Words like “campy” and “cheesy” could be bad when describing a show, but in the case of Wagon Wheel Center for the Art’s production of “Bye Bye Birdie,” they mean a fun, good time. The actors get to ham it up on stage as the mostly one-dimensional characters, while the audience gets to laugh – a lot. Take Mae Peterson, for example, played by Kristen Yasenchak. Mae is the racist mother of Albert (Scott Fuss), the agent of Conrad Birdie (Jordan André). She’s very much a Jewish New York mother stereotype in the vein of Mike Myers’ portrayal of Linda Richman on “Saturday Night Live.” At least, that’s the way she comes off as played by Yasenchak – and it’ll leave you verklempt. Mae’s racist views of Latinos are silly and archaic, but Yasenchak does such a great job in the role that you can’t take her opinions seriously. The target of Mae’s disdain is Rose Alvarez (Ellen Jenders), Albert’s secretary and love interest. Rose is an American woman with Spanish heritage, but Mae can’t get past the Hispanic part. Albert doesn’t have a backbone when it comes to his mother at the start of “Bye Bye Birdie,” so Rose has to deal with the verbal abuse herself. Jenders does such a phenomenal job as Rose that she actually gives depth to the character – the most depth of any character in the entire production. Add to that Jenders’ vocal and dancing ability, and you’ve got a powerhouse performer on the stage. She soared singing “An English Teacher” and “What Did I Ever See in Him” on opening night Wednesday, and she danced like fire in “Spanish Rose” while beautifully delivering all the notes. Audiences may remember Jenders as Maureen in last year’s production of “Rent,” and if you loved her then as I did, you’ll love her in “Bye Bye Birdie,” too. The character of Birdie is based on Elvis Presley. The musical was inspired by Presley’s draft into the Army, though Birdie is only part of the plot device that keeps the musical moving forward and Birdie isn’t the main focus of the story. The focus is more on the relationships of Albert and Rose and Kim MacAfee (Audrey Kennedy) and Hugo Peabody (Tom Sweeney). As played by the incomparable André, however, audiences are left wanting more of Birdie. André has a gifted voice, which audiences of the recently completed “West Side Story” will remember as he played Tony. When he talks as Birdie, it’s obvious that André is channeling Presley and very well at that. When he finally gets to sing the song “Honestly Sincere” in Act I, he’s embodying Presley full force. In summer 2010, Wagon Wheel put together a production of “All Shook Up” with Jake Klinkhammer in the main male lead role. The musical included over two dozen of Presley’s well-known songs. If the Center for the Arts redid “All Shook Up” and put André in Klinkhammer’s role, he would be unforgettable and unstoppable. André is this summer’s big talent. In “Bye Bye Birdie,” Kim’s name is drawn to be the last girl Birdie kisses before he is shipped off to basic training. She and her family get to be on the “Ed Sullivan Show,” which was a big deal back in those days. Her steady, Hugo, becomes jealous and doesn’t want Kim to kiss Birdie, while all the girls in town wish they were Kim. Seeing their performance, it’s easy to forget that Kennedy and Sweeney are twentysomethings playing 15-year-olds because they are so good in their roles. Of course, when Kennedy – who played Ariel this summer in “The Little Mermaid – sings a song like “One Boy,” her very strong and lovely voice reminds you that she’s a woman. Sweeney is spot-on as the jealous teen boyfriend who wants to get drunk after Kim goes off with Birdie to the ice house. The character of Hugo has some of the funniest moments, and Sweeney does a great job in the role. In my opinion, Fuss has the most challenging role of them all because Albert is the straight man to all of the comedic roles in the show. Albert is bullied and controlled by his mother, conflicted by his relationship with Rose, run over by his professional duties to Birdie and has sacrificed his dreams of being an English teacher to be Birdie’s agent. That’s a lot of weight on one man’s shoulders. Yet Fuss seems like the perfect actor to be cast in the role and carries it like a pro. He dances (“Put on a Happy Face”) and sings (“Baby, Talk to Me”) well which adds to his overall performance. Then there’s 11-year-old Randy MacAfee, played exceptionally by Ian Peloza. Randy is Kim’s younger brother, who respects and admires his father, Harry (Andy Robinson), but doesn’t get the attention he seeks because Harry is preoccupied with Kim’s drama. I point out the character of Randy because Peloza did so well in the small role that he should be put on audiences’ radars for future shows. I’m used to seeing Parker Irwin in the young boy roles, but Peloza definitely gives Irwin a run for his money. Harry’s wife, Doris, is played by Wagon Wheel favorite Kira Lace Hawkins. She’s mostly a version of the 1950s Supermom, and Hawkins is good in the role, but I’m waiting for a show hopefully this summer where Hawkins will not only get more to do but also get to sing with her nightingale voice. Together, Robinson and Hawkins play good parents on the stage, too. “Bye Bye Birdie” is directed for the Wagon Wheel by Tony Humrichouser. Audiences may remember his past direction of “The Nerd” in 2013 and “Gypsy” in 2014, both shows that were well received by audiences as I suspect “Bye Bye Birdie” will be. My rating of “Bye Bye Birdie” (out of four): 3.50. Tickets are on sale at Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts or can be purchased online at wagonwheelcenter.org The cost of admission is $32 for adults, $24 for seniors, $18 for students and $14 for children up to age 12. Call the box office at 574-267-8041 with any questions.
