Mount Vernon, WA – META Performing Arts presents Bye Bye Birdie November 16-25, 2007 at McIntyre Hall in Mount Vernon, WA. Come down to the orchestra pit and say hello!
SHOWTIMES:
Fri Nov 16 – 7:30
Sat Nov 17 – 7:30
Sun Nov 18 – 2pm
Fri Nov 23 – 7:30
Sat Nov 24 – 2pm and 7:30
Sun Nov 25 – 2pm
Bye Bye Birdie is a Tony Award-winning musical with a book by Michael Stewart, lyrics by Lee Adams, and music by Charles Strouse.
David Peralta, former road manager for Freddy Fender, sent me these photos a while back. Pictures of Freddy, the Freddy Fender band and yours truly back when I played in his band. Freddy Fender passed away in 2006 and we all miss him a lot. People ask me how Freddy was to work for and I always have the same response “It was awesome.” Being a musician touring with Freddy Fender was very fun.
Conrad Askland – Freddy Fender Band
The Freddy Fender Band 2004 (part of it)
From left: Conrad Askland (keyboards), Vern Monnett (Pedal Steel), Augie Meyers (Piano/Accordion), Rhys Clark (drums) and Mark Tate (guitar). We normally worked as a 7 piece group: Freddy on vocals/guitar, two keyboards, bass, drums, guitar and pedal steel.
Photo from 1995 Christmas Card that Freddy Fender sent to his friends.
One night before a gig I shaved my goatee/beard. Freddy got a kick out of that and said “Aiy-yai-yai! Gringo – when you shave you look like a boiled egg!”. He’s kind of right!
Freddy Fender and Conrad Askland
Around 2004 – This page has some of the worst pictures of me in the history of the world. But I’m putting them up anyway because I loved Freddy Fender.
I think I’m about to burp or something in this one. Probably too much Menudo.
Yeah ok, so I’m porked out in some of the pics. But I have a defense. When you’re on the road, there’s two things you look forward to: finally being able to sleep in your room and THE FREE BUFFET! Maybe that was just me and the bass player. We had great buffets while working with Freddy. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t totally pork out if you could get away with it.
We usually flew to all our gigs but we’d still have to hunker down in the vans to drive from the airports to the gigs. Freddy didn’t like stopping for very long so he’d have the driver stop at an AM/PM and tell us to be back in 5 minutes. Mmm….corndog, Funions, soda – ok, made it back in time. Then we’d get to the venue and it was time to hit the buffet. THEN at the gig it was in our rider to have a deli spread backstage.
We were big boys. Pound for pound, a very good deal for any booking agent. It was a total blast and we were treated top notch. Ok, back to the Jenny Craig….
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Cast list and production credits for META Performing Arts presentation of Bye Bye Birdie in November 2007 at McIntyre Hall, Mount Vernon, WA.
PRODUCTION STAFF
Producer – Kate Kypuros
Assistant Producer – Kristin Jensen
Director – Tracy Petersen
Assistant Director – Mia Calderon
Stage Manager – Ryn Bishop
Vocal Director – Lynette McCormack
Orchestra Conductor – Conrad Askland
Choreographer – John Farrey
Dance Captain – Lauren Riley
Set Designer – Elizabeth Haba
Costume Director – Kathy Gildnes
Lighting Designer – Don Wilcutts
Sound Designer – Kyle Blevins
Fly Captain – Dave Mumford and Karen Pauley
Graphic Design – Kristin Jensen
Photography – Eric Hall and Gary Brown
Rehearsal Pianist – Lauren Lippens
Make-up and Hair – Suzanne Aguilar, Keira Grech and Chelsea Koenig
Costumes – Maura Marlin, Mae Louise Dopps, Barbara Schildts and Gloria McDonald
Set and Prop Build – Elizabeth Haba, Clare Tatarsky, Don Wilcutts, Maura Marlin and Mike Marlin
Sound – Milton Grambo, Mardi Holt, Alex Kypuros and Robert Campbell
Spot – Paul Thelan
ORCHESTRA
Conductor – Conrad Askland
Trumpet I – Cindy Luna
Trumpet II – Nathaniel Voth
Horn – Amanda McDaniel
Trombone – Rob Queisser
Clarinet, Sax – Thomas Harris
Alto Sax – Kyle McInnis
Clarinet, Tenor Sax – Michelle Hanna
Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Bari Sax – Rebecca Wright
Flute – Linda Slone
Cello – Joe Bischel
Cello – Sharon Sparling
Bass – Marilyn Parman
Bass – Peter Bridgman
Keyboards – Ruth Haines
Piano – Brianne Weaver
Keyboards – Daisy Stewart
Guitar – Luke Hansen
Timpani – Dave Lyon
Drums – Stephanie Straight
BYE BYE BIRDIE CAST
Rosie Alvarez – Sarah Simmons
Albert Peterson – Dustin Moore
Conrad Birdie – Alex Hollingsworth
Kim Macafee – Demi Fair
Mr. Harry Macafee – Clarence Holden
Mrs. Doris Macafee – Cally Johnson
Randolph Macafee – Michael Giles
Mrs. Mae Peterson – Kris Hemenway
Ursula Merkle – Zoey Kypuros
Hugo Peabody – Matthew Thompson
Gloria Rasputian – Sandra Petersen
Mr. Mayor – Andy Golub
Mrs. Mayor – Suzie Clark
Mrs. Merkle – Robin Luif
Alice – Havalah Raven
Deborah Sue – Corinn Holberg
Margie – Eve Berrington
Nancy – Madison Wagoner
Harvey – Jake Updegraff
Bartender Maude – Douglas Zwick
FEATURED DANCERS
Kayla Golub
Alisha Anderson
Alexa McNeal
Courtney Holberg
SHRINERS
Dan Denny
Andy Golub
Geoff Arthur
Bill Waldron
Ron McCarty
Sad Girl – Lauren Reilly
TEEN CHORUS
Conner Crosby
Darah King
DJ Walker
Jasmine Zell
Jessica Pauley
Kelli Bates
Savannah Dills
Alexander Pedroza
Mckenzie Willis
PRETEEN CHORUS
Falon Sierra
Kadin Zenonian
Katie Arthur
Kayla Malcolm
MaKayla Haigh
Olivia Pedroza
Kari Tarabochia
Abigail Ferguson
ADULT CHORUS
Christina South
Germaine Kornegay
Laura Stewart
Vicki McCarty
Ron McCarty
Bill Waldron