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Bye Bye Birdie

1995, Movie, NR, 135 mins

Bye Bye Birdie: Review

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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 ardent fan Kim MacAfee (Chyna Phillips), making the tune an instant hit. Albert will be able to marry his long-suffering girlfriend, Rosie (Vanessa Williams) and make good on his promise to go back to college and become an English teacher. A variety of forces conspire to derail Albert's plans, including his overbearing mother (Tyne Daly), who doesn’t want him to marry Rosie, and Kim's uptight father (George Wendt) and possessive boyfriend (Jason Gaffney), who don't want some swivel-hipped smarm smooching their girl. With its traditional score and rocking subject matter, Stewart's 1960 Bye Bye Birdie occupies a unique moment in the history of musicals: It was a surprise hit that opened as show tunes were rapidly losing popular ground to rock 'n' roll and the mainstream image of teenagers was metamorphosing from fun-loving kids to drugged-out revolutionaries. George Sidney's film tinkered with the story but captured the show's mix of innocence and showbiz razzle dazzle, but Broadway veteran Gene Saks can't duplicate the achievement. The casting is inconsistent — Alexander is funny without being charming where Dick Van Dyke was both; one-time pop princess Phillips is vapid and far too old for the part of a high school ingenue and Daly is simply grotesque — but the killer is the generic choreography by Bob Fosse disciple Ann Reinking. Williams' vivacious turn as Rosie is a joy to watch, but you can't help wishing she had a better showcase for her talents. leave a comment
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