Lead by a senior dominant cast, the Sage Creek High School Drama department impresses yet again with their rendition of famous 1950s musical, “Bye-Bye-Birdie.”

As Sage Creek looks to keep expanding in prominence and reputation, the drama department is helping lead the way. The department made its first leap in 2014 when it hired current drama teacher Ms. Jillian Porter. In the three years Ms. Porter has been at Sage, she has done a stellar job of showcasing our school’s talent, putting on “Grease” the first year, followed by “Guys and Dolls” and most recently, “Bye Bye Birdie.” In order for the actors to be successful, they need to be placed in the right roles, and Ms. Porter did her job, casting flawlessly.

“You think about who your kids are and what kind of talents you have and from there you look at musicals that you can cast in very many ways with the kids that you have, so ‘Birdie’ was a great solution,” Porter expressed.

And a solution it was, as “Bye-Bye-Birdie” brought smiles and laughs to hundreds of fans over the course of the weekend. The musical opened in fitting fashion, with two four-year-drama seniors, Sam Bodnar (as Albert) and Fabiola Sanchez (as Rose), setting the stage.

From the get-go, the connection and feelings that Mr. Peterson and Rose shared for each other was apparent. Frequently sharing the spotlight, the stage chemistry between Bodnar and Sanchez was brilliant, as their stature and voices complimented each other beautifully. The roles were primed for the two seniors as they played them to perfection. Bodnar and Sanchez have been long-time friends, so it was great seeing them perform together for one last time.

“Fabiola and I have been friends since fifth grade so it was a lot of fun getting to work with her on stage,” Bodnar stated.

The plot development was very smooth, as the story continued to involve. The audience was introduced to Kim MacAfee (played by Miranda Colvin, another stand-out senior with a beautiful voice), her boyfriend Hugo Peabody (portrayed by senior Skyler Beckett), Mr. Peterson’s mother (hilariously played by sophomore Allison DelGrande), and the man himself, Mr. Conrad Birdie (senior Gustavo Escobosa).

While being recognized by the Mayor in front of city hall, Escobosa takes the stage in a tight, metallic suit. Escobosa rushes to center stage, thrusting his hips and lighting up the crowd as the the rest of the stage went up in song.  Escobosa has been in drama ever since middle school, and was ecstatic with this opportunity for him to go out on top.

“I was really happy I got that role because I had a ton of fun, learned a lot, and it was a really great experience. I’m sad because it may be my last musical ever but I’m mostly overjoyed because I am glad that it happened,”  Escobosa said.

As for my stand-out performer of the night, I need look no farther than another senior, Raya Hoseini. Playing the role of Kim’s father, every time he set foot on stage the audience shot up with laughs. Perhaps the funniest moment was when Hoseini discovered that his daughter’s kiss with Conrad would be on the “Ed Sullivan Show.”

Hoseini went from stringent over his daughter’s participation, to welcoming it with open arms, as he couldn’t wait to be on television. Ever since middle school, Hoseini has had an unparalleled ability to fit the role of any character he is assigned, which is partly due to his mind-set that he must become the character he is playing before entering the stage.

“You have to think what the character is thinking. You have to be the character, you can’t be yourself. I do lot of pre-work before I take on a role. I research the character and study previous actors that have played the same role,” Hoseini said.

It was a strong showing to say the least. With seniors dominating the lead roles, it was another high for the Sage Creek Class of 2017.

“The talent level of the under-classmen is strong and I look forward to seeing what Ms. Porter has in store for the future,” Bodnar proclaimed.