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• ‘Sweet Apple’ antics at the Virginia Theater

Bye Bye Birdie, presented by the Champaign Urbana Theatre Company, is a fun-filled romp through the 1960s. A hapless record producer concocts a plan with his beautiful and intelligent assistant to make a boatload of money off his star (a thinly veiled version of Elvis) before that star is shipped off to the Army.

Director Thom Schnarre says in his director’s note, “With our devouring of celebrity tit-bits as a garnish for our cornflakes and our current political turmoil, the wacky antics of Sweet Apple, Ohio may seem outdated and silly.” I must respectfully disagree with Mr. Schnarre. While the media circus around Conrad Birdie (Kendall Johnson) focuses on his joining the Army, rather than a stint in rehab or a prostitution charge, the feeding frenzy (and his managers’ attempts to avoid it) is eerily reminiscent of the present day.

The production, put on by area middle and high school students, was performed to a packed house. People came from as far away as Vancouver, British Columbia to see the show. Albert J. Peterson (Erik Lehmkuhl) and Rosie Alvarez (Kirby Toalson) both put in impressive performances. Lehmkuhl grew into the role over the course of the show, demonstrating a sensitivity to the demands of playing both a blustering record executive and a son totally cowed by his mother (Sarah Ehlman). Toalson used her already-amazing voice to good effect in songs such as “What Did I Ever Seen in Him” and “Spanish Rose.” Conrad and Kim MacAfee (Allison Grill) also put in solid performances, especially in “A Lot of Livin’ to Do.”

As fun as the leads were, the supporting cast really shined. Ursula (Francesca Johnson) frequently stole the show with her impeccable comedic timing and obvious love for the role. Mr. Harry MacAfee (Colin Eastburn Mallory) also displayed a good comic sense by enlivening scenes with his antics.

The best number, however, was the classic “Put On A Happy Face.” This song transcended the musical and became part of the American songbook. Thanks to Erik Lehmkuhl’s energetic performance, the version from this show was both uplifting and tooth-destroyingly sweet. Both the song and the glee on Lehmkhuls face will stay with audiences long after they leave the Virginia Theatre.