Bye Bye Birdie: Two Spanish Roses- Page 2

[Byron Abens]

Posted: 4/9/09 at 1:08pm

Jennamajig, when I did the show in '99 the title song was not a licensable option, though "Let's Settle Down" and "A Mother Doesn't Matter Anymore" both were (our production used neither as we had to keep the running time under a certain point, being an outdoor amphitheatre in the middle of a residential neighborhood with a strict sound curfew). But the director and musical director did want to interpolate the title song into the Entre'acte. They had it all worked out, the musical director was working on orchestrations, and had even contacted Adams or Strouse (I can't remember which) who liked the idea, but Tams-Witmark finally said no due to an issue of who controlled the rights for that song, which was not Tams-Witmark, nor Adams or Strouse (it may have been the studio that produced the movie which I believe was Columbia).

Now, I have seen it performed in its placement in the '95 film, once by a college and once by a high school, but it is more than likely that they followed the practice of simply doing it and hoping not to get caught, like so many educational and amateur companies do when making changes and interpolating music to a show.

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/9/09 at 1:29pm

I'm really curious to find out where the revival will place the title song. I think it will work best as an overture/opener. But I do love it in the Malt Shop.

[jennamajig]

Posted: 4/9/09 at 2:06pm

Byron - I didn't handle the licensing issue and this was in Fall 2005, I think. But you're right - we were an amateur theater group at a college and I wouldn't be surprised if it we simply slipped it in, hoping to not get caught (another theater group on campus did this with "Maybe This Time" when they put up Cabaret). It's placement was the same as the '95 tv-film.

I actually hate that song as the opening/closing of the '63 film, but then again, I also kinda hate the '63 film. I didn't appreciate how the show could be very funny if performed with the original script and a very talented cast. I was even meh on it when my college did it. It wasn't until I saw the North Shore production last year that I realized how fun the show really was.

After a little research, I have discovered North Shore did include the opening number in the show, sang by the teenage girls in the beginning (combined with "We Love You, Conrad") so the same idea as the '95 tv-film, but different placement.

http://www.nsmt.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=676&Itemid=

North Shore always seems to get the rights to do stuff, as they also had "A Mother Doesn't Matter Anymore" (no "Kill a Man" ballet though - I'd have remembered that). I'm thinking the Roundabout might have those two songs in place as well.

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/9/09 at 2:15pm

The 95 movie used the title song as an opener too. So did the Tune/Reinking tour. I think it works best as the opener, sung by all the girls.

I hope the revival's song list is like North Shores.

[gypsy4]

Posted: 4/9/09 at 8:56pm

what about the song "a Giant step"? I could see them using that for stamos.