'Birdie' coming to CNHS

COLTS NECK - Dust off your poodle skirt and slick back your hair, "Bye Bye Birdie" is coming to Colts Neck High School.

The Cougar Catwalkers Drama Club, under the direction of Allyson Glasser, will take the stage in this timeless classic March 15-17.

"Bye Bye Birdie" will be performed in the Colts Neck High School auditorium, 59 Five Points Road at the corner of Route 537, at 7:30 p.m. March 15; 8 p.m. March 16; and at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. March 17. Tickets will be available at the door for $10.

Set in the late 1950s, the lively musical comedy follows rock and roll heartthrob Conrad Birdie (senior Tony Rugnetta), who is soon to be drafted into the army. Albert Peterson, portrayed by senior Paul Pontrelli, is determined to produce Birdie's final hit song.

Peterson's long-suffering fiancée, Rose Alvarez (junior Michelle Tanen), devises a publicity stunt that sends the rock star to Sweet Apple, Ohio. There, he is slated to give teenager Kim MacAfee (sophomore Cara Wein) "One Last Kiss" live on the Ed Sullivan Show.

Chaos ensues as the small town prepares for its television debut.

Freshman Greg Woolston takes the stage as the jealous boyfriend who just got pinned to Kim. Junior Evan Prem-inger and senior Heidi Schoenenberger play Kim's parents, while junior Zara Feingold rounds out the cast as Albert Peterson's overbearing mother.

Assisting Glasser and the cast of nearly 50 students will be junior Mark Cosentino, assistant director.

Ted Scheffler will serve as the technical director and choreographer for the Catwalkers' production.

The Colts Neck High School pit band will accompany the cast under the direction of music teacher Jack Maniaci.

The score for "Bye Bye Birdie" features such popular songs as "The Telephone Hour," "Put on a Happy Face," "Kids" and "A Lot of Livin' To Do."