Bye Bye Birdie

[LaurenB]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 6:15am

Anyone see the original Bye Bye Birdie with Dick Van Dyke and Chita Rivera?

The other day I saw the film version, which I hadn't seen in ages. I was wondering who was in the original cast, so I looked it up and saw that someone named Susan Watson had the role that was played by Ann-Margret in the film. The article said:

Although she tested for the film version, Watson's role went to newcomer Ann-Margret, who became the focus of the picture. "Everyone who loves the movie," says Susan, "never saw the show."

How different was the play from the film?

[EugLoven]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 6:18am

Very.

There's no speed pill, turtle, or fast-forward ballet in the musical's book.

Mama doesn't have a song in the original musical script.
In fact, the more recent Birdie movie with Jason Alexander (Albert), Vanessa Williams (Rosie), and Marc Kudisch (Conrad) is the more accurate portrayal of the musical, sans the title song, which was later written into the show for the movie.

I starred as Albert my senior year of highschool. Just watched my old VHS of the show too. So cute. Definitely the "must-do" kind of highschool show... and would probably be a really cute revival or special engagement concert if not.

[jv92]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 9:50am

Ann Margaret's part is not nearly as big onstage. In fact, her part doesn't even get top billing, as it is in the film.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 10:36am

My grandma saw it in her one and only outing to NYC. SHe never stops talking about it. I guess she liked it a lot. I have never seen it performed outside of local theatre.

[jimnysf]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 10:57am

The film is missing several songs, "An English Teacher", "What Did I Ever See In Him?", "Spanish Rose", "Normal American Boy", and "Baby Talk to Me". Those songs were all added to the TV Movie Version but some of "Spanish Rose" was rewritten to be more PC and "An English Teacher" was shortened. The TV film added a new song for Albert's mother (Tyne Daly), "A Mother Doesn't Matter Anymore" and "Let's Settle Down" for Rosie, "A Giant Step" for Albert and they used the "Bye Bye Birdie" song from the original film which was not in the play. That song was sung in a malt shop but was much better in the Ann-Margret version. Nothing can beat that opening/closing.

[Jon]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 11:55am

On stage in the original, Susan Watson played Kim as a sweet, innocent virgin. In the film, Ann-Margaret played her as a slut.

In the original, her boyfriend Hugo was a nerd. In the movie, he was played by hunky teen idol Bobby Rydell. Updated On: 3/26/06 at 11:55 AM

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 11:58am

^ Well that's a pretty good way of putting it.

The film is almost totally different. But it's a ton of fun. The 95 film is much closer to the actual show, but it's a little bland.

The original film should be seen as a campy and fun film, which is not anything like the stage show.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 12:06pm

Susan Watson was a good, strong, reliable performer who also starred in another huge hit, "No No Nannette". She specialized in sweet girl roles and did them to a T.

The original stage prod. of Birdie and the film had one tremendous asset in common - Paul Lynde, at the height of his well, Lyndness. Lynde was a strnage, mercurial actor but audience loved him. I guess he was one of the first men who could be considered openly gay onstage, although it was a characterization that took on clownish proportions. But I still chuckle at the look on his face when he first whispers "Ed Sull-i-van?"

God, I wish I'd seen Dick Van Dyke and Chita on stage again a few weeks ago. They'd just have to stand there for me to have considered I got my $$$$s worth....

[dented146]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 8:02pm

One of the biggest changes between the braodway show and the original movie was the part of Hugo Peabody. In the stage production, Hugo has no musical numbers. The movie, however, starred Bobby Rydell as Hugo. He was given musical numbers at the expense of other people

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 3/26/06 at 8:15pm

My high school is doing this show now (I'm Albert). When our scripts arrived, they came with an alternate material book with songs to add to or replace songs in the musical. We added "Let's Settle Down" and "A Mother Doesn't Matter Anymore" and replaced "Spanish Rose" with the updated one (which is placed in the bar instead of the original placement in the ice house).

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 12/26/08 at 10:12am

I saw the OBC of BYE BYE BIRDIE at the Martin Beck Theatre (now the Al Hirscfeld) in 1961. It was a wonderful show due to Dick Van Dyke, Chita Rivera, and Paul Lynde. The differences between the stage musical and the movie have already been mentioned. It was selected by my college, the University of Rochester, as the fall, 1962 production. I played the Paul Lynde role of Harry MacAfee, basing my performance on that of Paul Lynde, trying to copy him. Apparently it worked because the audience loved my performance. It was the one and only time I was in a musical and I have to say that hearing the roar of applause at the curtain call was thrilling to me. There was another connection between Paul Lynde and myself: we were both very heavy drinkers.
But for 21 years I have been sober--I needed to be. Lynde was supposedly a very angry drunk, not the hilarious, sarcastic comedian that was his public persona.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow]

Posted: 12/26/08 at 10:55am

In the original, her boyfriend Hugo was a nerd. In the movie, he was played by hunky teen idol Bobby Rydell.

He was considered hunky? Really?

[Patash]

Posted: 12/26/08 at 10:59am

The movie was so lame, starting with Ann-Margaret singing the title song looking like a Las Vegas bombshell and exuding sex. This is the girl who is supposed to be the "typical" high school teenager? In the film it was like she was the month's centerfold from Playboy surrounded with girls half her age with freckles and pigtails. It just didn't make sense.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow]

Posted: 12/26/08 at 11:02am

It's not as lame as the bland, boring tv-movie version though. I wonder what would've happened had they had a more capable director than Kathleen Marshall.

[stagescreen]

Posted: 12/26/08 at 11:41am

The biggest difference between the film version of BYE BYE BIRDIE and the stage version is the absence of Gower Champion. Champion's staging of THE TELEPHONE HOUR, PUT ON A HAPPY FACE, THE SHRINER BALLET, and SPANISH ROSE are all tops in my book. I'm lucky enough to have been in a production of BIRDIE with Champion's choreography recreated by an original cast member from the show, and those numbers are so fluid, original, and uniquely Gower...a great classic Broadway show.

The original film misses the mark. It's a shame we don't see more professional productions of this show...it's now almost entirely relegated to high schools.

BlueGobo has several clips of the OBC from the Ed Sullivan Show - Put on A Happy Face is so sweet.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 12/26/08 at 12:11pm

Um, Bobby Rydell was NEVER considered 'hunky'. Yes, he WAS a teen idol, but NEVER was considered 'hunky'. His contemporary Fabian WAS considered 'hunky'.

Bobby Rydell:


Fabian:



Bobby Rydell as Hugo Peabody and Ann-Margret as Kim McAfee in the 1963 film-version of BYE BYE BIRDIE:

[Usnavi]

Posted: 12/26/08 at 3:28pm

fabian forte was waaaaaaay before my time but damn he was beautiful to look at.

off topic: he posed nude for playGIRL in the early 70s.


Updated On: 12/26/08 at 03:28 PM

[Auggie27]

Posted: 12/26/08 at 3:57pm

I had a college roommate freshman year who was a double for Fabian. The resemblance was startling.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/26/08 at 4:13pm

off topic: he posed nude for playboy in the early 70s.

Um, no.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 12/26/08 at 4:23pm

Playboy Magazine is a men's magazine featuring nude women. Fabian would never have appeared nude in a men's magazine.

Now... in 1973, Fabian DID pose for Playgirl Magazine, the female counterpart of Playboy Magazine which is a woman's magazine and features nude men.

[Usnavi]

Posted: 12/26/08 at 7:40pm

LMAO! whoa! in my rush to get off the laptop and head to the gym i typed playBOY instead of playGIRL.

my bad!
Updated On: 12/26/08 at 07:40 PM

[Whispering]

Posted: 12/26/08 at 8:17pm

Saw it as a kid, a birthday present.
I thinkthe play concentrated more on the adults. I did lovethe staging ofthe telephone song and the Fez dance. As kid, I thought the movie was lame in comparison.