Review: BYE BYE BIRDIE at Goodspeed Opera House

When looking for memorable images from America in the late 50's/early 60's, you are bound to find some old standards. Mom in the kitchen baking, Dad returning home from a long day at the office, children playing with their Slinky/Mr. Potato Head while drinking Tang, or the iconic footage of man walking on the moon for the first time. These images immediately place you firmly in an era where tradition crashed headlong into a world of new sights and sounds. And it is these images that brilliantly set the stage (and the mood) during the overture for Goodspeed Musicals' new production of the classic Adams/Strouse/Stewart musical, BYE BYE BIRDIE; and they signal the nostalgic, yet amazingly fresh romp the audience will experience for the next two hours.

Full disclosure, I had never seen a professional production of BYE BYE BIRDIE until attending the show at the Goodspeed Opera House. Sure, like many, I had attended high school performances and seen the TV/movie versions, but I was extremely excited for this production and the opportunity to experience it anew. I was not disappointed. This production is vibrant, energetic, fresh, and really funny. It captures the time-period perfectly from the slang to the costumes, and especially the frenzy caused by a handsome young singer not afraid to shake his hips to the new beats of Rock and Roll.

There are many things that make BYE BYE BIRDIE a great evening of theater. First, Jenn Thompson who directed the show, ensures that the cast keeps the energy going from the first note to the last bow. And as this is a show that has the potential to feel slow if not done properly, MS. Thompson avoids the typical pitfalls that could drag the production down. I am often wary of placing actors in the audience, but her staging of the Town Hall and Theater scenes worked perfectly, placing the actors in the aisles and making the audience feel like part of the show.

As for the cast, this is a very strong ensemble led by some amazing lead performers. First, Janet Dacal (Rosie) and George Merrick (Albert) have great chemistry, fully exploring the frustrated mix of love interest/co-worker. Mr. Merrick's facial expressions and movement during "Put on a Happy Face" simply made me do just that and Ms. Dacal's brilliant "Spanish Rose" brought the house down. The MacAfees (Donna English, Warren Kelley, and Ben Stone-Zellman) were the perfect foil for Kim (Tristan Buettel) who is thrown headlong into the media frenzy that hits Sweet Apple, Ohio. Warren Kelley (Mr. MacAfee), in particular, stole his every scene with a not-too-gruff, but not-so-nice attitude. And Alex Walton as Kim's poor, cast aside boyfriend, Hugo, was perfectly confused, yet determined not to let this "One Last Kiss" steal his girl away from him. In the title role, Rhett Guter (Conrad Birdie) shows off some spot on dance moves and convincing vocals that made me believe he was actually the rock star he played on stage.

However, in my opinion, the standout performance of the night was Kristine Zbornik as Mae Petersen, Albert's overpowering mother. She is only in a handful of scenes, but she steals every one of them, evoking perfect comic timing and a character that you love to hate and hate to love. Her 11 o'clock number "A Mother Doesn't Matter Anymore", had the audience laughing and cheering. This song wasn't even in the original production, so kudos to Jenn Thompson and the creative team for adding it; I can't imagine the show without it!

And talking about the creative team, some amazing work across the board. The sets by Tobin Ost were perfectly suited for the era. I particularly loved the giant plantation shades at the back of the stage that created a mid-western suburban feel while also functioning as a seamless way to change scenes. The choreography by Patricia Wilcox captured all the styles you would expect for a show in this period. "A Lot of Livin' To Do" was particularly fresh and thrilling. David Toser's costumes were perfect. In particular, his subtle use of pink contrasted with black and white in the Penn Station scene was exceptional. Finally, the music, as orchestrated by Dan DeLange and directed by Michael O'Flaherty was without flaw.

Goodspeed has, once again, done what they do so very well - take a classic of American Musical Theater and breathe fresh life into it. So, whether you have never seen a production of BYE BYE BIRDIE, or you have seen dozens, I highly recommend checking out this amazing production from Goodspeed Musicals. And I am honestly sincere when I say you will definitely leave the theater with a happy face.

--

BYE BYE BIRDIE runs at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, CT through September 8. Performances are Wednesdays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. (with select performances at 2:00 p.m., Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. (with select performances at 6:30 p.m.) For more information, call 860-873-8668 or visit www.goodspeed.org. The Goodspeed Opera House is located at 6 Main Street, East Haddam, CT.

Photo credits: Top photo: The cast of Goodspeed Musicals' Bye Bye Birdie, now playing at The Goodspeed through September 8. Photo Credit © Photo by Diane Sobolewski

Mid photo: "Put on a Happy Face" Rose (Janet Dacal) and Albert (George Merrick) in Goodspeed Musicals' Bye Bye Birdie, now playing at The Goodspeed through September 8. Photo Credit © Photo by Diane Sobolewski

Bottom photo: "A Mother Doesn't Matter Anymore" George Merrick as Albert Peterson and Kristine Zbornik as Mae Peterson in Goodspeed Musicals' Bye Bye Birdie, now playing at The Goodspeed through September 8. Photo Credit © Photo by Diane Sobolewski

To post a comment, you must register and login.