Character guide
Kim MacAfee
from Bye Bye Birdie
Kim MacAfee is the Sweet Apple, Ohio teenager chosen for Conrad Birdie's farewell kiss in Bye Bye Birdie, the 1960 musical by Charles Strouse.
- Show
- Bye Bye Birdie
- Broadway premiere
- 1960
- Role
- Lead
- Music by
- Charles Strouse
Kim MacAfee on stage vs screen
Broadway compared with the 1963 film and 1995 TV movie
Kim's part grew more than anyone's on the way to the screen. The 1963 film was reshaped around Ann-Margret, significantly expanding Kim's role and making her central to the story, and it gave her a new title song, Bye Bye Birdie, which she sings at both the opening and the close of the film. The performance earned Ann-Margret a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.
Susan Watson originated Kim on Broadway in 1960. In the 1995 ABC TV movie, Chynna Phillips played Kim opposite Jason Alexander and Vanessa Williams.
Kim MacAfee: role facts
- Originated on Broadway by
- Susan Watson (1960)
- Notable performers
- Ann-Margret played Kim in the 1963 film, and Allie Trimm played her in the 2009 Broadway revival.
- Voice type and range
- Soprano (legit), G3 to Ab5
- Songs Kim MacAfee sings
- How Lovely to Be a Woman (solo)
- One Boy (with Deborah Sue and Alice)
- Hymn for a Sunday Evening (with the MacAfee family)
- What Did I Ever See in Him? (with Rosie)
- A Lot of Livin' to Do (with Conrad and teenagers)
Who is Kim MacAfee?
Kim is a starstruck fifteen year old who is thrilled and overwhelmed when her name is drawn at random to receive Conrad Birdie's televised farewell kiss. Her sudden brush with fame puts pressure on her budding romance with steady, jealous boyfriend Hugo Peabody and turns her family's household upside down.
Over the course of the show, Kim navigates the gap between her fantasy of grown up glamour and the more ordinary teenage life she actually leads, giving the show one of its clearest windows into the generation gap between teenagers and their parents.
Kim's role in Bye Bye Birdie
Kim MacAfee is a lead role that anchors the show's teenage perspective, requiring an ingenue soprano capable of both youthful excitement and heartfelt sincerity. She features prominently in How Lovely to Be a Woman and One Boy.
Susan Watson originated the role on Broadway, and the part remains popular in school and community productions because it offers a young performer a genuine star turn built around relatable teenage longing rather than adult sophistication.
Kim MacAfee: frequently asked questions
Is it spelled Kim McAfee or Kim MacAfee?
It is spelled Kim MacAfee (M-a-c, with a capital A), as in the show's licensed materials and the original 1960 Broadway cast list. Kim McAfee is a common misspelling of the same character.
How old is Kim MacAfee in Bye Bye Birdie?
Kim MacAfee is fifteen in the stage musical: the licensor's character breakdown lists her as 15, and in How Lovely to Be a Woman she sings about leaving fourteen behind. For the 1963 film, lyricist Lee Adams made her a year older, sixteen, for Ann-Margret.
Who is Kim MacAfee's boyfriend in Bye Bye Birdie?
Kim MacAfee's boyfriend is Hugo Peabody, her steady, who grows jealous when she is chosen to receive Conrad Birdie's farewell kiss on The Ed Sullivan Show. Michael J. Pollard originated Hugo on Broadway in 1960, and Kim happily returns to Hugo by the end of the show.
Why is Kim MacAfee chosen for Conrad Birdie's kiss?
Kim MacAfee is chosen at random. As a final publicity stunt before Conrad Birdie goes into the Army, Albert Peterson's secretary, Rosie, plans for Conrad to kiss a typical American teenage girl goodbye, and she randomly selects Kim's name from his fan club.
What show is Kim MacAfee from?
Kim MacAfee is a lead character in Bye Bye Birdie, which opened in 1960.
Is Kim MacAfee a lead or supporting role?
Kim MacAfee is a lead role.
Who wrote the music for Bye Bye Birdie?
Charles Strouse composed the music, with lyrics by Lee Adams.
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