Bye Bye Birdie: A Broadway Review
By Leora Kanner, Broadway Magazine
Broadway put on more than a happy face in welcoming the revival of Bye Bye Birdie. In this Broadway Magazine and Broadway.tv video feature, we take you to the opening night of one of the season's most anticipated shows, "Bye Bye Birdie." An abundance of stars made their way down the red carpet, recounting their excitement for the fun and carefree musical. Before the show, we spoke to some of these celebrities to hear what they were looking forward to as the classical musical opened on Broadway.
Stephanie March, who plays Alexandra Cabot on 'Law and Order,' says "I heard the original cast recording around 6 months ago and it is catchy! I can't wait to hear it live." Perry Reeves, from 'Entourage' said "I'm very excited to see Gina Gerson, she is a friend." Other stars showed support for their friends as well: Bryan Bat from 'Mad Men' has worked with director Robert Longbottom and Charles Strauss before and has friends in the cast.
Those directly involved with "Bye Bye Birdie" explained why they were most excited about opening night. John Stamos, who plays Albert Peterson, said "I'm having a blast and its everything I wanted it to be." He described 'Birdie' as a "light, happy show." Nolan Gerard Funk, who plays Conrad Birdie himself, said "it feels amazing..I'm honored to be able to play the title character in such a great show." Dee Hoty thought it was refreshing and great to have "so much fun...with those kids." She describes the cast as "so full of energy and life and promise." Young Allie Trimm, who plays the main role of Kim MacAffee, described her night as "surreal...an out of body experience."
Opening night marked "Bye Bye Birdie's" first Broadway revival in 40 years but the show has been performed across America in various venues since its original premiere. Bill Irwin, who plays Mr. Harry MacAfee told Broadway.tv that he performed in the show when he was in Junior High in 1964! Robert Longbottom, the director and choreographer of "Bye Bye Birdie," explained how he approached this first ever revival. "It was time to refresh the show but not change it...keep it in the 1950s but give it up to date sensibility in terms of how it moves and the stage." He wanted to "maintain the purity of the show, but make it feel contemporary."
With crowd pleasing songs and an energetic cast, this Bye Bye Birdie packs surprises and laughs for everyone. It could well be that this revival ends up being the feel-good revival musical of the Broadway season. Watch the whole video right here on Broadway.tv
The Miracle Worker Celebrates Broadway Opening
Stars, friends and family turned out to celebrated the Opening Night of The Miracle Worker on[...]
Sondheim On Sondheim Preps Broadway Debut
Easily the most influential musical theatre artist in Broadway history, Stephen Sondheim is already[...]
Million Dollar Quartet Set To Rock Broadway
Titans of the early days of rock and roll are ready to thrill Broadway audiences as the musical[...]
Lend Me A Tenor's Good Broadway Vibe
"It's so much fun for me, there are so many funny people in the room, Everybody is brilliant, including[...]
J. Bernard Calloway: Broadway's Memphis Man
Unlike many actors who've had marquee lights in their eyes since their earliest memories, J. Bernard[...]
Broadway HAIR: Let The Idols Shine In
The Tony Award winning revival of HAIR is keeping it fresh with a new cast that includes a couple of[...]
Looped Set To Rope Broadway
"Tallulah Bankhead was the original celebrity bad girl, before Lindsay Lohan, before Brittney[...]
The Drama League Honors Angela Lansbury
"I'm in love with Angela, she's the star of stars," sings Ann Hampton Calloway. She is literally[...]
All About Me Exposed To Broadway Press
"People can expect probably the best Broadway show they have ever seen. That is an extravagant[...]
Saycon Sengbloh On Fela! And Broadway
"I think it's a new decade, and it's time for a new type of show. It's just time," says Saycon Sengbloh[...]
