In the late 1950s, country music legend Conway Twitty was the musical rival of a young upstart named Elvis Presley. Presley and his contemporaries, including Twitty, introduced the country to a new musical style that became known as rockabilly and later morphed into rock 'n roll.

"Bye Bye Birdie" is a classic stage musical that captures those exciting, innocent early days of rock 'n roll with energetic teen spirit. The name of the main character, Conrad Birdie, is a play on Conway Twitty, but the mania that surrounds young heartthrob Conrad and his plans to enter the Army is all Elvis.

Arlington High School will present the musical comedy "Bye Bye Birdie" at 7:30 p.m. November 13, 14, 20 and 21, and at 2 p.m. Nov. 21 at the Byrnes Performing Arts Center.

"When we select our musicals, I try to find material that entertains audiences of all ages and involves as many students as possible," said AHS drama teacher and show director Scott Moberly. "This one will please young children as well as their parents and grandparents, because it's funny and loaded with intricate dance numbers and familiar songs. We have a huge cast composed of very talented singers, actors and dancers."

Chris Vaughan, a senior at AHS, tackles the lead role of Conrad, complete with lip snarl and hip wiggle. A veteran of a half-dozen shows at the high school, Chris played Captain Hook's right-hook man, Smee, in the AHS production of "Peter Pan" last fall.

"The drama department here has a tradition of seniors stepping up to mentor the less experienced actors," said Chris. "We want to make this the best show we've ever done, and a springboard for the younger students."

Danika Drake, a fellow senior who plays Mrs. Macafee, agreed with Chris.

"Being in a show is certainly a learning experience, but it's also a teaching opportunity for the seniors," she said.

Stage manager Tesia Lingenfelter is one of those new actors. A senior who has always worked behind the curtain, Tesia has an onstage role in "Bye Bye Birdie," playing-naturally-a stage manager.

Sophomore Kelsey Ghirardo landed the role of Kim, Conrad's biggest fan. Her previous experience was playing a Lost Boy in "Peter Pan," so having a principal role has been challenging.

The cast even includes a middle-schooler. Josh Basher, who attends Haller Middle School, was recruited by his two older sisters, Abby and Kailey, who are in the show, to play Kim's younger brother.

"It's a little intimidating, but pretty fun," said Josh.

Danika hopes to attend Cornish College for the Arts after graduation and eventually perform with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland. Although Chris enjoys the theater experience, he plans to study engineering in college.

Chris' natural humble personality is light years away from the cocky, spotlight-seeking Conrad. Stepping into that overblown persona has been a challenge, but Danika insisted that he's on the right track.

"He's definitely got the Elvis voice down," she said with a laugh.

Last year's production of "Peter Pan" was a risk for the high school, with expensive and potentially dangerous effects that included students flying across the stage. The risk paid off with sellout performances during the run, and Moberly is expecting to see similar enthusiasm for "Bye Bye Birdie."

"The support we get from the community inspires my students to give everything they have to our productions, and this includes those behind the scenes as well as the entire cast," said Moberly.

More than 30 students from the stagecraft classes have worked on the show's set pieces, props and costumes. Many will be working backstage during performances, helping with scene changes and managing the props inventory.

Also playing a big part in the show is the pit orchestra, made up of about 20 student musicians under the direction of music teacher John Grabowski.

"The timing of our show couldn't be better," commented Moberly. "This is a musical that never gets dated."

The original Broadway production was a Tony Award-winning success. It spawned a London production and several major revivals, a sequel, a 1963 film and a 1995 television production. The latest revival of "Bye Bye Birdie" opened on Broadway in October starring John Stamos and Gina Gershon.