Bye Bye Birdie - Broadway Creative Team

Michael Stewart was an American playwright and librettist born on August 1, 1924, in Manhattan, New York City. He began his career writing for television, including shows such as "The Red Buttons Show" and "The Steve Allen Show." However, it was his work on Broadway that would make him a household name. Stewart's first Broadway credit came in 1955 with "By the Beautiful Sea," a musical comedy that he wrote the book for. He would go on to write the books for several other hit musicals, including "Carnival!" (1961), "Hello, Dolly!" (1964), and "42nd Street" (1980). "Hello, Dolly!" in particular was ... read more Tony Mordente (December 3, 1935 – June 11, 2024) was an American actor, dancer, choreographer, and television director. He attended the High School of Performing Arts and won a scholarship to the American Ballet Theater School. There he was discovered by the choreographer Michael Kidd, who cast him as Lonesome Polecat in the 1956 Broadway musical adaptation of the Al Capp comic strip Li'l Abner. Mordente was then featured in the Broadway (1957) and West End productions and film version of West Side Story, during which time he met his future wife Chita Rivera, who played Anita in the original Broadway cast. ... read more