PROSSER -- Bye Bye Birdie is one of those classic musicals that will have you humming the songs for days.

The show opened on Broadway in 1960 and introduced such memorable tunes as Put on a Happy Face and A Lot of Livin' To Do.

The comedic musical is set in the late '50s and follows the antics of a captivating rock star and his effect on a small Midwestern town.

The Over the Hill Theatricals group presents the musical starting Oct. 6 at the Princess Theatre in downtown Prosser.

One of the most entertaining aspects is watching the cast transform from adults to impetuous teenagers who take the audience on a whimsical ride as they rebel against their parents over a rock star, said Patrick Walsh with the theater group.

It was also one of the most difficult aspects to pull off since the entire cast is 45 and older, he added.

"It is a big challenge to convince the audience that they are watching teens and not old people," Walsh said. "I think they achieved this goal, not with youthful wigs and poodle skirts, but maybe with re-enacting the excitement remembered from their own teen years."

The cast includes Doug Hansen of Grandview as Albert Peterson, Kristi Tuor of Mabton as Rosie Alvarez, Linda Key of Grandview as Kim MacAfee and Paul Brooks of Grandview as Hugo Peabody. Other members of the cast are Brad Smith of Grandview as Conrad Birdie, Susan Webber of Prosser as Mrs. MacAfee, Ron Jetter of Sunnyside as Mr. MacAfee, Mark Reynolds of Sunnyside as Randolph MacAfee and Karen Santos of Sunnyside as Mae Peterson.

Walsh said the play will hold a few surprises along with the great music.

For example, he said, "Hugo, the spurned boyfriend of the favored Kim, demonstrates the need for some instruction in peaceful conflict resolution."

And then there's leading lady Rosie Alvarez, who does a seductive rendition of Spanish Rose, which breaks up a Shriners meeting and torments the otherwise conservative men of Sweet Apple, Ohio.

Pianists Judy Buckley and Lois Olsen from the Lower Valley provide the music for the show.

Showtimes are at 7 p.m. Oct. 6 and Oct. 12 and at 3 p.m. Oct. 7, 13-14.

Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for kids 11 and younger. Tickets are available at the Sixth Street Gift Shop & Gallery in downtown Prosser, Grandview Safeway store and the Daily Sun News in Sunnyside.

*Dori O'Neal: 582-1514; doneal@tricityherald.com