It's all in the 'ohana for director Scott Rogers and his 13-year-old daughter, Kanani, at Army Community Theatre's "Bye Bye Birdie," which opened last night at Fort Shafter's Richardson Theatre.

Dad is directing; daughter is playing Kim McAfee, the teen who gives the Elvis-like crooner Conrad Birdie his goodbye kiss before he's drafted, in the kitschy page from the history books about a pop idol, the media hysteria, a conniving manager and even "The Ed Sullivan Show."

"This is the first time she's listening to me," said Scott Rogers, jesting a bit about his role as director. "Actually, at first she hated the idea. She wasn't going to do it."

But Kanani, who attends Honolulu Waldorf School, said she's having fun in "Birdie." Even with the challenges of nepotism (the dad-as-director issue) or age (her youngish 13).

"I think it's a great part. I didn't think I was going to get it because, well, I'm too young," she said.

Kim McAfee is supposedly 15, but Kanani visually suits the bill. "I'm tall ... about 5 feet, 2 inches.

"I would have been happy in the ensemble, but wow, Kim," she said with glee.

She has been a show-biz trouper via her work with the Shooting Stars at Diamond Head Theatre, so stage work is not new to her.

This, however, is her first time on the ACT stage. Dad's, too.

"It's difficult to get used to," she said of Daddy as director. "Very different from other shows I've done" (she earlier played Pepper in "Annie").

That Rogers is taking the helm as guest director at ACT is something of a stretch — since he maintains a full plate as managing director at Kumu Kahua Theatre, the Downtown emporium for locally written, Hawai'i-themed drama and comedy, and as founder-director of his own acting school, the Academy of Film & Television, which nurtures wannabe performers and behind-the-sceners, the novice to the polished.

For a time, Rogers had been toiling with film and TV production here, an iffy proposition at best. "So Kumu's my main gig," he said.

As for nepotism? No way, Rogers said.

"The girl I thought would be a good choice had an amazing belt, but no head voice," he said.

So it came down to Kanani.

"She is one of several Shooting Stars in the cast," Rogers said. "I know John (Rampage) does a great job with that program at Diamond Head (Theatre), and the kids learn well. They're wonderful."

She is particularly smitten with her alone-in-the-bedroom solo, "How Lovely to Be a Woman." It's a feel-grownuppy, more womanly, moment.

Kanani said, however, she's not the kind who'd scream in fan frenzy and she has no Elvis-like idol. Her fave performer? Chris Brown and other hip-hop/rap stars.

With her work with Shooting Stars ("my fifth year") and an occasional school show, she is bitten by the acting bug.

"I've always wanted to go to New York and try Broadway," she said. "I would love to do Eponine in 'Les Miz,' a great part. I saw 'Wicked' with the Shooting Stars in New York, and that's a great one, too."

"She really wants to live in New York," Scott Rogers said. "She has it all mapped out. She wants to attend Juilliard. But she's forced to live in Hawai'i."