Menlo School Drama will perform the Tony Award-winning musical "Bye Bye Birdie" for two weekends in May, beginning Friday, May 3.

The show, which will take place on an outdoor stage at the Atherton school, follows Conrad Birdie, who is drafted into the U.S. Army in 1958, leaving his indebted record label in jeopardy, according to Menlo School press release.

"One of the central themes of the show is the disconnect between parents and kids, a fairly universal experience," senior Luke Arnold, who plays Conrad Birdie, noted in the press release. "Every kid has at some point wanted to storm off and forge his or her own path, and every parent has been left feeling the shock and disbelief of that idea."

This is the 17th musical Upper School Drama director Steven Minning is directing for the school.

Under Minning's leadership, the drama program has grown significantly, and auditions for Birdie brought out 38 students, the largest number of interested students in recent program history, according to the group.

All proceeds from the production will go to KIND (Kids in Need of Defense), a national nonprofit that works to provide legal representation to unaccompanied immigrant and refugee children. Menlo Drama Gives Back has raised $36,000 for nonprofits over the past six seasons, according to the group.

Performances are at 8 p.m. May 3 to 5, and 8 p.m. on May 10 and 11. The school is at 50 Valparaiso Ave.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. They are available for advance purchase here. Tickets will also be available at the box office an hour before each performance. Gates open at 6 p.m. for lawn and traditional seating. Picnic blankets, picnic dinners and lawn chairs are welcome.

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