Information Packet

Program -- June 23-July 26, 2008

5 weeks of rehearsal -- 4 Productions

Show Directors:

Brent Beerman – Director
Kathi Chaplar – Artistic & Musical Director
Julie Kay Stallcup – Producer & Choreographer

The Story of “Bye Bye Birdie”

BYE BYE BIRDIE is one of the most captivating musical shows of our time. It tells the story of a rock and roll singer who is about to be inducted into the army. The singer, Conrad Birdie, an Elvis Presley type, has a pompadour and thick sideburns; he wears gaudy gold costumes and speaks in a rugged voice. Albert Peterson, his agent, is a very pleasant mild mannered young man. Albert's faithful secretary Rose Alvarez keeps him and Birdie moving forward in the world. Rosie concocts one final national publicity plan before Conrad's induction.
     Conrad will bid a typical American teen-age girl goodbye with an all-American kiss. Kim MacAfee in Sweet Apple, Ohio wins the honor. All of the phones in her town are already busy during The Telephone Hour as Kim has just been pinned to Hugo, a local boy. She is a pretty girl of fifteen and sings with springlike ardor How Lovely to Be a Woman, as she pulls on the plaid woolen socks and the baggy mustard colored sweater considered stylish and popular among young ladies.
     The arrival of Birdie in Sweet Apple causes people of all ages to swoon. Birdie says that his success is due to the fact that he is Honestly Sincere when he sings, and the quiet little town goes into a spin. The MacAfee household is completely upset by the visiting celebrity. It is decided that Birdie will give his One Last Kiss on the Ed Sullivan show. Kim's father who laments the whole uproar, tries to break into the act and behaves like a ham on the TV show. Hymn for a Sunday Evening is a salute to the greater glory of Ed Sullivan.
     Birdie becomes disgusted with his life and goes out on the town with the teenagers. He feels tense with Albert and is tired of being supervised. The parents of Sweet Apple cannot understand the new generation and express this in Kids. Rosie, still waiting for that band of gold from Albert after eight years, invades a Shriners' meeting. An extremely hilarious ballet ensues. She then decides to become the Latin American spitfire that she is painted as, by Albert's lead-footed catastrophe-ridden mother. She is determined to become Spanish Rose. Kim is reunited with Hugo, and Rose with Albert in the lovely number Rosie. Other hit numbers include A Lot of Livin' to Do and Put on a Happy Face.
     BYE BYE BIRDIE is a satire done with the fondest affection. It gives an insight into the everyday life that is very much part of us all. It is the tops in imagination and frivolity; a show that will be enjoyed by the cast as much as the audience.

Winner of 4 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Director, Choreography and Supporting or Featured Actor and The Outer Critics Circle Award for Musical.

IMPORTANT DATES

Mandatory Parent Meeting – Sat. May 10th – 2:00 p.m. at RDC (1 hr max.)

Commitment Fee Due – Sat. May 10th -- $75.00

First Installment Due – May 15 th -- $200

Balance of Tuition Due – July 1 st

Program Ads Due – Fri. July 11 th – 5:00 p.m.

Rehearsals – Mon. June 23 rd – Wed. July 21 st

Performance Dates – Wed. July 24 th – Sat. July 26 th

Rehearsal Schedule –

Rehearsals begin Monday June 23 rd for the entire cast. Rehearsals will be held from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Fridays from 1:30 to 5:00 p.m at RDC in Tujunga and at CV High School. Leads will begin rehearsals on Friday afternoons in June. Full run through rehearsals will held at CVHS the week of July 21 st from 1 to 6pm and Dress Rehearsal will be on Wednesday, July 23 rd from 1 to 6 pm. Additional rehearsals may be added and rehearsal times may vary at discretion of directors. Every Friday, an updated rehearsal schedule for the following week will be provided.

Show T-shirts will be handed out on the first day of rehearsal. Head shots and group shots for the program will be taken on Monday, June 30th after rehearsal. Cast members should plan to wear their show t-shirts and jeans. Cast member attendance is mandatory.

Performance Dates

There will be 4 performances of “Bye Bye Birdie” – Evening shows on Thursday, July 24 th, Friday, July 25 th and Saturday, July 26 th. An afternoon performance will also be held on Saturday, July 26 th. You must be able to appear in all 4 performances to be cast.

Parent Meeting –

A mandatory parent meeting will be held at RDC at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 10 th at 2:00 p.m.. This meeting will serve to answer questions about program expectations and to get contact information from participants. Commitment to the RDC Summer Theater Project will be required at the end of this meeting and a $75.00 commitment fee.

Age Levels and Casting --

Cast members must have been enrolled in Grades 4 through 12 during the 2007/2008 academic year. Recent graduates (June 2008) are also eligible.

Attendance –

Your attendance at each rehearsal is mandatory. You may be excused for illness or a family emergency at the discretion of the show directors. Please notify the RDC office if you must miss a rehearsal, including your name, cast and part and reason for missing rehearsal. If you miss more than 3 rehearsals, your part may be reduced or you may be asked to leave the program and no refund or credit will be issued.

Rehearsal Dress Code–

Cast members should wear comfortable clothing and shoes that allow movement without restrictions. It you own appropriate dance shoes, you are encouraged to bring them and wear them. Please leave all valuables at home. No sandals or slip-ons will be allowed in dance/movement class.

Visitors –

Parents, unenrolled friends or other visitors are not allowed in the rehearsal rooms. Parents may be allowed at the dress rehearsals.

Cost and Payment –

The cost for the five-week program is $500.00 per cast member. There is a $25 discount for each sibling. RDC accepts checks and all major credit cards. A non-refundable commitment fee of $75.00 is required for all cast members at the Parent Meeting. The commitment fee will be applied to the tuition cost. An additional deposit of $200 is due on May 15, 2008. The remainder is due on or before July 1 st. A $25.00 service charge will be added to any checks returned by the bank. If your full tuition is not paid by July 1 st, you may be asked to leave the program and no refunds will be given.

The $500.00 tuition covers rehearsal costs, licensing fees, theater rental, theater sets, props, and a show T-Shirt. Many costumes will come from the cast members own wardrobe. Leads may have minimal additional expenses for specific wardrobe items such as shoes.

 Work Study – Some work study credit is available for cast members who are in grades 9 through 12 in the 2007/2008 academic year. Applications will be available at RDC starting on June 1 st and are due to Mr. Brent Beerman by June 15 th. Work study awards may be up to $425 per student and will be awarded by the end of the first week of rehearsals. The remaining balance of the cast member’s participation fee will be due according to the above payment requirements.

Program Advertising —

Each performance will have a souvenir program with space available for local business or congratulatory advertisements. Your participation cost can be reduced by ad sales, however you must sell a minimum of $200 of ads to qualify for ANY participation cost reduction and 50% of each ad you sell can be credited against your participation cost. For example, if you sell $500 worth of ads, your tuition is reduced by 50% or $250, if you sell $1000 worth of ads, your tuition is free. All Ads are due to RDC by 5pm on Friday, July 11, 2008 – NO EXCEPTIONS.

Advertising costs are as follows:

Full Page (7 x 5) - $75
Half Page -- $40
Quarter page - $30

Program Advertising flyers will be available on June 1 st.

Photography –

Photos may be taken in auditions, rehearsals and performances. Those photos may be used in advertising and publications for RDC or for the Summer Theater Project. Participation in the auditions is your agreement to allow RDC to use your young person’s photo/image for those purposes without additional payment to you.

Refund Policy –

There are NO REFUNDS after June 10, 2007 . No credits will be issued for missed rehearsals and missed rehearsals cannot be made up by attending regular RDC dance classes. Requests for refunds must be made in writing and received prior to June 10, 2007. If the refund request is made timely and in writing, refunds will be issued for the full cost minus a $25.00 administration fee. Refunds can be issued by check or a credit on the cast members RDC account, at the election of the cast member. Credit is valid towards dance classes at RDC within the 2008/2009 season.

Locations and Phone Numbers—

Revolution Dance Center
10105 Commerce Avenue
Tujunga , CA 91042
(818) 951-5700

MacDonald Auditorium
Crescenta Valley High School
4400 Ramsdell
La Crescenta, CA 91214