RUMFORD – “Bye Bye Birdie,” a four-time Tony Award-winning Broadway show, including one for Best Musical, will be presented March 20, 21 and 22 as Mountain Valley High School’s spring musical production.

The play enjoyed a successful run of more than 800 performances before being made into a hit movie starring Dick Van Dyke, Janet Leigh, Ann-Margaret, Bobby Rydell, Maureen Stapleton and Paul Lynde.

“Bye Bye Birdie,” tells the story of a 1960s rock ‘n’ roll singer who is about to be inducted into the U.S. Army. The singer, an Elvis Presley-type is played by Matt DeFiore. Sophomore Carl Zurhorsts plays Albert Peterson, Birdie’s mild-mannered agent, and Mountain Valley favorite Jessica Profit plays Peterson’s faithful secretary, Rose Alvarez, who concocts one final national publicity stunt before Birdie’s induction.

Birdie will bid a typical American teenage girl goodbye with an all-American kiss. Kim MacAfee, a pretty girl of 15 who lives in the quiet little town of Sweet Apple, Ohio, played by singer/dancer Tori Bohren, wins the honor. All the phones in her town are already busy because she has just been pinned to Hugo, a local boy played by Jeff Roy.

Birdie’s arrival in Sweet Apple cause females of all ages to swoon. The MacAfee household is turned upside down by the visiting celebrity. It is decided that Birdie will give his “One Last Kiss” on the Ed Sullivan Show. Kim’s father, veteran character actor Brian Arsenault, laments the whole uproar. He tries to break in the act and hams it up on the TV show.

Mr. and Mrs. MacAfee are played by veteran character actor Brian Arsenault and Stephanie Beadle; Peterson’s catastrophe-ridden mother is played by MVHS regular Phoebe Pike. Rounding out the cast are Kelsey Arsenault, Megan Arsenault, Camron Barrieau, Denise Belanger, Kymberly Couch, Brittany Desgrasseilliers, Steven Filds, Carmelia Glazier, Kristen Harris, Sarah Hoff, Matt Lennon, Brandon McLamb, Savannah Palmer, Shayne Plourde, Levi Rajaniemi, Marie Russell, Richard Russell, Helena Wiedeshold and T.J. Williams.

Tickets are $5 per person, with a limited audience capacity of 200 per show. The Thursday and Friday shows will begin at 7 p.m.; the Saturday performance will begin at 2 p.m.