Bye Bye Birdie

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?

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.

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.

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^ 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.

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

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.

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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.

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.

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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

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

Um, no.

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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