It's The Theater, Dahling! Bye, Bye Birdie Hits Portland

By Meg Hodson

I had the chance to spend a fun afternoon with my daughter downtown yesterday to take in the fun musical production Bye, Bye Birdie at the Winningstad Theater in downtown Portland. It was the 2nd in a span of six performances that will continue through November 16th. 

The show revolves around Conrad Birdie, the heart throb singer of music producer Albert Peterson. All the girls love him, but when he is drafted by the army, Albert is worried.  As a publicity stunt to survive his draft status, Albert sends Conrad to a small Ohio town to kiss one lucky fan. The girls in town go wild. Will small town Ohio survive?

My daughter, who is 10, loved it! It's family friendly fun in a top notch, well-produced musical. The Winningstad Theater is intimate and makes for the perfect setting in this lively musical.

What I love about a production such as this is that it is keeping a classic musical alive for young people. In a day and age where children's books are re-created into musicals (which I love!), it's fun to see a tried and true favorite be reborn for the younger set.

The production is care of the Metropolitan Performing Arts Academy, located in Vancouver, Washington. It's the brain child of creative director Noah Scott, with the goal of having students reach their creative potential. This is accomplished through programs in dance instruction, singing, acting, and art.