Bye Bye Birdie - How To Kill A Man Ballet
Bye Bye Birdie - How To Kill A Man Ballet
#1Bye Bye Birdie - How To Kill A Man Ballet
Posted: 4/9/13 at 1:04amSo I'm getting ready to direct and choreograph a production of Bye Bye Birdie and I'm wondering about this ballet. My first instinct is to cut it, but then I'm thinking that if it's done well it could be great fun. So my question is have any professional productions done this?? And has anyone seen it to tell me if it works well or not?? I personally have never seen it done so I don't think cutting it will leave a plot hole.
#2Bye Bye Birdie - How To Kill A Man Ballet
Posted: 4/9/13 at 1:09amWe did it in high school--though I think it came close to being the one thing cut. It got a good reaction, though compared to, say, the Shriner Ballet it wasn't a particularly memorable moment. (It kinda reminds me of the Jealousy Ballet in Pajama Game--and not just because I did both in high school and thy tend to be cut...)
#2Bye Bye Birdie - How To Kill A Man Ballet
Posted: 4/9/13 at 1:15amCUT IT. A production of Bye Bye Birdie that I designed the sets for had this Ballet in it. It brings the show to an awkward and screeching halt. It is out of place with the rest of the show.
#3Bye Bye Birdie - How To Kill A Man Ballet
Posted: 4/9/13 at 1:18am
I'm assuming it's in the show because Chita Rivera was the original Rosie and therefore they wanted her to dance a lot??? LOL
I just find it weird that it's in the show to begin with.
#4Bye Bye Birdie - How To Kill A Man Ballet
Posted: 4/9/13 at 2:36amWas it an "in-one" number (like the Jealousy Ballet was in Pajama Game) for a set change? It really does seem forced in. But I suppose otherwise Rosie doesn't have all that much dancing to do in Act I--she has the extended Spanish Rose dance break, and the SHriner's Ballet in Act II...
OrdinaryJukebox
Featured Actor Joined: 6/7/06
#5Bye Bye Birdie - How To Kill A Man Ballet
Posted: 4/9/13 at 10:03amIt was definitely added/created for Chita. I just did a regional production of "Bye Bye Birdie" a few months back and there was never a question of cutting it. :)
#6Bye Bye Birdie - How To Kill A Man Ballet
Posted: 4/9/13 at 10:05am
I've never seen the ballet done - everyone cuts it. I've played it from the score, and think it could be great, but only if your Rosie is an exceptionally good dancer/actress.
Updated On: 4/9/13 at 10:05 AM
#7Bye Bye Birdie - How To Kill A Man Ballet
Posted: 4/9/13 at 10:15am
I feel like some of the sections of music are just way to long. Like you and dance and you kill him and then you wanna move on but there's still like a zillion more measures of music before the next section! LOL
She does have the "baggage dance" during One Boy in Act 1 so there's that. Thinking of having her seem a little dancey in movement during the show so when she just starts dancing in Act 2 all the time it's not like - whoa hi there dancer!
#8Bye Bye Birdie - How To Kill A Man Ballet
Posted: 4/9/13 at 10:38am
"but only if your Rosie is an exceptionally good dancer/actress."
And if your choreographer has a great sense of humor that comes through his or her work.
Dollypop
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#9Bye Bye Birdie - How To Kill A Man Ballet
Posted: 4/9/13 at 11:39am
I directed a high school production of BIRDIE and we did both "How To Kill A Man" and "The Shriner's Ballet" They were the highlights of our production.
Of course, it helped that Chita Rivera's niece was playing Rosie and Chita Rivera's sister-in-law was choreographing!
#10Bye Bye Birdie - How To Kill A Man Ballet
Posted: 4/9/13 at 12:18pm
Wow Dollypop that's amazing!!!!
Was it the original choreography do you know?
Regardless, I'd love to see it if there's a video!
Dollypop
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#11Bye Bye Birdie - How To Kill A Man Ballet
Posted: 4/9/13 at 1:42pm
The choreography was darn close to Gower Champion's original.
Chita sent her pixie wig for her niece to wear but it didn't look good on Barbra-Ann, who was a blonde. We wound up using a curley dark brown wig instead.
Chita came out for the opening night.
#12Bye Bye Birdie - How To Kill A Man Ballet
Posted: 4/9/13 at 1:46pm
Wow! That's awesome!!
Now I really wanna see a video! haha
OrdinaryJukebox
Featured Actor Joined: 6/7/06
#13Bye Bye Birdie - How To Kill A Man Ballet
Posted: 4/9/13 at 1:47pm
Barbara-Ann didn't deserve the role; she got it because Chita is her aunt ...
I'm totally kidding, I don't know this person at all. :P
StarToBe2
Swing Joined: 1/30/13
#14Bye Bye Birdie - How To Kill A Man Ballet
Posted: 4/9/13 at 2:21pm
I just performed in BBB for a smaller theater in Minnesota at the same time Chanhassen was doing it. Chanhassen cut the "how to kill" ballet in their production, but for some reason we didn't. It was controversial.....upto the last minute of dress rehearsal. The director hated it as well as the musical director but the choreographer loved it.
I agree it halted the show, and even though it did turn out really funny to the audience. We all felt it stopped the show dead, and it wasnt encouraging to practice because it felt so dark and out of place. Our Rosie was not a dancer at all and she just kinda stood back and "orchestrated" the whole thing. I played Gloria Rasputin so I was happy for a chance to change between that scene and "One Last Kiss". But we had all done our research before the show and it was understood that most performances cut out the "how to kill" ballet. Good luck! Loved the show!
#15Bye Bye Birdie - How To Kill A Man Ballet
Posted: 4/9/13 at 2:43pmWhat scene leads up to this ballet in the show? I've never heard of it.
Dollypop
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#16Bye Bye Birdie - How To Kill A Man Ballet
Posted: 4/9/13 at 3:01pm
Barabra-Ann got the role because she was an incredible dancer. It was probably her dancing that sold both numbers so well.
Sorry, we did this show before the age of videos. I wonder if I have any still photos to share... Let me go through my very disorganized collection...
#17Bye Bye Birdie - How To Kill A Man Ballet
Posted: 4/9/13 at 3:34pm
In the score, the ballet comes between "Hymn For A Sunday Evening" and "One Last Kiss."
StarToBe2, as pointed out above, if you don't have a Rosie who is dynamite, the ballet will fall flat on its face.
But then, I ask - how many songs in Bye Bye Birdie really move the action forward, rather than "stopping it dead?" It's just not that kind of score. If your "Put On A Happy Face" is poorly staged and performed, it, too, will stop the show dead.
It's not necessarily the number's fault.
#18Bye Bye Birdie - How To Kill A Man Ballet
Posted: 4/9/13 at 4:23pmI've designed the show twice, and in both productions it was cut. Yes, every song in that show seems added on, but this one is so utterly out of character musically (in that it doesnt really come from much of anywhere save her frustration). Cut it. It wont be missed.
Dollypop
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#19Bye Bye Birdie - How To Kill A Man Ballet
Posted: 4/9/13 at 5:15pm
"If your "Put On A Happy Face" is poorly staged and performed, it, too, will stop the show dead."
Just ask John Stamos about that one!
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