I, Alicia, being of sound mind and body, do hereby promise to be loyal, courteous, steadfast and true to John Stamos, and the United States of America, both indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Before I type anything else, let me get this out of the way. John Stamos is hot. I wanted to say that first, because for many of you that is the only reason you need to see Bye Bye Birdie. John Stamos in a fitted suit and a skinny tie. Oh, and he occasionally sings a song or two. Done and done. But for those who need a little more convincing, I have taken the liberty to review the show in detail - so read on.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
Bye Bye Birdie takes place in 1960, and is the story of Albert Peterson (John Stamos), a timid momma's boy who also happens to manage the career of the swoon-worthy teenage pop star, Conrad Birdie (Nolan Funk - great name, right?). Conrad, however has been called off to war, and Albert sees this as the perfect opportunity to cause a media frenzy that will leave him with enough money in his pocket to retire from the music biz and potentially settle down with his feisty secretary, Rose Alverez (Gina Gershon, who is actually really good once you get past the whole not being remotely Spanish at all thing.). Rose, eager for Albert to, as Beyonce would say, "put a ring on it", comes up with the perfect publicity stunt, which involves sending Conrad to the town of Sweet Apple, Ohio, where he will receive his last kiss before going overseas from fan club president Kim McAfee. Big city, rebellious, bad boy rockstar meets apple pie, small town America...and hilarity ensues!
WILL I LIKE THIS SHOW?
Ask yourself this question...do I like old-school, irreverent musicals?...and you will have your answer. If you liked shows like Hairspray or Grease, there is no reason you wont like Bye Bye Birdie. If you aren't a fan of musicals, well...just stop reading now.
This is only the second time Bye Bye Birdie has been on Broadway, and the last time Dick Van Dyke played Albert, with Chita Rivera as Rose back in 1960...so the cast has quite legendary shoes to fill. Not to mention the movie version that also starred Dick Van Dyke with Ann Margaret as Kim McAfee is the stuff of legends.
That being said, it is a perfectly enjoyable production with a very competent cast. In fact, one of the things I enjoyed most about this show is that all of the actors are age-appropriate. All the teens in Sweet Apple, are in fact...teenagers. Gabrielle Carteris' need not apply. There are no 28 years olds trying desperately to appear 15. These kids are the real deal. The whole ensemble is high energy and make for some of the greatest numbers of the show. I looked forward to their songs more than, dare I say, the ones that involved....John Stamos. Now, I know I said that he was hot, but that doesn't translate to a stellar performance (it does help a little). He wasn't bad, he was actually pretty good...it's just that some of the other performances are so spot on, you really don't care that John Stamos isn't on stage that much. Stage and screen actor Bill Irwin, in my opinion, steals the show as the zany Mr. MacAfee, and Albert's mother Mae Peterson, played by Jane Houdyshell practically makes your forget that John Stamos is standing right next to her.
IS THIS SHOW APPROPRIATE FOR KIDS?
Hells yeah! Bring the whole family...mom, dad, grandma, aunts, uncles. If it were a movie it would be rated PG. (Speaking of movies, Variety has reported that Alan Shankman, who brought us the remake of Hairspray, is bringing "Bye Bye Birdie" to the big screen in 2011. Zac Efron as Conrad Birdie? Discuss.)
WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS SHOW?
You can find more out more about Bye Bye Birdie, at the official site: http://www.byebyebirdieonbroadway.com/home
WHERE IS THIS SHOW PLAYING?...AND WHAT IS THE THEATER LIKE?
Bye Bye Birdie is playing at the newly restored Henry Miller's Theater. In an attempt to preserve the historical landmark, they kept the original facade, and built the brand new theater behind it. Pieces of the original theater are used as decoration throughout the new theater, and provide a bit of the old, with the new. It also boasts having EXTRA women's restrooms, 22 to be exact, which is apparently three times the amount required by code. (Any woman who has had to use the restroom during the 15 minutes intermission knows this is a huge deal.) It is also Broadway's first green theater, meeting the environmental standards of the United States Green Building Council. If you would like to know more about the restoration and all of the green details, check out this article in the NY TIMES : http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/04/theater/04Green.html?_r=1
Obviously since the theater is new, all of the seats are comfortable, and designed with lots of leg room. I sat in the first row - center mezzanine, and the view was awesome! The entire mezzanine is not that large -- but very steep...so the views are good all around. In a crazy twist, when you enter the theater...you are at mezzanine level...you need to walk downstairs to be seated in the orchestra section.
HENRY MILLER'S THEATER
124 W. 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036 (between Broadway & 6th Avenue)Performances: Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri @ 8PM -- Wed @ 2 -- Saturday @ 2 and 8PM -- Sunday @ 2PM
ANY CHEAP TICKET OFFERS FOR THIS SHOW?
Of course there is! Try these:
- Seasons of Savings has up to 45% off on select tickets. Offer expires 10/15/09, check out http://www.seasonofsavings.com/shows/on_broadway for more details
- Save over 35% on select seats with Playbill. (Free membership required.) http://www.playbill.com/club/offers
- Broadway Box...$76.50 f0r orchestra seats http://www.broadwaybox.com/shows/bye_bye_birdie_nyc_tickets.aspx
- Check out theatermania.com and save over 30% for performances until 11/25/09. (Free membership required. http://www.theatermania.com/
- Are you Conrad Birdie's biggest fan? Enter the Bye Bye Birdie contest and win 2 orchestra tickets...just by spreading the word and proving your undying love. http://www.byebyebirdieonbroadway.com/contest
WHAT DO YOU RATE THIS SHOW? (OUT OF 5 TICKETS)
(3.5 Tickets)
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