Bye Bye Birdie
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Cititour.com Review
Let’s face it. Every teenager with a show biz fantasy from Broadway to the West Coast has been in a production of Bye Bye Birdie. So, why not revive the hit that put Dick Van Dyke on the map almost 50 years ago? Well, for one thing you must have "dazzle" to succeed, because the book by Michael Stewart is cute but not terribly clever, and the score from Strouse and Adams is bouncy but not particularly chock full of meaty lyrics or melodies. And without dazzle you’ve got a cute, bouncy show with no power and drive. Unfortunately, this revival, headed by John Stamos and Gina Gershon, somehow completely sidesteps the dazzle factor.
Birdie is a satire about Elvis Presley going into the army. Exit Elvis - enter Conrad Birdie. On the eve of his induction, the publicity machine is revved up by his manager Albert (Stamos) and his fiancé/secretary Rose (Gershon). When they get a fifteen year-old fan club president in Ohio to give Birdie his last kiss, and film it live for The Ed Sullivan Show, all hell breaks loose.
Young Allie Trimm (who did such a sweet job in the Broadway show "13" last season) is Kim the teenager with the crush on Birdie, and once again, her vocals soar and her innocence is appealing. Matt Doyle plays her boyfriend, Hugo, with equal ease. Jayne Houdyshell as Albert’s overbearing mother still wrings the laughs out of dated material. Dee Hoty, as Kim’s bemused mother is right on target.
Which brings us to the leads. Bill Irwin steals the show doing his regular befuddled clown-like shtick. It’s funny but it’s as if he’s in a different show than those around him. Nolan Gerard Funk, making his Broadway debut in the title role, is severely lacking in dazzle. He’s got a lovely voice but considering that swiveling his hips is supposed to make girls swoon he doesn’t have the power of a great dancer or the sex-appeal to give him that extra edge. Both Stamos and Gershon can carry a tune, but neither seems to know how to make a song truly their own and when it comes to the dancing their inexperience really shows.
Gregg Barnes’ cartoon-colored costumes give the show an appropriate lightness and the youngsters here do their best to make the show fun. But director/chorographer Robert Longbottom can’t inject dazzle into his leads and what you know about 'Bye Bye Birdie" going in is what you get – bouncy fun and little else.
By Lesley Alexander
Visit the Site
http://www.byebyebirdieonbroadway.com
Cast
Matt Doyle, Molly Ephraim, Nolan Gerard Funk, Gina Gershon, Dee Hoty, Jayne Houdyshell, Bill Irwin, Jake Evan Schwencke, John Stamos, Allie Trimm
Open/Close Dates
Opening 9/10/2009
Closing 1/24/2010
Box Office
212-239-6200
Theatre Info
Stephen Sondheim Theatre
124 West 43rd Street
New York, NY 10036
Map
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