Conrad Birdie is a pop music star on his way into the military, and his manager hatches a plan to send him out with a bang, or more precisely, with a kiss in Bye Bye Birdie.

~Review and Photos by Dana Nöllsch~

The Story of Bye Bye Birdie

Before getting into the story, I want to say that Bye Bye Birdie is a pure nostalgia set to music and dance.

The time is 1958, and Conrad Birdie is a pop sensation in the nation; all the teenage girls love him. As with many pop stars, Birdie has his head in the clouds and lives for the moment. But there is an awakening on the way.

Drafted into the military, Birdie’s life is about to change in a major way. He is faced with the prospect of being away for two years, and leaving the music business is not what he planned.

Birdie’s songwriter and manager, Albert Peterson, is concerned for the future of his company and decides to write a song to send Birdie out with a publicity stunt. Peterson’s unhappy girlfriend longs for a simpler life, his mother wants to control him, and Birdie wants a drink.

The publicity stunt involves a fan’s farewell kiss and a song that will surely be a hit. But the fan they pick has complications of her own, and the small town they are headed to is quintessentially 1950s.

Bye Bye Birdie was a Tony Award–winning success in the early 1960s and was even made into a movie in 1963.

A Little Trivia about Bye Bye Birdie

Let’s Go Steady was the original title. The inspiration was Elvis Presley’s being drafted and the media blitz surrounding that event. Conrad Birdie is a play on words with Conway Twitty, who was a musical rival to Elvis Presley at the time.

Check out some photos from Bye Bye Birdie

How about the Performances

We have come to expect exceptional musical productions from the Sierra School of Performing Arts, and  Bye Bye Birdie is a beautiful example.

The cast is outstanding, bringing 1950s nostalgia to the stage. Each member seems to channel what I would assume the energy of the 1950s was. This was most likely not easy, as none of the cast members were teenagers in the 1950s.

There is an exceptional live band that adds authenticity to the performances.

The Bottom Line

A wonderfully funny musical, Bye Bye Birdie is full of nostalgia and brings the audience back to a simpler time when no one ever said, “I lost my phone.” But the teenagers are not that well-behaved and may teach your kids some new tricks—probably nothing they don’t already know?

The Robert Z. Hawkins Amphitheater’s setting is perfect for a musical and is just right for a date night or family outing. Bring some snacks but no glass bottles, and enjoy a night of musical theatre.