Dark Monday - Bye Bye Birdie Pt 2

In a brief recap, the Broadway version of 'Bye, Bye Birdie' opened in 1960, and the film followed in 1963. Both were big hits with the public, who lined up for tickets for both. Conrad Birdie, loosely based on Elvis Presley, visits a small town prior to enlisting in the army. Kim and Hugo, high school sweethearts, become entwined in his appearance. After a first meeting of Kim and Birdie, Kim tries to reassure Hugo it is he she cares for, not the teen idol. They sing "One Boy".



Albert and Rosie, adults who are part of Birdie's team, have a long-term relationship that begins to have problems when Albert doesn't marry Rosie, a Latina (at least in the theoretical sense), because of issues with the nationality of the woman. When this upsets Rosie, Albert tells her to lighten up, and "Put On A Happy Face".



As the entire town goes crazy with Birdie's arrival and concert, Kim's father, played by the hilarious Paul Lynde, seriously contemplates what it means that parents have lost control of their children. He wonders aloud, "Kids Today"?



Birdie, Kim and Hugo end up together with many of the other kids in the town, expressing their relationship needs via song. The all agree they have a "Lot of Livin' To Do". But between Birdie just wanting to have a good time, and Hugo and Kim trying to make the other jealous, we just have a great song high on drama.



Soon Birdie was playing his song on the Sullivan show, which was to end with a kiss for Kim. This never set well with Hugo, who rushes on stage to stop the kiss, and ends up punching Birdie, who is hits the floor in front of the cameras. Kim is impressed, and Hugo wins back his girlfriend. Embarrassed, Birdie runs off to the Army, ready to put the whole episode behind him. And Albert and Rosie finally get engaged, complete with the blessings of his mother. And they all live happily ever after.

Dark Monday - Bye Bye Birdie Pt1

In 1960, a Broadway musical took the world by storm. 'Bye Bye Birdie' certainly took New York by force, winning the Tony Award for Best Musical. In 1963, the movie version was released, and only Dick Van Dyke and Paul Lynde made the move from Broadway to Hollywood. Many of the stage stars were replaced with film and music stars with names and fame already in pocket. Ann Margaret, the young girl with a big voice and curvaceous form, was cast as the young ingenue opposite Bobby Rydell, a teen idol from Philadelphia whose songs were already on the radio. Chita Rivera lost the role of Rosie to Janet Leigh, and although the role was still written as a 'Latina', it has been thought the 'interracial' relationship between Rivera & Van Dyke was something the movie studio wanted to back away from. The story was loosely based on the phenomenon of Elvis Presley, and his 1957 entrance into the US Army. The show became one that was done by high schools throughout the country, able to use kids in the roles of the teenagers. It would be hard to find people who went to school in the 60s and early 70s who didn't get cast in the show. The movie opens with Ann Margaret singing a song written for the film, "Bye Bye Birdie".



Margaret played Kim, president of the Conrad Birdie fan club, who is dating hometown catch Hugo [played by Ridell]. The town is chosen as a place for the farewell performance of Birdie before he is to enlist in the army, to be broadcast on the Ed Sullivan Show. The kids in the town are all abuzz with gossip of Kim and Hugo starting to date, and the upcoming appearance of Birdie in town. This is expressed in "Telephone Hour".



Having been pinned by Hugo, Kim feels more mature and grown up than ever before. She sings "How Lovely To Be A Woman" to declare her new found maturity.



As the arrival of Birdie nears, the girls all get excited their idol is coming, and the boys are annoyed the girls are so thrilled. That leads to the song "We Love You, Conrad", although the boys have their own version of lyrics. (This video was removed, and I can't find a replacement, so I will move on...) Birdie arrives, and performs for the townspeople, causing women young and old the scream and faint. On the steps of City Hall, Birdie sings "Honestly Sincere".



With so much good and famous music in this show, I have decided to break it up in two posts, the next and final one coming next Monday.