SOB's Theatrical Firsts Of The Noughties: Seeing Shows In Every Broadway House
Over the course of the last decade, I’ve been truly fortunate to enjoy a number of enlightening firsts in my personal theatergoing that have only served to increase my deep and abiding love for the art form known as live theatre. What follows is one of my ten favorite experiences of the last ten years.
If you are a regular reader of Steve On Broadway, you may recall back in September of this year when I finally made my way to Broadway’s Majestic Theatre to finally see a performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber's iconic The Phantom Of The Opera, the longest running show in the Great White Way’s history. And what a performance to attend as they celebrated the show’s 9,000th performance milestone, albeit one day early.
Of course, my sole reason for attending was to scratch one last Broadway house off my list, and I guess you can say I did it in style since The Phantom Of The Opera celebrated its 9000th performance the afternoon I went. It came after just over 24 years after taking my first Broadway show at the Winter Garden Theatre for another Andrew Lloyd Webber hit, Cats, in 1985.
But about the time in September I was crowing I had been to every single Broadway theatre, another newly refurbished one was going back online. With its façade being the only remnant from its original theatre, the entirely newHenry Miller’s was making its Broadway debut with Bye Bye Birdie as its first occupant. As I try to see every new show that opens, I dutifully made my way to Henry Miller’s in October and this time, for real, I scratched every last legit Broadway house off my list.
P.S. If you're wondering which Broadway venue I've seen the most shows in, that would be the Booth Theatre, where I've taken in 10 different productions, bookended by two musicals: the 1992 revival of The Most Happy Fella and the current hit next to normal.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. I paid my own way for each performance.
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.
According to Liz Smith in Variety, Bye Bye Birdiemay be headed toward a Broadway revival. Smith gushes in her column that "Charles Strouse says he'll bring his all-American musical Bye Bye Birdie back to the Roundabout!"
The tuner with book by Michael Stewart and score by Lee Adams and Strouse has never before been revived on the Great White Way.
Its one and only run began April 14, 1960 and ran for 607 performances. The original production garnered eight Tony nominations including for Best Musical, as well as for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, Dick Van Dyke, who was catapulted to superstar status.
Chita Rivera 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 Lifeto relive a bit of Birdie when they sang "Put On A Happy Face."
Although a revival has never made it to Broadway, there was an attempt to bring back Birdie via the ill-fated 1981 sequel Bring Back Birdie that closed on Broadway after just four regular performances. Not even Chita Rivera's star power could keep that open, but she did manage a Tony nod yet again.
My only experience in ever seeing Bye Bye Birdie in its entirety was through a high school production when I was just a kid (my sister portrayed one of the swooning teens).
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!
SOB's Theatrical Firsts Of The Noughties: Seeing Shows In Every Broadway House
