SHERMAN — The Sherman Players are delivering a feel-good blast from the past with their production of Bye Bye Birdie, running through June 28.

Bye Bye Birdie is a lighthearted musical comedy in which the teenage girls of Sweet Apple, Ohio receive devastating news: the hip-thrusting rock and roll teen idol Conrad Birdie (played by Kevin McNulty) has been drafted into the military. This spells bad news for his agent, Albert Peterson (Becket Bottelsen), as Conrad is a large reason why Al-Mae-Lou Music, Albert’s musical publishing company, is being kept afloat.

Albert’s long-suffering assistant Rose Alvarez (Anastasia Nardone) decides to make the most of a bad situation and stage a last-ditch publicity stunt before Conrad leaves: Conrad will perform a brand new song on The Ed Sullivan Show, after which he will give a lucky girl from his fan club a real “last kiss.” The prim and proper Kim MacAfee (Isabelle Bergman) is excited to be that girl, but Conrad — unbeknownst to the public — can be quite the unpredictable mess. Hijinks ensue.

This year is particularly special for The Sherman Players, as the group is celebrating 100 years at the Sherman Playhouse. With its centennial coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the group selected a season of American plays, according to the playbill for the current production.

It also states that Bye Bye Birdie is a reminder of when the “teenager became the center of our culture.” There is perhaps no better way to describe the show, as it is a delightfully cheesy romp that knows what it is and delivers cozy, feel-good shenanigans in spades.

However, it is the talented cast and crew that make Bye Bye Birdie come to life on the small stage.

Bottelsen gives Albert the grounded compassion he needs to sell his character. Albert is nervous and high-strung, which Bottelsen certainly embodies too, but there is this warm gentleness they give the character that makes the audience endeared to him, even in his more frustrating moments.

He plays into Albert’s faux macho-ness, flexing to really hammer home the character’s attempts at confidence later in the show. Yet, it is the little things, such as the softhearted smiles he shares with Rose or determined expression when standing up to his mother, that linger. Bottelsen helps make Albert real through character acting and chemistry.

Nardone is an absolute delight as Rose. Right out of the gate, she hits the ground running in the show’s opening number, “An English Teacher,” a vibrant joy to watch. She moves around props and gets up on the desk to sing her heart out.

Rose is someone who is generally put together, but her passion and more wild energy shine when she truly wants something. Nardone keeps this energy up throughout the entire show, with strong comedic timing and delivery. She also has a really pretty voice to boot, best seen in her late act two number, “Spanish Rose.”

Another cast member with sharp comedic chops is Mikki Harkin, who plays Albert’s overbearing mother, Mae Peterson. Harkin goes all out with the boisterous, melodramatic nature of her lines that make her character so fun to hate. She especially shines when bouncing off other cast members, particularly Albert and Rose.

The whole MacAfee family is great. Bergman carries herself as Kim with the classic Straight-A-desperate-to-be-mature teenager energy, coupled with straightened posture and occasionally folding her hands while she walks. It is difficult to not want the best for her, even when she indulges in classic teenage rebellion.

Stephen Zerilli is an absolute hoot as Kim's father, Harry MacAfee. He is the clear head of the family, leading with the stern but zany energy one could picture from a classic, overprotective sitcom dad. Zerilli gets a lot of fun moments, from lamenting about kids with his wife in the aptly-named “Kids” to wildly praising Ed Sullivan in “Hymn For A Sunday Evening (Ed Sullivan).”

Rounding out the family are Susan Chapin as the mom, Doris MacAfee, and Oliver Gunderson as Randolph MacAfee, the son, who bring the comparatively level-headed, straight-man energy to even chaotic situations out.

McNulty also looks like he’s having a lot of fun playing Conrad. He taps into his best Elvis impression — the character is very intentionally based on him — coupled with hip thrusts and resonant voice.

It’s a lot of fun seeing this more “polished” version of him fade away in the scenes where he isn’t performing, and is stumbling around the MacAfees’ house with tousled hair, clearly out of it. This is all thanks to McNulty’s solid performance.

There is only so much room, but one would be remiss to not acknowledge the entire ensemble, including the adult chorus and the delightful “squeeing” Conrad fangirls. They are incredibly talented and give their best for the show.

There is a lot of care put into the vintage costuming, which makes it look as though the 1950s have never left. All the while, the band is the heartbeat of the show, making the upbeat, 1950s rock-and-roll pastiche soundtrack show in full force. Much props to the lighting too, which makes for several delightful moments, from introducing Conrad silhouetted against a blue backdrop in the opening to the delicately chosen spotlights for the more intimate scenes.

The Sherman Players’ Bye Bye Birdie makes for one heck of a fun summer romp.

Performances continue weekends to June 28. For more information, including tickets and show times, visit shermanplayers.org.

Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.