Another Bye, Bye Birdie Remake

[BillyLawlor]

Posted: 8/11/03 at 2:48pm

The article is up on Broadway.com. The remake now has a writer and a director I believe. I wouldn tmind them doing another remake, but the article says that this remake will have "A more urban, hip hop feel". Uh OH!

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 8/11/03 at 2:55pm

I really don't like this show. It has a corny feeling to it.

[seabyrd]

Posted: 8/11/03 at 3:26pm

It's a period piece set in the 50s - Elvis, etc. How can they make an urban, hip-hop version unless it's rewritten and Birdie becomes a rap "artist" making an appearance in the ghetto? zzzzzzzzzzz.

[Amneris]

Posted: 8/11/03 at 3:33pm

that is awful...why do people feel the need to come in and ruin such a good thing? Why must it go from the Elvis feeling to Eminem... I honestly think they should just stop remakes already and move on to something original.

[BillyLawlor]

Posted: 8/11/03 at 3:35pm

I agree. I love movie musicals but not a second remake of a movie UPDATED! I think they definitely need something more original. And I would cry if they turned Birdie into a rap star.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/11/03 at 3:47pm

WHY? the one with Jason alexander and vanessa williams was great, it followed the original script faithfully and had some great new songs! leave it be!

[AlienOnBroadway]

Posted: 8/11/03 at 3:51pm

Aww come on y'all.
Can't you see it now?
Bye Bye Bizzle starring Snoop Doggy Dogg.
For "Telephone Hour" they would all be text messaging each other on the cells. And "Put on A Happy Face" becomes "I'm Not Down Wit'Yo Frown."

I agree, I am not sure how updating it with an urban feel will work. Stranger things have happened though.

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 8/11/03 at 3:53pm

The version with Alexander and Williams was considered a failure: low ratings and a lot of people felt it drug out the story and no one seemed very keen on the new material.

Although I personally enjoyed it.

[robbiej]

Posted: 8/11/03 at 4:03pm

I never saw that version.

Because if it doesn't have an over-ripe Ann-Margaret man-hunting her way through the entire thing, I don't need to see it.

[BillyLawlor]

Posted: 8/11/03 at 4:09pm

I never saw that version either. But I have the CD, and I love the new material. I think Vanessa Williams and Jason Alexander sound great, and the new Kim, Chynna Phillips has an awesome voice. And you could never, of course, go wrong with Marc Kudicsh as Birdie.

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 8/11/03 at 4:12pm

Chynna Phillips was terrible in the movie. She looked WAY too old for the role. I like the CD.

[BillyLawlor]

Posted: 8/11/03 at 4:16pm

She has a great voice, but I do admit- she looks WAY too old for the role, and did look terribly out of place.

[BatBoi]

Posted: 8/11/03 at 6:46pm

I definately don't think that I would enjoy this because of the hip hop angle. But I don't necessarily think it's a horrible idea. I mean, kids/teenagers are watching this stuff. Sure, it's not the broadway we love, but it's a start. And if they see that, some of them might venture to see shows on broadway. Just a thought.

BB

[BudFrump23]

Posted: 8/11/03 at 7:06pm

Why don't they use Ben and J-Lo? Then we could use Matt Damon as Conrad.

[BillyLawlor]

Posted: 8/11/03 at 7:32pm

Hmmm...interesting point BatBoi. Some people believe that classic musicals shouldn't be messed with, but others think that Broadway should try things from different points of view to reach out to different types of people- for example- the younger generation...like they plan to do in this remake. I guess it's a good idea. I support possibly remaking things from different points of view, but I do not support "urban-izing" Bye Bye Birdie and turning it into a hip hop movie.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 8/11/03 at 8:21pm

I think it will be awesome and it should have Eve, Maya, Queen Latifah, Mos Def, and Sutton and Gavin. It would be AMAZING.

[Phantess]

Posted: 8/11/03 at 9:01pm

*shudder* I can't stand this show.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 8/11/03 at 10:23pm

But with Sutton and Gavin (which is almost an anagram for "vagina") it would be AMAZING.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/11/03 at 11:38pm

When done right, BIRDIE is a sensational show. "The Telephone Hour" should be one of the most exciting moments in the production. However, it's been done to death by high schools who have cut it to shreds. There was one production I saw that eliminated the "Shriner's Ballet" and "Spanish Rose". Indeed, all references to Rosie's ethnicity were gone.

One of my fondest memories as a director was a production of BIRDIE that I did in the 70's. Chita Rivera's niece played Rose and was terrific. Chita sent Barbara-ann the very wig she wore in the original production. The rest of the cast was letter-perfect, too. Chita came to the opening night performance.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/12/03 at 8:49am

Bye Bye Bizzle starring Snoop Doggy Dogg.

VoiceAnth: Love it!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 8/12/03 at 8:54am

With Sutton and Gavin. Amazing.

[Victoria Grant]

Posted: 8/12/03 at 12:52pm

What are they joking? Why don't they just cast the Osborne family and Kelly can play Kim notttttttttttttttttttttttt!

I truly I agree with Dollypop this show is amazing when done right. It has been done so many times and movie wise we've seen a revival already. I really hope that its just put to rest.

Fame seems to be another one that is once again going to be back for the exaggerated upteenth time.

[robbiej]

Posted: 8/12/03 at 1:10pm

I don't understand why everyone is freaking out. So they take the basic stuff that Birdie was and they rewrite and rejigger it to make it contemporary. Big deal. One of our greatest musicals was contemporary updates of already existing work. It's called West Side Story. I wonder if there was a message board in the 50's if people would have freaked out and said things like, 'How dare they toss over the beauty and perfection of Shakespeare for ethnics and street slang!'

[sondheimfreak]

Posted: 8/12/03 at 1:18pm

Why do they insist on remaking BBB twice when there are so many other musicals that they could do? It all just seems really stupid to me. I mean, how many different musicals are there? HUNDREDS! It's pathetic. BBB is not a very good show, anyway. And I heard something about an "updated" Fiddler on the Roof also. Leave things they way they are, please.

[BillyLawlor]

Posted: 8/12/03 at 6:24pm

Robbiej has a point about West Side Story, but so does Sondheim freak. There are plenty of other musicals that could be made into movies, or for that matter- plenty of other movie musicals that could use remakes. But Bye Bye Birdie is overdone already. THAT is a musical that I think needs to be left alone.