Bye Bye Birdie: Two Spanish Roses

#1

Bye Bye Birdie: Two Spanish Roses

Posted: 4/6/09 at 1:55pm

Ann Reinking:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoMbqGBlCz8


Chita:

http://www.bluegobo.com/video.php?var=10117

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#2

re: Bye Bye Birdie: Two Spanish Roses

Posted: 4/6/09 at 2:13pm

I was skeptical of Reinking's version......until I watched it. Then, I fell in love.

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Some people paint, some people sew, I meddle.

#3

re: Bye Bye Birdie: Two Spanish Roses

Posted: 4/6/09 at 2:23pm

I could watch Chita Rivera dance all day. No matter what it is, she is so beautiful!!!!!

#4

re: Bye Bye Birdie: Two Spanish Roses

Posted: 4/6/09 at 2:45pm

As the tour continued, they cut Ann's SPANISH ROSE, and replaced it with "He's Mine" - a duet with Rosie and Mae.

Updated On: 4/6/09 at 02:45 PM

#5

re: Bye Bye Birdie: Two Spanish Roses

Posted: 4/6/09 at 3:13pm

Whose brilliant decision was that?

The same people behind Bring Back Birdie?

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#6

re: Bye Bye Birdie: Two Spanish Roses

Posted: 4/6/09 at 3:17pm

Gower Champion's choreography is just so... delicious (especially when danced by Chita).

#7

re: Bye Bye Birdie: Two Spanish Roses

Posted: 4/6/09 at 3:24pm

You can also see Chita do a recreation of the Shriner's scene at bluegobo.com as well. She is such a terrific performer. Why, oh why, did they not cast her in the film? (Of course, the film cut Spanish Rose...)

#8

re: Bye Bye Birdie: Two Spanish Roses

Posted: 4/6/09 at 3:37pm

Reinking is a divine dancer (won't comment on her singing of the song). I could not get my eyes off her legs, the way she moves is pure genius. How I wish I had seen her dance in DANCIN' and A CHORUS LINE. Luckily, she is heavily featured in ALL THAT JAZZ.
Chita Rivera is just too good for words. I was enthralled by her performance and God did she rock that skirt, it's like the skirt itself was part of her body. I can only imagine what her dancing as Anita must have been like. Thanks for posting, PJ, both are fabulous.
I think it's clear that Gershon won't be doing anything like that, a pity.

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"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"

#9

re: Bye Bye Birdie: Two Spanish Roses

Posted: 4/6/09 at 3:43pm

Let's hope they still keep SPANISH ROSE for Gershon!!

#10

re: Bye Bye Birdie: Two Spanish Roses

Posted: 4/6/09 at 3:44pm

They have to! It's one of the best songs in the show, at least my favorite, it's hilarious and while it sucks badly that Gershon won't be able to dance it like Rivera or Reinking, I do believe she'll be able to do a great job with the comic aspects of the number.

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"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"

#11

re: Bye Bye Birdie: Two Spanish Roses

Posted: 4/6/09 at 3:46pm

I hope so! It just scares me because there is an alternate number to replace SPANISH ROSE with.

I am also fearing they will cut Rosie's ONE BOY reprise/dance. If Gershon cannot handle the dancing, they could replace it with LET'S SETTLE DOWN from the 95 movie. And that scares me!

#12

re: Bye Bye Birdie: Two Spanish Roses

Posted: 4/6/09 at 3:48pm

Well that would be better then cutting the show-stopping number!

#13

re: Bye Bye Birdie: Two Spanish Roses

Posted: 4/6/09 at 3:50pm

They could cut both! Ann's SPANISH ROSE was cut because she wasn't "spanish enough." Gershon isn't Spanish, and isn't a dancer like Ann and Chita.

And LET'S SETTLE DOWN doesn't fit with the score AT ALL.

#14

re: Bye Bye Birdie: Two Spanish Roses

Posted: 4/6/09 at 4:07pm

Well to be fair Reinking is as white bread as they come. Gershon has a more exotic look to her, I feel. Regardless I don't think it's a matter of the actress being "Spanish enough," it's whether the actress can really vamp up those stereotypes mockingly in order to make a for a hilarious show-stopping "Spanish Rose's Turn" (as I like to call the number).

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"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"

#15

re: Bye Bye Birdie: Two Spanish Roses

Posted: 4/6/09 at 4:24pm

^^Gershon does have a more exotic look to her, agreed, but I'm still not that excited to see her tackle the choreography. But perhaps she will surprise me.

I do think that vamping up the stereotypes for the humor that "Spanish Rose" really needs is very important and a successful actress can pull that off. Of course, if said actress is as white as can be, it certainly won't play well. However, I did think Vanessa Williams did a good job with the shortened version in the 95 movie.

#16

re: Bye Bye Birdie: Two Spanish Roses

Posted: 4/8/09 at 8:55pm

Ann Reinking is really not latin and spunky enough. Don't get me started on her singing. I've actually never really liked her that much. The only thing she can do well is dancing/coreography.

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"There's nothing good on. The media hates Christmas. The media loves vampires, though. Maybe they will show a Twilight Christmas."
-Danmeg's 10 year old son.

#17

re: Bye Bye Birdie: Two Spanish Roses

Posted: 4/8/09 at 10:59pm

In regards to Vanessa Williams, I must admit that I prefer the placement of Spanish Rose in that spot as opposed to so late in the second act. I find it sets up Rosie's attempts to cut loose a bit with the Shriners' Ballet when done beforehand. Where it stands in the stage script I feel like it just makes Rosie vindictive and spiteful. By that point it is clear that she has won the "battle" over Albert and now just seems intent on rubbing it in Mae's face.

I also think that Rosie's "One Boy" reprise can be done without the "How to Kill a Man" ballet without resorting to replacing the whole sequence with "Let's Settle Down." I like the song, but agree that it is out of place with the rest of the score style-wise.

#18

re: Bye Bye Birdie: Two Spanish Roses

Posted: 4/8/09 at 11:07pm

I thought the "How To Kill a Man" ballet is after the Gloria scene? According to this link, it is.

http://musicals.net/forums/archive.php/100-ways-ballet__o_t__t_33393.html

#19

re: Bye Bye Birdie: Two Spanish Roses

Posted: 4/8/09 at 11:13pm

I stand corrected. Last time I did the show was in 1999, so the details of where various things were that we cut is somewhat hazy after all these years. Either way, I still don't think the show suffers from its excision (but that is just my opinion).

#20

re: Bye Bye Birdie: Two Spanish Roses

Posted: 4/8/09 at 11:15pm

Well I read most productions cut that particular ballet. But Rosie has a whole dance for the "One Boy" Reprise, and that I would like to see stay.

#21

re: Bye Bye Birdie: Two Spanish Roses

Posted: 4/8/09 at 11:30pm

Let's settle down is one of my favorites but I do beleive that it was too pop style.

I wonder if they'll keep this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR5lZn6O4g8

Updated On: 4/8/09 at 11:30 PM

#22

re: Bye Bye Birdie: Two Spanish Roses

Posted: 4/9/09 at 9:26am

^^Isn't that placement of "Bye-Bye Birdie" been inserted into the script when licensed after the 95 movie aired? During undergrad my theater group did the show and this song was definitely in it.

And Byron Abens, I definitely agree about the placement of "Spanish Rose." It does work better placement-wise I thought in the 95 film. I saw the North Shore Music Theater do the show last summer (and in regards to above, my mind is telling me that "Bye-Bye Birdie from the film was in the show, but I could be remembering wrong) and thought Spanish Rose could have been set earlier in act II.

#23

re: Bye Bye Birdie: Two Spanish Roses

Posted: 4/9/09 at 9:52am

Was I the only one totally underwhelmed by Reinking's energy in this number? I stopped watching at 2:20, it was so dull.

I'll hold back my comments about her awful voice and equally awkward wig. Thumbs down.

#24

re: Bye Bye Birdie: Two Spanish Roses

Posted: 4/9/09 at 9:56am

I couldn't find a video of Vanessa Williams' version from the TV movie. Was that number cut?

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"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg." -- Thomas Jefferson

#25

re: Bye Bye Birdie: Two Spanish Roses

Posted: 4/9/09 at 10:18am

^^Nope, it wasn't cut. Shortened a little. The 95 film is available if you are a Netflix member as an instant watch. I searched, but haven't been able to find a clip of it online. Perhaps someone else would have more luck?