Marcia P. Hoffman School Of The Arts Sets BYE BYE BIRDIE Cast at Ruth Eckerd Hall

The Marcia P. Hoffman School of the Arts at Ruth Eckerd Hall announced the cast of their summer production Bye Bye Birdie. In just three weeks, students prepare for four back-to-back performances. Tickets to shows are on sale now and the performances will be held at the Capitol Theatre on Thursday, July 27 at 7 pm, Friday, July 28 at 7 pm and Saturday, July 29 at 2 and 7 pm.

"Our summer musical always serves as a celebration and Bye Bye Birdie will be no exception," said Sharon Reid-Kane, Vice President of Education & Outreach at the Marcia P. Hoffman School of the Arts. "We are so proud of the layers of talent involved - the staff providing direction, choreography and musical support; the interns who are providing stage management, lighting design and costumes; to our wonderful students who comprise this electric cast of singers, dancers and actors and of course, Gary Sandy, who will be in residence working with the cast. The stage of the beautiful Capitol Theatre will be overflowing with waves of excitement!"

Bye Bye Birdie is about an aspiring agent and song-writer Albert who attempts to save his career and marry his girlfriend Rosie by getting the biggest rock & roll star, Conrad Birdie, of the 60s on the Ed Sullivan show to kiss a fan club girl.

Gary Sandy (WKRP In Cincinnati) will be our resident instructor for Bye Bye Birdie and the performances will be directed by Jack Holloway, Drama Department Chair with musical direction by Yohance Wicks, Music Department Chair and director of the in-house Clearwater Chorus and choreographed by Christopher Liddell, dance instructor.

THE CAST INCLUDES:

Katie Davis playing the role of Rose Alvarez
Katie Davis is a rising junior at Calvary Christian High School. This is her third production with the Marcia P. Hoffman School of the Arts, where she had lead roles as Belle (Beauty and the Beast ) and Ariel (The Little Mermaid). Some of her other past roles were Kate (Oklahoma) and Pridefly (Ashgirl). She loves her family and her friends for their constant love and support with following her dreams. She loves her thespian troupe, Disney World, and going to shows with her friends. She couldn't be more thankful for musical theatre and she wants to thank her mom for being her best friend. She is so happy to be in Bye Bye Birdie!

Casey Gloeckl playing the role of Albert Peterson
Casey is making his debut in a lead role and is thrilled to be spending his fourth summer at Marcia P. Hoffman. He has recently been seen as Fester in Addams Family at Tampa Prep. He would like to thank his friends, teachers, and family.

Julia LaPierre playing the role of Kim MacAfee
This is Julia's sixth year as a student of the Marcia P. Hoffman School of the Arts and she is so proud to be a part of this wonderful cast. Her past roles include Flotsom in The Little Mermaid, Fairy May in The Curious Savage, and Bonnie in Bonnie and Clyde. She would like to thank Ms. Roseann Tota, her directors and her family for all of their love and support.

Sean Cunningham playing the role of Hugo
Sean is a rising sophomore at East Lake High School. He is excited to be taking part in his first show with the Marcia P. Hoffman School of the Arts at Ruth Eckerd Hall. He has experience playing lead roles & ensemble parts in both plays and musicals. Sean is studying biomedical sciences at school ranking 13th in his class with a 4.39 GPA. He would like to thank his parents and family for their constant support!

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Reserved tickets are priced at $15 for adults, $10 students/military for 7:30 pm shows and $10 adults, $5 students/military for the 2 pm show and will be available at the Ruth Eckerd Hall Ticket Office located at 1111 McMullen Booth Road in Clearwater or by calling 727.791.7400. The Ruth Eckerd Hall Ticket Office is open Monday through Saturday, from 10 am to 6 pm and one hour prior to show time. Patrons may also purchase tickets at www.AtTheCap.com 24/7.

Ruth Eckerd Hall, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, owned by the City of Clearwater, manages and operates 2,200-seat Ruth Eckerd Hall, the 200-seat Murray Theatre, the Marcia P. Hoffman School of the Arts, the 750-seat Capitol Theatre and Ruth Eckerd Hall On The Road. Our mission is: Changing lives through the performing arts.

The Capitol Theatre, located in downtown Clearwater's Cleveland District, was constructed in 1921 and is one of Florida's oldest operating theaters. In 2015, the Capitol Theatre was named the #5 venue in the world by industry trade publication Venues Today and the #29 club venue in the world by industry trade publication Pollstar. In 2013, the theater underwent a complete renovation and is the catalyst for downtown development.

The Marcia P. Hoffman School of the Arts is one of the largest providers of arts education and outreach in the nation. Reaching more than 35,000 students annually and providing over 80,000 hours of high-caliber arts experiences with programs encompassing three distinct arts education divisions: presenting, community engagement and outreach and instruction in jazz, dance, drama, instrumental music, musical theater, voice and technical theater. Each division reaches students of all ages and abilities on the Ruth Eckerd Hall campus and off-site in local schools, hospitals, community centers, specialty residences and other arts centers throughout the Tampa Bay area and the State of Florida.