Bye Bye Birdie

Vanessa Williams is the stand-out in this new — though not updated — version of Michael Stewart's musical about a teen idol about to be inducted into the army sticks more closely to the original Broadway production than the 1963 film version but lacks its sparkle. Military service will keep Elvis Presley-like pop star Conrad Birdie (Marc Kudisch) out of the spotlight for several years, so manager and songwriter Albert Peterson (Jason Alexander) cooks up a memorable send-off that will also set him up to make a long-awaited career change. Conrad will sing Albert's newest song, "One Last Kiss," in small-town Sweet Apple, Ohio, and end the show by bussing arden...