Bye Bye Birdie

I was fortunate enough on Thursday night to see the opening of the revival of "Bye Bye Birdie" on Broadway. This photo is from one of my favorite numbers from the show, "The Telephone Hour". The show got some pretty terrible reviews, but I found it delightful. In an earlier post, I mentioned the type of musicals being produced lately, and the power of being able to escape in these shows. This was definitely a musical to just watch, enjoy and escape from the world outside of the theater.

The best part of the show was the teenage cast members. They had so much energy and passion, you could feel every twinge of frenzied excitement that comes along with being an adolescent. It was so fun! I think one of the most poignant moments was during the numbers, "A Lot Of Livin' To Do" and "Kids", when the teens got together in the schoolyard to do what kids do when they've snuck out of the house. The fact that they cast kids ages 14-17 for the roles added to the authenticity of the excitement and restlessness they portrayed. It was such an honest moment, and it took me back to times when I felt that same thrill of danger! Sometimes, that is a great feeling to remember.

Bill Irwin stood out as Harry Macafee, and despite what the critics are saying, I loved his performance. I was lucky enough to see him speak at my college when I was an undergraduate, and I think his clown training brings such an interesting quality to his performances. As an audience member for anything with Bill Irwin, I gain healing from his humor and physical genius. Also, it wasn't too bad watching John Stamos for a couple hours...

Gotta be Sincere,

liz xo