Show guide
Bye Bye Birdie
Bye Bye Birdie is a 1960 musical comedy that pokes fun at rock and roll mania and small town American life through the eyes of one Ohio family caught up in a media circus.
- Broadway premiere
- 1960
- Music by
- Charles Strouse
- Genre
- Golden Age
- Setting
- 1950s
Bye Bye Birdie: quick answers
What is Bye Bye Birdie about?
- Bye Bye Birdie follows songwriter Albert Peterson and his secretary Rosie Alvarez as they stage a publicity stunt: before rock idol Conrad Birdie is drafted into the Army, he will kiss one lucky fan, Ohio teenager Kim MacAfee, on national television.
When did Bye Bye Birdie open on Broadway?
- Bye Bye Birdie opened on Broadway on April 14, 1960, at the Martin Beck Theatre and ran 607 performances, closing on October 7, 1961.
Is Bye Bye Birdie a Golden Age musical?
- Yes. It opened in 1960, late in the Golden Age, and pairs a traditional Broadway book musical with a Charles Strouse and Lee Adams score that affectionately spoofs early rock and roll.
Where and when is Bye Bye Birdie set?
- Bye Bye Birdie is set in 1958, mostly in the small town of Sweet Apple, Ohio, with scenes in New York City.
Has Bye Bye Birdie played in London's West End?
- Bye Bye Birdie opened in the West End in 1961 at Her Majesty's Theatre, with Chita Rivera reprising Rosie opposite Peter Marshall as Albert, and ran 268 performances.
Is there a Bye Bye Birdie movie?
- A 1963 film starred Dick Van Dyke, Janet Leigh, and Ann-Margret, with Paul Lynde reprising his stage role, and a 1995 ABC TV movie starred Jason Alexander, Vanessa Williams, and Chynna Phillips.
The story of Bye Bye Birdie
Set in the fictional town of Sweet Apple, Ohio, in the late 1950s, Bye Bye Birdie follows the fallout when teen idol Conrad Birdie is drafted into the army. His struggling songwriter and manager, Albert Peterson, cooks up a publicity stunt in which Birdie will give one last televised kiss to a lucky fan, Kim MacAfee, before shipping out.
Alongside the showbiz farce runs a quieter story about Albert and his devoted secretary and girlfriend, Rosie Alvarez, who wants him to give up the music business and marry her. The show gently satirizes celebrity worship, generational tension between teenagers and their parents, and the pull between ambition and settling down.
The music and the makers
The score was written by composer Charles Strouse and lyricist Lee Adams, with a book by Michael Stewart. Their songs affectionately spoof the sound of early rock and roll while staying rooted in traditional, brassy Broadway show tunes, giving the score a knowing, comic distance from the youth culture it depicts.
Signature numbers include Put on a Happy Face, A Lot of Livin' to Do, Kids, and the title song, along with the tender ballad One Boy. That mix of old fashioned musical comedy craftsmanship with playful nods to teen pop is what gives Bye Bye Birdie its distinctive, good natured energy.
Bye Bye Birdie on Broadway
Bye Bye Birdie opened on Broadway on April 14, 1960, at the Martin Beck Theatre (now the Al Hirschfeld Theatre), directed and choreographed by Gower Champion. The original cast starred Dick Van Dyke as Albert Peterson, Chita Rivera as Rosie Alvarez, Dick Gautier as Conrad Birdie, and Susan Watson as Kim MacAfee, with Paul Lynde as Harry MacAfee and Kay Medford as Mae Peterson.
The production ran 607 performances and won four Tony Awards, including Best Musical. A 1963 film adaptation starred Dick Van Dyke, Janet Leigh, and Ann Margret, and the show has remained one of the most frequently produced titles in high school and community theatre, prized for its broad comedy and singable, danceable score.
Bye Bye Birdie: frequently asked questions
Where and when is Bye Bye Birdie set?
Bye Bye Birdie is set in 1958, mainly in the fictional town of Sweet Apple, Ohio, with its opening scenes in New York City, as rock and roll idol Conrad Birdie prepares to be drafted into the Army.
Is Bye Bye Birdie a Golden Age musical?
Yes. It opened in 1960, within Broadway's Golden Age of roughly 1943 to the mid 1960s, and follows that era's traditional book musical style even while spoofing new rock and roll teen culture.
Is Bye Bye Birdie based on a true story?
Not directly, though its plot was inspired by a real event: Elvis Presley being drafted into the Army (he received his draft notice in December 1957 and entered the Army in March 1958). Conrad Birdie is modeled on Presley, and his name is a play on singer Conway Twitty's.
Is Bye Bye Birdie still running on Broadway?
No. The original production closed on October 7, 1961, after 607 performances. Its only Broadway revival, a 2009 Roundabout production starring John Stamos and Gina Gershon, ran from October 2009 to January 2010.
When did Bye Bye Birdie open on Broadway?
Bye Bye Birdie opened on Broadway on April 14, 1960, at the Martin Beck Theatre.
Who composed Bye Bye Birdie?
Charles Strouse composed the music, with lyrics by Lee Adams and a book by Michael Stewart.
What is Bye Bye Birdie about?
It follows a rock and roll idol drafted into the army and the publicity stunt built around his farewell kiss to a small town fan.
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