One of my photos illustrated a an April 7, 1967, Margaret Randol feature on “Bye, Bye, Birdie” on The Missourian’s Youth Page.
The caption read, Bruce Huebel, Gary Sides, Richard Harter and Charles Holt, who are playing Shriners in Central’s “Bye, Bye, Birdie,” look up in confusion at Rosie (Miss Barbara Nunnelly), who broke into their meeting room and started dancing on their table. Bruce is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Huebel, 1109 North Main; Gary is the son of Mr. and Mrs. W.E. Side, Jr., 221 East Cape Rock Drive; Richard is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Austin G. Harter, 2526 Jonquil; Charles is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Grant T. Holt, 1835 Lacey, and Miss Nunnelly is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Gordon M. Nunnelly, 1432 Themis.
How do you serve a “Birdie?”
Miss Randol posed that as a question. Her answer:
Like any other delicacy you would prepare, a successful and appealing “Birdie” begins with the fixin’s.
The recipe calls for these ingredients:
- 3 fresh young directors
- 1 prepared orchestra
- 2 cups of talent
- 1 cup of patience
- 70 assorted (interested) pupils
Blend these ingredients for three months and add the support of the whole school to make the spirits rise.
Place this combination in a large, well-filled auditorium and serve.
Most successful musical ever produced
The directors, Mrs. Judy Williams, Mrs. Madeline DeJournett, and Bill Ewing, along with 70 members of the “Birdie” cast, have sacrificed leisure and work time – plus hours of sleep – to make “Bye, Bye, Birdie” the must successful musical ever produced at Central High School.
Rehearsals far from uneventful
The rehearsals have been far from uneventful, testifies Miss June Siemers, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. R. Siemers, 1635 Brookwood. She said she was supposed to run the length of the stage into the arms of her waiting partner.
The running went fine, she explained. The flying through the air part was all right…it was when she missed her waiting (??) partner’s arms and landed on the opposite end of the stage that presented the difficulty, Miss Siemers related.
Production threatened by measles
The entire production was threatened when one of the cast came down with a case of measles. (But not everyone saw red and things have apparently turned out all right.)
This view of Central High School from the early 1970s is looking from the southeast corner roughly to the northwest. Caruthers Ave. is running along the right side of the photo. The new gym is under construction and the swimming pool with its bubble hasn’t been started. (Click on any photo to make it larger.)
This photo of Central High School (now Central Junior High School) is taken from about the same angle. Caruthers is on the right side of the picture, Independence is at the bottom and Broadway runs left and right at the top. You can see the “new” gym that was just getting started in the first photo, along with the domed swimming pool. Town Plaza Shopping Center is in the bottom left.
This 2011 view is from the southeast to the northwest. The intersection of Caruthers and Independence is in the lower left-hand corner.
We’ve circled to the northwest corner of the property in this 2011 shot. Caruthers runs left and right in the foreground of the photo. Kingshighway is at the top.
