1995 TV Movie of Bye Bye Birdie

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 1/25/08 at 7:20pm

I was looking through OnDemand and found the Vanessa Williams-Jason Alexander verison of Bye Bye Birdie, and I enjoy it thus far, and Marc Kudish as Conard is great!

I however dislike how they have cut Hugo singing. It annoys me.
"Honestly Sincerely" reminds me of "C'mon Everybody" from All Shook Up.

Updated On: 1/25/08 at 07:20 PM

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 1/25/08 at 7:43pm

With the exception of Williams, I thought it was horrible on every conceivable level. The worst choreography (alleged choreography), ever!

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 1/25/08 at 7:51pm

I don't like Chynna Phillips, she is WAY TOO OLD to be Kim.
I do love Vanessa.

[MerMaggieGalinda]

Posted: 1/25/08 at 7:52pm

I thought it was good. Very faithful to the stage show, which Hugo doesn't sing in either. I thought the girl playing Ursula was a riot!

[fnyboi88]

Posted: 1/25/08 at 7:56pm

I was going to ask if Hugo ever did sing in the show. I did the show three years ago and didn't recall him singing.

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 1/25/08 at 7:58pm

"I thought the girl playing Ursula was a riot! "

She is! Especially when she says she's becoming a snarling animal!

I just assumed from the Ann-Magaret version that Hugo had always sung.

[MerMaggieGalinda]

Posted: 1/25/08 at 8:07pm

The Ann-Margret version is very different from the stage version, which I did this fall. It's a shame that Hugo doesn't sing though, our Hugo was a great singer, but he was an excellent actor as well. When he came on stage after sneaking into the bar again, his drunk manerisms were hilarious!

[BigFatBlonde]

Posted: 1/25/08 at 8:11pm

I think it is dreadful on almost every level.

Tyne Daly came off best and her new song is a gem..but the rest is rubbish.

[slight adjustment to that statement.. I actually enjoy listening to the soundtrack]

How many times are we going to learn that Gene Saks should NOT make movie musicals... anyone remember Mame?

Updated On: 1/25/08 at 08:11 PM

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 1/25/08 at 8:15pm

Stick to priest! -sorry i meant the original movie!

[Eris0303]

Posted: 1/25/08 at 10:30pm

The girl playing Ursula was hysterical. She stole every scene she was in. I liked how they extended the song "Bye Bye, Birdie".

I liked that they brought in Marc Kudish to reprise his role from the tour. I got to see him play the role in Philadelphia with Susan Egan as Kim.

Chynna was DEFINITELY too old for Kim and I find it very hard to believe that there wasn't a younger girl in Hollywood who could play that role. Why they went with her I'll never know. I don't think she was ever a HUGE star so I don't really know what she brought to the production.

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 1/25/08 at 11:08pm

I haven't seen it since it's original broadcast, but I remember not liking it.

And it's a show that, if I don't actually love it, I really, really like it. I really like the screwed up movie version. I really enjoyed the national tour with Tommy Tune, Ann Reinking, and the divine Marilyn Cooper as the mother. And I've seen stock production and summer theater productions (both using the sets from the tour) that brought me much joy.

But this film version, somehow, sucked all the fun and joy out of it.

[TheatreFreak05]

Posted: 1/25/08 at 11:23pm

They made two movies of Bye Bye birdie?? Why??

[John Murdock]

Posted: 1/25/08 at 11:25pm

this is all so funny... i literally just returned home from rehearsals for Bye Bye Birdie at Baylor University tonight...

its an interesting show... one that i have done 3 times now...
it is sooooo outdated that if they are going to revive it on broadway like there are rumors of... i hope they update the script

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/25/08 at 11:30pm

I also like the new song that was written for the mother "A Mother Doesn't Matter". I wish they had put it in for Doris Roberts to perform when Encores did it a few years ago.

[Jon]

Posted: 1/25/08 at 11:31pm

Also in the Tune/Reinking tour - Steve Zahn as Hugo!

[Eris0303]

Posted: 1/25/08 at 11:50pm

"They made two movies of Bye Bye birdie?? Why??"

The first movie was a huge departure from the original show. They made a TV remake that followed the show more closely.

"Also in the Tune/Reinking tour - Steve Zahn as Hugo!"

Yup! Susan Egan as Kim and Steve as Hugo! They were the only people to make a real name for themselves from that show.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 1/26/08 at 1:12am

Odd that I know who Marc Kudisch and Susan Egan are, but not Steve Zahn...esp. considering Zahn and Egan were the two to make names of themselves...

[MuppetManiaMan]

Posted: 1/26/08 at 1:14am

Steve Zahn was Lenny in "That Thing You Do!", my favorite movie of all time!

[Eris0303]

Posted: 1/26/08 at 2:12am

Steve first gained recognition as Phoebe's "gay" husband on Friends.


Steve Zahn

[sesot]

Posted: 1/26/08 at 2:22am

I watched this last week on Demand. I prefer the original film overall. I also had a hard time with Chynna's portrayal of Kim. She was way too old for the role and not a very talented actor either.

[Elphie3]

Posted: 1/26/08 at 10:09am

I appreciate this film in that it is a more accurate representation of the stage play (note I said MORE not completely) than the Ann-Margaret version - so in terms of research for doing the show it can be helpful. As entertainment... NO!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/26/08 at 10:31am

I thought it was a brilliant idea to do a television production of the original script, but it was so poorly directed and choreographed, it just comes off as embarrassing. As flawed as the original film was in its chopped and recised script and score, Honestly Sincere is one of the most jubilant and perfect musical numbers ever captured on film.

[Dancin Thru Life]

Posted: 1/26/08 at 12:20pm

I loved it then and I still love it now! HAHA!

The whole idea of Vanessa Williams falling for Jason Alexander was comedy enough for me! I love her and thought she was great in it! Their scenes together are plain old fun!

And who couldn't love Tyne Daly as Mama?

Oh well....call it a guilty pleasure, but I laughed the whole way through it when it was first broadcast, and still enjoy listening to the soundtrack now.

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 1/26/08 at 12:31pm

Call it guilty pleasure, temporary insanity, or whatever you like but I LOVE THIS MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This was my favorite movie from the time I was 9 years old until the time I was 12 years old... I used to watch it at least once a month. I love Jason Alexander as Albert. I love Marc Kudisch as Conrad. I love the costumes and the structuring of the movie according to the stage show. I LOVE THE 'BYE BYE BIRDIE' scene with the teen girls, and Brigitta Dau is wonderful as Ursula.

[jewishboy]

Posted: 1/26/08 at 2:11pm

I love it and like InfiniteTheaterFrenzy, I have loved it from a very young age. Now that I look back on it Chynna really did suck some of the life out of the movie, but overall the cast is phenomenal.