Conrad Birdie (Cameron Miller) gives one lucky girl, Kim MacAfee (Allie Pitts) “One Last Kiss” in Bye Bye Birdie during the play’s opening night on Friday. Staff Photo by Megan Smith

Arts in McNairy was not amiss in predicting a hit in their most recent production, Bye, Bye Birdie. During the production there were about 150-200 people in the audience nightly, with an overall expectation of approximately 1,000 people. This type of crowd is about average for big musicals produced by AiM.

Director Bryan Essary was extremely pleased with the outcome of the production. He said, “The cast has exceeded my expectations.” He asserted that the highlight of the production was the excellent performance by the entire cast. According to Essary, the singing and dancing in Bye, Bye Birdie was some of the best he had ever seen.

Essary stated that the audience seemed to enjoy the production.

In describing the audiences’ response to the play, he stated, “A lot of laughter...a lot of applause.”

Essary was pleased with the crowd turnout for the production and said that AiM appreciated the crowds support for the play.

Essary left the audience anticipating the next season which is being called “A Season of Believing.”

AiM’s next planned production is Fools, a comedy with a cast of about seven or eight people. In Fools, a newcomer schoolteacher to Kulyenchikov, Ukraine learns that the town has been cursed with stupidity. To break the curse, the teacher must educate Sophie, a young woman who is he has fallen in love with. The result is a humorous love-filled adventure. Caleb McLean will direct Fools.

Essary said that later in the season, AiM’s productions will include two children’s plays, Fisherman and Alice in Wonderland, along with Into the Woods.