Bye Bye Birdie (1960 Original Broadway Cast) [CAST RECORDING] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] [EXTRA TRACKS]

Charles Strouse (Composer, Orchestra), Amelia Haas (Performer), Barbara Doherty (Performer), Bob Spencer (Performer), Charles Strouse (Performer), Chita Rivera (Performer), Dean Stolber (Performer), Dick Gautier (Performer), Dick Van Dyke (Performer), Don Farnworth (Performer), Ed Kresley (Performer), Eddie Becker (Performer), Gary Howe (Performer), George Blackwell (Performer), Jeannine Masterson (Performer), Jerry Dodge (Performer), Jessica Albright (Performer), Jim Sisco (Performer), Johhny Borden (Performer), Lee Adams (Artist)

Product Details

• Performer: Amelia Haas, Barbara Doherty, Bob Spencer, Charles Strouse, Chita Rivera, et al.
• Orchestra: Charles Strouse
• Composer: Charles Strouse
• Audio CD (May 30, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording, Original recording remastered, Extra tracks
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00004THM0
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #20,226 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
A lighthearted romp reflecting the Elvis revolution, Bye Bye Birdie follows Albert Peterson (a pre-Mary Poppins Dick Van Dyke), the manager of rock & roller Conrad Birdie (Dick Gautier), who is sweeping through the town of Sweet Apple on a publicity stunt surrounding his being drafted into the Army. Meanwhile, Albert's faithful but exasperated secretary (Chita Rivera) hopes he will give up show business to settle down with her and become a respectable English teacher. In Charles Strouse and Lee Adams's energetic and tuneful score, Van Dyke sings the standard "Put On a Happy Face," the high schoolers are high schoolers ("A Lot of Livin' to Do," "The Telephone Hour," "One Boy") and bewilder their parents ("Kids"), Gautier thrusts his hips ("Honestly Sincere," "One Last Kiss"), and homage is paid to that icon of home entertainment, Ed Sullivan ("Hymn for a Sunday Evening"). Bye Bye Birdie won the 1961 Tony for Best Musical, and Van Dyke reprised his role in the 1963 film version. The 2000 remastering features outstanding clarity as well as a bonus track of Strouse himself introducing and singing "Put On a Happy Face" at a Smithsonian lecture in 1978. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Lyrics Are Great, June 20, 2000

By	Tom (St. Louis, MO USA) - See all my reviews

I keep coming across reviews where people show theydon't"get it," and I always want to defend the person who wasunfairly criticized. When BBB opened on Broadway on April 14, 1960, rock and roll was for kids and Broadway musicals were for adults. Thus -- much more so than in the movie version three years later -- Bye Bye Birdie was a SATIRE of rock and roll. The rock and roll numbers in it are SATIRIZATIONS of the music AND lyrics that were typical of rock and roll at the time. So, when Lee Adams writes "one boy to joke with, have Coke with," or the "banal" lyrics in Honestly Sincere (and they're more than just banal, they're out-and-out DUMB, on purpose), he's SATIRIZING the stupid and banal lyrics of the rock and roll songs of the era. The lyrics for One Last Kiss are as silly as they can be -- and, OF COURSE, this was done on purpose! Lee Adams was actually a very clever lyricist. You can see this clearly in the non-rock-and-roll songs in BBB, especially Normal American Boy, Hymn For a Sunday Evening, Spanish Rose, Kids -- in fact, in ALL the songs for the "adults." Listen, anyone who can rhyme "bickerish" with "licorice" isn't banal!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Remastering marks a significant improvement, February 17, 2006

By	Ronald F. Payne (Alexandria, VA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If, like me, you bought your favorite cast albums in their first cd incarnation, you may be wondering if it's worth it to buy the same show album all over again. The answer is an emphatic "Yes".
Not for the bonus tracks, but the sound--I'm hearing details of performance and orchestration that I've missed before. The remastering adds clarity that will signifcantly enhance your enjoyment. The liner notes are an improvement also, giving a lot of behind the scenes perspective to how this show was developed and improved on it's way to becoming a Broadway hit.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Original Version - Original Charm, August 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bye Bye Birdie (Original Broadway Cast) (Audio CD)

What bad thing can you say about the original version of the musical that stole America's heart? Dick Van Dyke, Chita Rivera, and Susan Watson are all magnificant! This C.D. has the original charm, which makes it special every time you listen to it. I've done this play, and when I first heard this C.D., I knew this was the musical for me!