Exceeding expectations,
Bye Bye Birdie
, the first hit for the team of
Lee Adams
and
Charles Strouse
, ran for 607 performances on Broadway. Opening on April 14, 1960, the show tells the story of a scheme by the agent of a
rock
singer to recoup some of the money he spent promoting this
Elvis Presley
-type singer before he has to leave to meet his military commitment. The scheme involves a contest where the teenage girl winner was to kiss the star,
Conrad Birdie
, played by
Marty Wilde
, on the
Ed Sullivan Show
. The scheme gets sidetracked by
Birdie
's interfering mother, the contest winner's steady, and the long-suffering agent's girlfriend. The London version opened in 1961, as the irrepressible
Chita Rivera
repeated as the pining girlfriend,
Rose Grant
.
Peter Marshall
got the agent's role, originated by
Dick Van Dyke
, and a legitimate
star,
, played
. Because of its uniquely American character, the show was not nearly as successful on London's West End as on Broadway, closing after only 268 performances. Even though the show was made into a movie and TV special, it didn't produce any songs that were to become entries in the Great American Popular Songbook.
"Put on a Happy Face,"
"A Lot of Livin' to Do,"
"Kids"
made it to the front door, but never quite got in. Even though the show was not that well received, the London cast album is quite good. Perhaps
Marshall
did not quite define the role of
Albert Peterson
as did
Van Dyke
. But then
was someone special. This release is one of a series of reissues by
Decca
of original cast musical recordings using 24 bit digital technology to get a bright clear sound. ~ Dave Nathan