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In 1958, to the utter distress of his abundant fans, Elvis Presley entered the United States Army. Just prior to that time, he made unprecedented, extraordinary changes to popular music and to the lives of millions of young people across America…much to the mortification of their parents. Parents were sure that rock and roll signaled the downfall of society and would ruin their teenage sons and daughters forever. Birdie is a brilliant, hilarious and gentle parody of this wonderful time. A family-friendly show with lively and memorable songs, this is one of the most charming musicals of our time.

The delightful story of Bye Bye Birdie revolves around rock-and-roll superstar, Conrad Birdie, and the complications that arise when his agent (Albert) stages a publicity stunt on The Ed Sullivan Show. Conrad is to kiss one lucky girl on national television before being drafted into the army. The result of introducing and internationally famous star into small town Americana is hilarious and unpredictable – and delightful to watch.

Our production of Bye Bye Birdie features a large cast of singing and dancing actors. The featured roles are played by Steve Lawler, Deesa Staats, Joe Jorgensen, Molly McGovern, Melinda Emanuel, Marie Colangelo, Noah Schomburg, and featuring Mickey Morstad as Conrad Birdie. In addition, there are 30 teens and adults playing smaller roles. Click here for the complete cast list. The play is directed by Rachel Haider, with music direction by Liz Shepley and Peter Webb. The choreography is by Jana Schomburg.

Performances will be in the Northfield Arts Guild Theater at 411 West 3rd Street on July 9-11 and 16-18 at 7:30pm and on July 12 and 19th at 2:00pm. Tickets are $14 for adults and $11 for students and are available at the Center for the Arts at 304 Division Street S., at 507-645-8877, or online on our Plays page. (photo credit: Tania Legvold)

Northfield Arts Guild invites writers to submit poetry, prose, plays and other original creative work for the community's next juried reading, Summer Sonnets, August 12, 7:00 p.m. There is no designated theme. The reading will be held outdoors on the Central Park Stage. Deadline for submissions is July 15. If your work is selected, you will be invited to read. Summer Sonnets is one of many events celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Northfield Arts Guild. Visit our Readings page for more information.

Classes at the Arts Guild this summer will help both adults and kids exercise their creativity

From Art World Adventure for kids to Comic Book Art for teens to Making Art from Fabric for adults, there are many opportunities beginning in the next few weeks. And we've added a new Work with Stained Glass class, beginning July 14. Visit our Classes page for more information, or to register.

In celebration of our 50th anniversary, the Northfield Arts Guild will host a dance Cabaret titled Danse Macabre on Friday, October 30, 2009. Dancers are wanted, both soloists and groups, to perform at this event. We invite dancers from all around the area, and our local dance studios and schools, to showcase their talent by joining us for Danse Macabre.

Final deadline for proposals is Friday, September 11, but early submissions are encouraged. Click here to open the proposal form. This form is in Microsoft Word. You can fill it in, save it to your computer, then e-mail it back to the dance committee (info on form).