scream at the mere mention of his name. But when the United States Army drafts Birdie, manager Albert Peterson and his longtime love Rose Alvarez hatch a plan: send Conrad to small-town America to plant a goodbye kiss on one lucky fan to be televised on live TV.
Their selection of Kim MacAfee sends wholesome Sweet Apple, Ohio, into chaos. Kim’s boyfriend, Hugo, can’t take the humiliation, Rose can’t take another minute of Albert’s devotion to the music business and Sweet Apple can’t take its teens' riotous “Rock-n-Roll” rebellion. Will Sweet Apple ever be the same?
“Bye, Bye Birdie is a family show through and through,” Wright said. “Colorful, cute, and sweet, this classic includes some of the most famous songs in musical theater, including ‘Put On a Happy Face,’ ‘Kids’ and the lively number ‘A Lot of Livin’ to Do. It’s important that we don’t lose the history of some of the older shows,” he said. “‘Bye, Bye Birdie’ is filled with fun music for adults and teenagers alike. It has a ’50s/’60s style which, musically, is well accepted and appreciated by most of the population. This show has wit, charm and a ton of great music. I’m excited to help bring this score to life in Sussex.”
Performances are June 22 through July 1 with Friday shows beginning at 7 p.m. and Saturday shows beginning at 2 p.m. and an evening show at 7PM and Sunday matinees beginning at 2PM. Cornerstone Playhouse is located 74 Main Street, Sussex Borough. All seats are reserved and are $20 each in advance and $22 at the door. You can purchase tickets online at www.mycptix.com or call 973 702-0687 for more information.