Bye Bye Birdie (The SOB Review) - Henry Miller's Theatre, Roundabout Theatre Company, New York, New York
* (out of ****)
Pity the incredibly talented young Allie Trimm, who portrays teenybopper Kim MacAfee in director Robert Longbottom's ill-conceived, bird-brained revival of that favorite high school musical Bye Bye Birdie.
Try as this gifted young actress might to build on the solid foundation she established through her assured turn in13, she's suffocating under the collapse of one gigantic egg that's been laid. Sure that egg may be as heavy and look as ornate as a precious Fabergé, but it's pretty hollow inside.
Although Trimm certainly helped carry 13, she's now being forced to undertake the unenviable task of singlehandedly lifting this ridiculous revival. And that hand has been tied behind her back.
So never mind the kids, who along with Nolan Gerard Funk as the swaggering heartthrob Conrad Birdie, are for the most part all right. A much larger question looms. What's the matter with adults today?! Beginning with Longbottom right down to the casting directors, did they really think their Birdie would soar, let alone fly?
Not even the normally unimpeachable Bill Irwin or Jayne Houdyshell can save this half-hatched show from itself. Irwin as Harry MacAfee is more than a bit off, particularly on the tune "Kids." There's no disputing his comic genius; yet when he first takes to the stage, it's as if he's in a completely different production. No wonder his accent is all over the map. Too bad he can't zero in on Ohio, where most of Bye Bye Birdie's action transpires. And as much as I'm an avowed Houdyshell fan, she leaves the role of the annoying Mae Peterson purely one dimensional.
Then there are the quote-unquote headliners, who aren't all they're cracked up to be.
As much as I enjoyed Gina Gershon in the recent revival of Boeing-Boeing, she's been completely miscast here as Rose Alvarez, the Latina spitfire who here can't even manage a spark with John Stamos' Albert Peterson. To be blunt, Ms. Gershon can't sing. And try as she might to dance, it's clear from the excision of "Shriner's Ballet" from the show that she's really not up to that, either.
To say Stamos is a little better than Gershon is like saying that the recent Guys And Dollsdud of a revival was a little better than this one. What this Bye Bye Birdie does for Stamos' Albert is basically what that Guys And Dolls did for Oliver Platt's Nathan Detroit. It takes a memorable leading role and somehow twists it into a forgettable tertiary character. No amount of mugging in Stamos' big number could make me muster a happy face. Perhaps seeing the handwriting on the wall, it's no wonder that when it accidentally broke apart during its final Wednesday night preview, Stamos quipped (maybe metaphorically), "It’s a career-ending moment."
Having said all that, the kids are indeed the best part of the show. That the little Jake Evan Schwenke as Randolph MacAfee easily steals every scene only serves to further diminish the dubious capabilities of the assembled adults both on stage and behind the curtain.
Bye Bye Birdie is at once very dated and very silly. Whether it's Mae's egregious wisecracks about Rose's Hispanic heritage or Albert's kowtowing to his insufferable mother, Michael Stewart's book becomes a throwback to another era that should best stay in the past. Although I'd love to say that it's a pleasure hearing Charles Strouse and Lee Adams' score once again, most of the voices within this revival just aren't made to sing them.
As for Roundabout, I have little doubt that once their subscriber base finishes seeing it, they'll indeed be saying Bye Bye Birdie. Too bad there'll be a good riddance attached to it as well.
The original Birdie was directed and choreographed by the great Gower Champion. That incarnation earned eight Tony nominations including for Best Musical, as well as for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, Dick Van Dyke (as Albert Peterson), who was catapulted to superstar status. Chita Rivera (as Rose Alvarez) received her first of nine Tony nominations for her work. Van Dyke and Rivera reunited during the run of her Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life to relive a bit of Birdie when they sang "Put On A Happy Face."
Other major actors involved in the original cast included Paul Lynde (as Harry MacAfee), Kay Medford (as Albert's mother Mae) and Charles Nelson Reilly (as Mr. Henkel). Then, of course, there was Dick Gautier, who portrayed pop idol Conrad Birdie. The role may have been fashioned after Elvis Presley, but the name was a direct play on Conway Twitty's, who had initially been slated to play Conrad Birdie but dropped out of the production before it was ever seen by the public.
As I've previously noted, while a revival never made it to Broadway before Roundabout Theatre Company's new effort, there was an attempt to bring back Birdie via the ill-fated 1981 sequel Bring Back Birdie, which closed on Broadway after only four regular performances. Not even the combined star power of Chita Rivera and Donald O'Connor (as Albert -- Van Dyke's role redux) could keep that open, but the legendary actress did manage a Tony nod yet again.
Earlier, it was reported that the tune "Shriner's Ballet" was dropped like a hot fez from the show. Gershon told New York Daily News theatre critic Joe Dziemianowicz that the dance number previously thought to be benign enough for countless high school productions suddenly "seemed a little too gang rape-y" for the Broadway revival. Many wags summarily suggested that perhaps the bigger problem might be that Gershon wasn't up to the challenge of filling Chita Rivera's distinguished dance slippers.
Whatever the case may be, Bye Bye Birdie is already saying hello to packed houses in previews, filling up Henry Miller's Theatre close to 95% capacity. While last week's earnings of $533,736 may seem on the low side, as a non-profit theatre, Roundabout has a huge subscriber base so the number is a bit deceptive. And although the show is only slated to run through January 10, 2010, don't be surprised to see an extension if reviews are favorable after its October 15 opening. Look for my SOB Review shortly after as well.
Waiting For Godot (The SOB Review) – Studio 54, Roundabout, New York, New York
** (out of ****)
Samuel Beckett is an acquired taste. There, I've said it.
I had joked shortly before my performance that I’d been waiting my entire life to see Waiting For Godot. I could have waited a lot longer.
While some may have buzzed ad nauseum about how Anthony Page’s revival may be the best for Beckett’s Waiting For Godot in over 50 years, consider this: more than five long decades have passed since the existential, absurdist play last trod Broadway’s boards.
Make that Broadway boreds.
Maybe it was my decided lack of sleep the night prior to finally seeing this play, but yours truly found himself waiting for just one thing -- that this seemingly interminable play would end. And that was long before the end of Act One.
Sure, there are some terrific performances from a top-shelf cast, lead by Nathan Lane as Estragon and Bill Irwin as Vladimir. In fact, John Glover’s breathtaking turn as the utterly dehumanized and most unfortunate Lucky was among the most haunting portrayals of the last year
But decent performances and present day parallels aside, this was one snooze-inducing revival. And Beckett’s ironic patter about boredom near the close of the first act gave me no encouragement:
ESTRAGON: In the meantime, nothing happens. POZZO: You find it tedious? ESTRAGON: Somewhat. POZZO: (to Vladimir). And you, Sir? VLADIMIR: I've been better entertained.
It's been over 51 years since Samuel Beckett's absurdist classic Waiting For Godotwas last performed on Broadway. And to date, there have only been 65 actual performances on the Great White Way of one of the stage's more uniquely famous titles.
While the Seattle Repertory Company's upcoming revival of Waiting For Godot isn't even due in the Emerald City until January 2009, that hasn't stopped the producers from waiting to announce that they're officially waiting for a Broadway berth soon after.
On its way to Broadway, this production features acclaimed film, television, and stage actor Bill Irwin under the direction of Tony-award-winning director Garry Hynes. Considered by many to be the most significant English language play of the 20th century, this absurdist comedy places two Charlie Chaplin-like tramps in the middle of nowhere to await the mysterious Godot. Don’t miss the chance to see this vaudevillian masterpiece.
Rain: A Tribute To The Beatles Limited run extended through May 31, 2011 (Show will go on hiatus starting January 15 and reopen at Brooks Atkinson Theatre on February 8)
Rock Of Ages - Open-ended run (Show will go on hiatus starting January 9 and reopen at Helen Hayes Theatre in March)
As someone who has been involved in both politics and public relations, it's no wonder I love watching theatre. Good or bad, it's the raw energy of seeing a live performance that gets my adrenaline pumping. From the moment I saw my very first Broadway show ("Annie" in London in 1979), I was hooked. Now I see as many as 70 shows each year ranging from soaring musicals to two-hander plays. And these eyes just may be in an audience near you!
Bye Bye Birdie (The SOB Review) - Henry Miller's Theatre, Roundabout Theatre Company, New York, New York
