Roundabout Theatre Company
2009 revival
BYE BYE BIRDIE

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) presents the first new Broadway production of BYE BYE BIRDIE, after a 48 year absence, as the inaugural production of the new Henry Miller's Theatre (124 West 43rd Street) which began Thursday, September 10th, 2009 with an official opening on Thursday, October 15th, 2009. This will be a limited engagement through January 10th, 2010.

BYE BYE BIRDIE stars John Stamos (Albert Peterson), Gina Gershon (Rose Alvarez) & Bill Irwin (Mr. Harry MacAfee) with Jayne Houdyshell (Mrs. Mae Peterson) & Dee Hoty (Mrs. MacAfee). The cast will also feature Matt Doyle (Hugo Peabody), Jake Evan Schwencke (Randolph MacAfee), Allie Trimm (Kim MacAfee) and Nolan Funk as "Conrad Birdie." Robert Longbottom will direct and choreograph Bye Bye Birdie with a book by Michael Stewart, music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

September 10, 2009 - January 10, 2010
Tuesday-Saturday at 8:00pm
Wed, Sat & Sun Matinees at 2pm
No performance Nov. 26
Special Friday Mat Nov. 27 at 2pm
Special 7pm curtains
    Dec. 1 - 11, 2009
Special Monday Eve Dec. 21 at 8pm
No performance Dec. 24
No performance Dec. 25
Special Sunday Eve Dec. 27 at 7:30pm
No performance Dec. 31
Special Sunday Jan. 3 at 7:30pm

*Review* Bye Bye Birdie on Broadway, What a Blast!

Feeling the Vibe Review | DATE:October 19, 2009 | blog.feelingthevibe.com

Bye Bye Birdie, a musical taking place in the 1960’s surrounding the adoration of teen girls to the one and only music superstar, Conrad Birdie. The worst news to hit the huge teen fanclub is that Conrad Birdie has been drafted into the army, leaving girls everywhere crying over it.

The musical was turned into a movie in 1963, yet it has been almost 50 years since it was actually on Broadway. In the current production, Allie Trimm plays the lovestruck yet mature Kim McAfee who is chosen to be kissed by Conrad Birdie during his farewell performance before going into the army. Albert Peterson, the neurotic and stressed out songwriter played by John Stamos must write the superstar’s last song, “One Last Kiss” in an attempt to go out with a bang and make a mark on the music industry in a big way. Rosie Alvarez is Albert’s secretary who has been in love with Albert for three years, yet Albert has not been able to do much with that relationship because his mother, Mae, still runs his life. Matt Doyle has the role of Hugo Peabody, Kim McAfee’s steady, whose life is turned upside down when Conrad Birdie (Nolan Gerard Funk) comes to their town of Sweet Apple, Ohio.

On October 11, 2009 we had the chance to preview the show so let’s take a look at the musical at the Roundabout Theater Company’s Henry Miller Theater on 43rd Street in New York City.  First off, it was nice to be inside a new theater. This theater has been completely redone and you can tell, the seats are new and

Roundabout Theatre Company’s Bye Bye Birdie Pictured (l-r): Allison Strong, Julia Knitel, Allie Trimm, Matt Doyle Photo Credit: Joan Marcus, 2009

The restrooms are modern. (hey it’s important) Time for the show, the orchestra began their overture of a medley of all the music from Bye Bye Birdie which certainly energized the audience. You can’t help but smile when you listen to that music. The curtain rises and on stage walks a very different John Stamos. If you’ve seen the well known actor/musician hit the tour trails with the Beach Boys or playing the well known “Dr. Tony Gates” on ER, you will know what we mean. He takes on a completely different persona with Albert Peterson. The fact that he seemed so different right away contests to the fact that he put 100% of himself into understanding the character. His presentation with a suit and thick black rimmed glasses, his apparent fear of getting too close to Rosie, and his consistent bowing down to his overbearing mother, Mrs. Mae Peterson performed by Jayne Houdyshell are quite funny to watch and fire the audience up as they quietly cheer him on to jump out of that shell. John has been working hard and it really shows. We loved the “Put On a Happy Face” number where John sings and begs the Birdie fanclub to be happy even though Conrad Birdie was heading off to the army. John danced around that stage even jumping up on the bench prop while dancing. His voice sounds great and he kept up with those kids on the stage really well. It’s an adorable number and really puts a smile on your face. John is certainly multi-talented.

Roundabout Theatre’s Bye Bye Birdie Pictured (l-r): Catherine Blades, Paul Pilcz, Kevin Shotwell, Deanna Cipolla, Julia Knitel, Riley Costello Photo Credit: Joan Marcus, 2009

Gina Gershon – plays the role of “Rosie Alvarez,” Albert’s secretary/songwriting partner, with a definite edge to her. Gina brings a tougher edge to Rosie than had previously been seen in other productions. We liked the way she took part in the “One Boy” number where she changed her part to “One Guy.”

Nolan Gerard Funk, Conrad Birdie has a fantastic way of creating a singing voice that certainly sounds like the rockers/singers of the 1960’s poodle-skirt era.

Allie Trimm as Kim McAfee brings a fun youthful sense to the story, she sings very well and the excitement in being part of a Broadway musical can be felt through her acting. One major point that stood out to us was the fact that everyone in the young cast of “Birdies” took on the persona of teenagers in the 1960’s so well as if it was quite natural. They were most likely born in the 1990’s and had no trouble with looking, speaking, and acting like kids from the ’60’s. They seem to have so much fun with the entire play. Matt Doyle who has the role of Hugo Peabody is talented in singing and takes on the “square” personality pretty well. Brynn Williams, who plays Ursula, Kim McAfee’s best friend is a blast to watch in the “Sincere” number where she is right near Conrad Birdie as he sings to their town of Sweet Apple, Ohio. Her utter excitement at being near Birdie, and the way her mother tries to cover up for her daughter’s “crazy reaction in dancing” is hilarious.  The colorful costumes also bring this scene to life, love the use of color.  Julia Knitel’s shy seeming persona and great reactions to being within one foot of Conrad Birdie along with her beautiful singing voice heard in the harmonies during “One Boy” certainly make her someone to watch for. Harvey Johnson, played by Paul Pilcz during the ever popular “Telephone Hour” number is too funny.

Roundabout Theatre Company’s Bye Bye Birdie (L-R) Brynn Williams, Jillian Mueller, Daniel Quadrino, Emma Rowley, Allison Strong, Jesse Le Protto Photo Credit: Joan Marcus, 2009

The adults also bring much talent to the stage. Kim’s parents, Bill Irwin and Dee Hoty have nice comic timing. Bill’s performance as the quirky straight-laced father is funny but at a point in the play it became a little overdone. It would have worked better if he wasn’t trying to create a comedy out of every single scene but instead space it out.

Bye Bye Birdie is an adorable play with music that will have you wanting to dance in your seat, the lyrics and melodies are catchy you’ll be humming the tunes even once you’re outside the theater. It is a definite must see as the story, music, dancing, and of course the entire cast have a way of taking you away from reality into a period of two hours where you can smile, laugh, and just very much enjoy yourself. Check out these talented kids and adults at the Henry Miller Theater in New York City soon. The musical has just been extended and will run from now until April 25, 2009. Enjoy!

More Background On ByeByeBirdieOnBroadway.com

ByeByeBirdieOnBroadway.com was the official promotional website associated with Roundabout Theatre Company’s 2009 Broadway revival of Bye Bye Birdie, the classic musical comedy with a book by Michael Stewart, music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams. The production was significant for several reasons: it brought Bye Bye Birdie back to Broadway after an absence of nearly half a century, assembled a cast containing well-known television, film and stage performers, and inaugurated the newly rebuilt Henry Miller’s Theatre on West 43rd Street in Manhattan.

The website functioned primarily as a digital companion to the production. For theatergoers in 2009, it supplied the kinds of information expected from an official Broadway show site: a synopsis, cast information, performance dates, theater location, ticketing information, production credits and promotional material. In retrospect, however, the domain has another value. It preserves a record of a specific Broadway revival and the way theatrical productions were marketed online during the late 2000s.

The surviving material identifies the site explicitly as the official website for Roundabout Theatre Company’s 2009 revival.

The Musical Behind the Website

Bye Bye Birdie was already an established American musical long before ByeByeBirdieOnBroadway.com appeared. The original Broadway production opened at the Martin Beck Theatre on April 14, 1960. It later transferred to the 54th Street Theatre and then the Shubert Theatre before closing on October 7, 1961, after 607 performances.

Its story satirizes the youth culture and celebrity mania surrounding early rock and roll. Conrad Birdie, a wildly popular singer modeled broadly on the phenomenon surrounding Elvis Presley, is drafted into the U.S. Army. His manager, Albert Peterson, and Albert’s secretary and romantic partner, Rose Alvarez, devise a publicity stunt intended to capitalize on Birdie’s departure.

Their plan is to have Birdie perform a new song and give a farewell kiss to one randomly selected member of his fan club on national television. The chosen teenager is Kim MacAfee of the fictional town of Sweet Apple, Ohio. Birdie’s arrival disrupts Kim’s family, infuriates her boyfriend Hugo and sends the town’s teenagers into a frenzy.

The musical consequently operates on several levels. It is a romantic comedy, a family comedy and a parody of popular culture. It also captures an important moment when television, teenage consumer culture, popular music and celebrity publicity were becoming increasingly interconnected.

Songs such as “Put on a Happy Face,” “The Telephone Hour,” “Kids,” “One Boy” and “A Lot of Livin’ to Do” helped the musical remain familiar long after its original Broadway run.

The Original Production's Awards and Reputation

The original Bye Bye Birdie was a major Broadway success and received eight Tony Award nominations. It won four Tonys, including Best Musical. Gower Champion won both Best Direction of a Musical and Best Choreography, while Dick Van Dyke won for his featured performance.

Those awards are important to understanding the marketing of the 2009 revival. Roundabout was not attempting to revive an obscure show. It was bringing back a recognized part of the Broadway musical canon.

The musical also acquired a life far beyond Broadway. A 1963 film adaptation starred Dick Van Dyke, Janet Leigh, Ann-Margret and Paul Lynde. Over subsequent decades the show became particularly familiar through regional, community and school productions. Its large teenage ensemble, accessible comedy, colorful period setting and recognizable songs made it especially adaptable to educational and amateur theater.

By 2009, therefore, Bye Bye Birdie carried substantial nostalgia. Older audiences could remember the original musical, the film or early productions, while younger performers and audiences often knew it from schools and community theaters.

Roundabout Theatre Company and the 2009 Revival

The organization behind the Broadway revival was Roundabout Theatre Company, one of New York’s major nonprofit theatrical institutions. The production was presented under the leadership of artistic director Todd Haimes.

Roundabout announced the revival as the first new Broadway production of Bye Bye Birdie following a 48-year absence. Robert Longbottom served as both director and choreographer.

The production began previews on September 10, 2009, and officially opened October 15. Although initially announced as a limited engagement ending January 10, 2010, the run was subsequently extended through January 24.

It ultimately played 40 previews and 117 regular Broadway performances.

That relatively short run should be understood in the context of Roundabout’s limited-engagement model rather than treated like the closing of an open-ended commercial musical. When the January 24 closing was announced, Roundabout explained that the extension coincided with the end of the principal actors’ contracts and that ticket sales did not justify attempting to continue with replacement stars.

John Stamos as Albert Peterson

The production’s most recognizable mainstream celebrity was John Stamos, who played Albert Peterson.

Stamos was particularly familiar to television audiences through Full House and, more recently at the time, ER. He was not, however, a Broadway newcomer. His previous stage credits included How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Cabaret and Nine.

Casting him as Albert gave the revival a performer who could bridge television celebrity and Broadway musical theater. Albert is central to the story: he is Conrad Birdie’s manager, Rose Alvarez’s hesitant romantic partner and the adult caught between the pressures of the music business, his domineering mother and his desire for a different life.

One of Albert’s signature numbers, “Put on a Happy Face,” also provided an obvious showcase for Stamos.

Gina Gershon, Bill Irwin and the Principal Cast

Gina Gershon played Rose Alvarez. Gershon had developed a diverse career encompassing film, television, music and theater, with movie credits including Bound, Showgirls, Face/Off and The Insider. She also had significant stage experience and had appeared in Roundabout’s Cabaret and the Broadway revival of Boeing-Boeing.

Bill Irwin played Harry MacAfee, Kim’s father. Irwin brought a markedly different performance background to the revival. Known for physical theater, clowning, dramatic acting and original stage works, he was a Tony Award winner for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and had appeared shortly before Birdie in Roundabout’s Waiting for Godot.

Jayne Houdyshell portrayed Albert’s mother, Mae Peterson, while three-time Tony nominee Dee Hoty played Mrs. MacAfee.

Nolan Gerard Funk took the title celebrity role of Conrad Birdie. Allie Trimm played Kim MacAfee, Matt Doyle portrayed Hugo Peabody, and the large company included numerous younger performers who supplied the fan-club energy essential to numbers such as “The Telephone Hour.”

The combination was clearly designed to attract multiple audiences: television fans, established Broadway audiences, families and younger theatergoers.

The Creative Team and Visual Production

The revival involved an experienced Broadway design and musical team. Andrew Jackness designed the sets, Gregg Barnes the costumes and Ken Billington the lighting. Acme Sound Partners handled sound, Howard Werner created projections, David Holcenberg served as musical director, Jonathan Tunick provided orchestrations and David Chase was music supervisor.

The production’s visual identity drew heavily upon the exaggerated colors, fashions and popular imagery associated with late-1950s and early-1960s America.

That aesthetic fit the musical particularly well. Bye Bye Birdie depends upon contrasts: adults versus teenagers, conservative small-town values versus rock-and-roll rebellion, ordinary domestic life versus mass-media spectacle. Bright costumes, dancing teenagers, television imagery and the larger-than-life presence of Conrad Birdie make those contrasts immediately visible.

Henry Miller's Theatre and the Broadway Location

ByeByeBirdieOnBroadway.com directed theatergoers to Henry Miller’s Theatre at 124 West 43rd Street, between Broadway and Sixth Avenue.

The location placed the production in the heart of Manhattan’s theater district, immediately adjacent to Times Square and Bryant Park and within easy walking distance of numerous other Broadway theaters, restaurants, hotels and subway stations.

The theater itself was part of the story.

The historic Henry Miller’s Theatre had been substantially reconstructed as part of the Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park. The new 1,055-seat theater was promoted as New York’s first LEED-rated theater and as the first newly constructed Broadway theater in more than two decades.

Bye Bye Birdie became its inaugural Broadway production.

That gave the revival an unusual combination of nostalgia and modernity: a 1960 musical about changing American popular culture was reopening Broadway activity in a newly constructed theater designed around twenty-first-century environmental standards.

The theater was later renamed the Stephen Sondheim Theatre.

What Visitors Found on ByeByeBirdieOnBroadway.com

The website’s primary purpose was practical promotion.

Visitors could learn when the show was playing, where the theater was located, who was appearing in it and how tickets could be purchased. The original information included Telecharge telephone numbers, the street address, opening date and a detailed performance schedule.

The schedule normally called for evening performances Tuesday through Saturday, along with Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday matinees, although holiday weeks included special schedules.

The site also provided cast and production information. Individual performer biographies gave visitors considerably more background than a simple cast list. For major performers such as Stamos, Gershon, Irwin, Houdyshell and Hoty, these biographies emphasized previous Broadway, television and film credits.

In this respect, the site functioned much like an expanded electronic Playbill.

Its promotional language emphasized both familiarity and rediscovery: this was the famous musical audiences remembered, but it was also being presented as a new Broadway event after almost 50 years away.

Box-Office Performance and Popularity

Contemporary Broadway box-office statistics provide a useful measure of the revival’s popularity.

During its first five preview performances, the production grossed approximately $346,000 and played to essentially full capacity. In the week ending October 4, it grossed about $543,000 while filling roughly 97 percent of available seats.

Attendance remained strong during much of the run. For the week ending November 22, for example, approximately 7,768 people attended, representing about 94.6 percent of capacity.

The strongest weekly gross came during Thanksgiving week, when the production generated approximately $796,620.

Across its entire Broadway engagement, Bye Bye Birdie grossed approximately $11.49 million. Total attendance was roughly 152,600, and average attendance was about 95 percent of capacity. The average paid ticket was approximately $75.

Those figures reveal an interesting distinction between attendance and revenue. The show was frequently playing to houses above 90 percent capacity, yet Roundabout ultimately concluded that projected sales following the departure of its principal performers were not strong enough to support continuing into the spring with replacements.

Thus, the production attracted a substantial audience without developing into a long-running commercial Broadway revival.

Critical Reception

The 2009 revival received notably mixed critical reactions.

Some critics remained charmed by the material itself and by its buoyant score. The musical’s strongest assets were difficult to erase: Charles Strouse and Lee Adams had written songs that had endured for decades, and the basic premise remained an accessible satire of celebrity worship and generational conflict.

Other reviewers thought the revival failed to recapture the particular freshness and comic spark that had made the original production successful. Casting and directorial choices received criticism, and some commentators felt the staging emphasized caricature at the expense of character.

This division is useful when assessing the revival historically. Audience demand and critical consensus do not always align. The production maintained strong attendance even while receiving mixed reviews, suggesting that the combination of a familiar title, well-known songs, recognizable stars and family-friendly entertainment remained commercially attractive.

The surviving website naturally presents the production from a promotional perspective, so contemporary independent reviews are especially valuable for balancing the historical record.

Television and Media Exposure

The revival benefited from considerable entertainment-media attention because several of its performers already had substantial public profiles.

One particularly visible promotional appearance came during the 2009 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, when John Stamos and members of the Broadway company performed “Put on a Happy Face.”

The appearance placed the production before a national television audience well beyond New York theatergoers.

This kind of exposure suited Bye Bye Birdie unusually well. The musical itself is about the relationship among popular entertainment, publicity, teenagers and television. Its central plot culminates in a planned appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Having the revival promoted through a nationally televised popular-entertainment institution such as the Macy’s parade almost echoed the musical’s own fictional publicity machinery.

Cultural and Social Significance

The continuing relevance of Bye Bye Birdie comes partly from its depiction of an important transition in American popular culture.

The musical appeared at a moment when teenagers were becoming a powerful consumer demographic. Rock-and-roll performers could inspire intense fan loyalty, television could turn a local event into a national spectacle, and advertisers and entertainment managers increasingly understood how celebrity could be manufactured and monetized.

Conrad Birdie is deliberately larger than life, but the behavior surrounding him is recognizable even decades later.

The technologies have changed dramatically. A modern Conrad Birdie might generate viral videos, social-media trends and millions of online followers rather than appearing primarily on a network variety program. Yet the fundamental mechanisms of celebrity culture—fan identification, publicity stunts, parasocial relationships, generational anxiety and commercial exploitation of fame—remain familiar.

The musical therefore works simultaneously as a period piece and as satire with continuing relevance.

A Website Preserving a Particular Broadway Moment

Today, ByeByeBirdieOnBroadway.com is most useful when approached as a historical artifact rather than as an active ticket-selling destination.

Its subject is highly specific: Roundabout Theatre Company’s 2009 Broadway revival, not Bye Bye Birdie in general. That distinction matters.

The domain preserves information about a production that existed for only a few months but involved dozens of performers, musicians, designers and theater professionals. It records the cast, venue, performance schedule, promotional language and circumstances surrounding a revival that might otherwise be scattered across theatrical databases, archived press releases and contemporary reviews.

It also represents a period when individual Broadway productions commonly maintained standalone promotional domains. Such sites were designed for a temporary commercial purpose, and many disappeared once their shows closed. Preserved examples can consequently provide useful evidence for researchers studying Broadway marketing and early twenty-first-century theater history.

The Legacy of the 2009 Revival

The 2009 Bye Bye Birdie did not replace the original production in Broadway history, nor did it become a long-running revival. Its importance is more specific.

It represented the first Broadway revival of a musical that had become deeply embedded in American theatrical culture. It returned songs such as “Put on a Happy Face,” “Kids” and “The Telephone Hour” to a Broadway stage, brought together performers from television, film and theater, and introduced a new generation of younger performers to Broadway audiences.

It also inaugurated a major new Broadway theater.

The production opened during an era when Broadway increasingly relied upon recognizable intellectual property, revivals and performers familiar from television and film to attract broad audiences. In that respect, its casting and marketing offer a revealing example of Broadway economics and audience development at the end of the 2000s.

Its strong attendance also demonstrates the enduring recognition of the Bye Bye Birdie name. Approximately 152,600 admissions over a relatively short engagement is substantial evidence that the musical continued to possess audience appeal almost 50 years after its original premiere.

Why ByeByeBirdieOnBroadway.com Remains Interesting

ByeByeBirdieOnBroadway.com is ultimately more than the surviving online advertisement for a closed musical.

It connects several layers of Broadway history: the success of the original 1960 production, the emergence of rock-and-roll and teenage culture, the enduring popularity of Charles Strouse and Lee Adams’ score, Roundabout Theatre Company’s revival strategy, the opening of a newly constructed Broadway house and the increasingly important role of the internet in theatrical promotion.

For someone researching the 2009 production, the domain provides a useful starting point because it captures how the revival presented itself to audiences at the time. Independent Broadway databases, box-office records, reviews and contemporary news coverage then supply the broader context necessary to evaluate how the production actually performed.

Together, those records show a revival that attracted large audiences and extensive publicity but divided critics. It was both nostalgic and contemporary: a mid-century musical about celebrity mania, mounted with television stars in a state-of-the-art theater and promoted through the digital media landscape of 2009.

That combination makes ByeByeBirdieOnBroadway.com a useful surviving record of not only Bye Bye Birdie, but of Broadway itself at a particular moment in its evolution.