by Mark G. Auerbach
The cast of Bye Bye Birdie at Goodspeed through September 8. (Photo by Diane Sobolewski)
Bye Bye Birdie has been one of my favorite musicals, since I saw the movie, and later, a touring revival with Tommy Tune and Ann Reinking. I’m a real fan of Strouse/Adams musicals, from Golden Boy to It’s A Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman. The gentlemen wrote brassy scores that never sound “old” on multiple replays. So, it’s one of the shows I’ve been looking forward to most this summer. The Goodspeed revival, under the able hands of director Jenn Thompson, music director Michael O’Flaherty, and choreographer Patricia Wilcox (who did the dances for Motown: the Musical) is slick, fun, and satisfying musical comedy–with a heart.
Since its Broadway opening in 1960, Bye Bye Birdie has been one of America’s most popular musicals. The satire of middle American life in 1958, a year after Elvis joined the Army, Bye Bye Birdie, with Dick Van Dyke, Chita Rivera, and Paul Lynde in the original cast, had a successful tour, a London engagement, and was turned into a movie in 1963 (Ann-Margret became a star with her performance as a teen). It’s had multiple revivals; it spawned a sequel, Bring Back Birdie (which flopped), and a TV movie. The musical is popular among high school, college and community theatre troupes. The original Bye Bye Birdie won a Tony Award for “Best Musical” (Dick Van Dyke won one too).
Rhett Guteras Conrad Birdie and Dorcas Leung as ursula in Bye Bye Birdie at Goodspeed through September 8. (Photo by Diane Sobolewski)
Goodspeed’s creative team has tweaked the musical with sassy orchestrations by Dan DeLange and new dance arrangements by David Krane. The Charles Strouse and Lee Adams score, with now standards “Put on a Happy Face”, “Kids”, and “A Lot of Living To Do”, alongside mock rock “One Last Kiss” and “Sincere”, has aged well. Director Jenn Thompson added one song from the movie and one from the 1995 TV movie with Jason Alexander and Vanessa Williams. It all works.
I liked Jenn Thompson’s staging, and Patricia Wilcox’s choreography gave the songs a bright lift, especially the second act song for Birdie and ensemble, “A Lot of Living To Do”, which was greeted with thunderous applause.
For those unfamiliar with the musical, it’s the story of Albert Peterson (George Merrick), a music promoter, and his secretary/girlfriend Rosie (Janet Dacal), who manage rock star Conrad Birdie (Rhett Guter) who’s been drafted. Albert arranges Birdie’s final appearance before joining the army to take place in Sweet Apple, Ohio (middle America), where a teen, Kim McAfee (Tristen Buettel), who just went steady with Hugo (Alex Walton), will receive Birdie’s final kiss. Her dad (Warren Kelley), mom (Donna English) and brother (Ben Stone-Zelman) will appear live on the Ed Sullivan Show. Albert wants to quit the business and be an English teacher; Rosie wants that too, but Albert’s overbearing mother (Kristine Zbornik).stands in the way. As they say, hilarity ensues.
Tobin Ost’s sets are vintage suburbia of the JFK years, and David Toser’s costumes are perfectly period. Phillip Rosenberg’s lighting designs complement sets and costumes, and Jay Hilton’s sound nicely balanced actors and musicians. Special mention must be made of Daniel Brodie’s projections, which showcased some of the early 1960s television images so many of us remember as kids.
The performances were energetic and lots of fun, especially those of Rhett Guter as the slick, hip-swiveling Conrad Birdie; Warren Kelley
Janet Dacal and George Merrick as Rosie and Albert in Bye Bye Birdie at Goodspeed through September 8. (Photo by Diane Sobolewski)
and Ben Stone Zelman as McAfee father and son; Janet Dacal as Rose (terrific daner), and Tristen Buettel’s Kim (who found the right mix of teen wanting to be adult woman–I can’t believe Ann-Margret was cast in that part in the film). George Merrick as Albert, had a nice comic presence. Kristine Zbornik, as the stereotypical powerhouse of a mother, was very funny.
Bye Bye Birdie, with the Goodspeed touch, will be fun for the boomers, who lived through Elvis, the younger folk who grew up on the movie, and the many people who have seen local productions. I suspect that when Goodspeed revives it again in another thirty years, it will remain fresh and fun.
***
Goodspeed Musicals presents Bye Bye Birdie. Book by Michael Stewart. Music by Charles Strouse. Lyrics by Lee Adams. Directed by Jenn Thompson. Musical direction by Michael O’Flaherty. Choreography by Patricia Wilcox. Scenic design by Tobin Ost. Costume design by David Toser. Lighting design by Phillip Rosenberg. Sound design by Jay Hilton. Projections by Daniel Brodie. Orchestrations by Dan DeLange. Dance arrangements by David Krane. Through September 8.. Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam, CT. For tickets: 860-873-8668 or www.goodspeed.org.
—
Mark G. Auerbach studied theatre at American University and the Yale School of Drama. He’s worked for arts organizations and reported on theatre for newspapers and radio.
