More Than Just a Show: The Magic of the 8th-Grade Musical

The 8th-grade musical is a longstanding tradition in the Middle School. This year’s production, Bye Bye Birdie, is set in 1958 and features Conrad Birdie, an Elvis-like superstar, who gets drafted into the army. This leaves his manager, Albert Peterson, swamped with debt, but his secretary and love interest, Rose Alvarez, comes up with a plan to help Albert earn enough money to return to college and become an English teacher so they can build a happy life together. Of course, it doesn’t all go exactly according to plan, often thanks to Albert’s mother, but what’s a story without a little drama?

Bye Bye Birdie is a really fun show, and I think it fits our grade really well. Although some themes may not be considered very modern, the moral of the story is still a good one. I can see why the 8th-grade musical is a tradition at Country Day; it’s a great way to strengthen bonds with classmates and build new friendships. We got to spend a lot of time with each other throughout the rehearsal process, and whether it was with our best friends or people we don’t typically talk to as much, it was always fun. My favorite part of theater is being on a team with a bunch of friends (new and old) and working towards a common goal: making the show the best it could possibly be.

Playing the role of Albert was very rewarding. I had the privilege of being a part of the journey from the beginning, and working with some very talented actors, such as Caroline Zimmerman (Rose Alvarez), Mariah Shaw (Mae Peterson), and Andreas Pagdadis (the one and only Conrad Birdie). It was a long road from not knowing the show at all to memorizing lines, learning blocking, and perfecting the final product, but I think it really came together. It was also great to see everyone working side by side to help each other out.

Being a part of a theater production really gives you an appreciation of everyone and everything that goes into making these shows possible. Of course, the actors have an important job to do, but everyone in technical theater has an equally important task. From lighting, sound, and props to building the entire set, they poured a lot of work into the show, too, and we couldn’t do it without them. I’ve been in theater productions before, but until this musical, I never really understood how much work the directors and choreographers do (and I’m sure there’s even more I don’t know). I would like to give a special shoutout to Mrs. [Stephanie] Wietmarschen, Mr. [Greg] Miller, Mrs. [Melissa] Wood, Mr. [Andy] Ahrens, Mr. [Evan] DiTullio, and [Head of Middle School] Hirsch. Thank you so much for making our 8th-grade musical possible!

To see more photos of the show, click here.

Article written by Michael Wood `30.