[NEohioPAL] Review of "Bye Bye Birdie" at Porthouse Theatre

[Bob Abelman]

'Bye Bye Birdie' flies again, entertains at Porthouse Theatre

 

Bob Abelman

News-Herald, Chagrin Valley Times, Solon Times, Geauga Times Courier

Member, International Association of Theatre Critics 

 

This review appeared in the News-Herald 7/30/10

 

Like a chicken pox epidemic, some musicals seem to pop up one place and then another. Not long ago, a Fiddler on the Roof plague swept through east side theaters, metastasized to the west side, and finally peaked in PlayhouseSquare.  A recent and fast-moving outbreak of Seussical: The Musical left many stunned victims in its wake, some scarred for life.

 

A rash of Bye Bye Birdie is upon us, having first surfaced in June at the Fine Arts Association in Willoughby, opened in early July at the Straw Hat Theatre in Ashtabula, and is now playing at the Porthouse Theatre until August 8.    

 

The symptoms from experiencing this Tony Award-winning 1960 musical are quite mild.  There are no bone-rattling chills, no high fever, no dramatic mood shifts.  In fact, Bye Bye Birdie induces gentle euphoria and a pleasant sense of nostalgia for those old enough to recall the young-Elvis craze in the late-1950s or the 1963 film rendition of this musical.

 

The story, by Michael Stewart, is pure and simple.  Aspiring song writer Albert is convinced he can make his fortune and marry his girlfriend Rosie if he gets rock and roll idol Conrad Birdie, soon to be inducted into the army, to sing one of his songs on TV's The Ed Sullivan Show. 

 

The gimmick is that Conrad Birdie will kiss a randomly selected high school girl goodbye on live TV.  She happens to be Kim, who lives in conservative, small town Sweet Apple, Ohio with her steady, Hugo, her loving and quirky family, and fellow teenage ornithologists (Birdie watchers).

 

The songs, by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams, are delightful ditties that fly in the face of the early rock and roll era in which they were written, where even Conrad's anthems such as "Honestly Sincere" and "A Lot of Living to Do" are all luster and no soul.

 

Bye Bye Birdie is void of social commentary, political undertones or religious symbolism.  It is just good, wholesome and, yes, dated entertainment. No more, no less.  

 

The Porthouse Theatre production, under the direction of Terri Kent, embraces all that is light, buoyant and comedic in this play, resulting in a thoroughly delightful evening's entertainment.

 

These qualities are particularly evident in John Crawford's choreography, which celebrates the energy and innocence of early-1960s youth by having the small town teens spontaneously burst into exuberant and clever dance routines with no provocation whatsoever.

 

The dancing is performed by a superb ensemble of mostly Kent State University musical theater majors, whose honest sincerity about their adoration of Conrad Birdie permeates their every breath and action.  Leading the way is Amy Harpenau and Melissa Cotton as Kim's best friends, as well as Bailey Carter Moulse, Maren Ritter, Jason Samuel and Rumi Oyama.   

 

Nick Koesters is delightful as Albert and passes with flying colors the musical theater acid test:  selling the "Put on a Happy Face" musical number early in Act 1.  Here, Albert attempts to cheer up two young girls who feel left out of all the Birdie-mania by engaging them in song and dance and enticing them to return in kind.  This is the standard-bearer for corny musical numbers.

 

The film version employed some animation to make this work, and had Albert singing to Rosie.

 

Here, Koesters' boyish charm carries the day, aided by wonderfully playful choreography, an upbeat tempo by Jonathan Swoboda and his great orchestra, and the adorable and very talented Courtney Nelson and Lani Skelley as the sad girls.  

 

Sandra Emerick brings what Chita Rivera brought to the role of Rosie in the original stage production.  She is passionate, peppery, and possesses the wherewithal of an accomplished singer/dancer.  Emerick is a pleasure to watch and listen to.

 

Cassie Rea has the singing chops and requisite "it" factor necessary to make Kim both innocent and desirable.  So does Dan Grgic in his portrayal of Conrad Birdie.  In fact, all the players play well and add to the fun and frivolity of this production.

 

The show's only misstep is milking the moments when Kim's father, played broadly but effectively by Marc Moritz, attempts to steal the spotlight from Conrad and Kim during the big kiss scene.  Sometimes less is more.

 

All this activity takes place on Nolan O'Dell's era-appropriate set, where a series of rotating doors give way to energetic entrances, quick exits and scene changes that help move this show along at the perfect pace.  Unfortunately, each door is manned by a clearly seen, stoic and plain-clothed stagehand, which momentarily disrupts the Sweet Apple ambiance so purposefully fashioned by the cast. 



Catching this strand of Bye Bye Birdie at the Porthouse Theatre is the cure for these dog days of summer.  Comedy and corny done well are very pleasant contagions. 

 

Bye Bye Birdie continues through August 8 at Porthouse Theatre, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Cuyahoga Falls.  For tickets, $22 to $33, call 330-929-4416 or visit http://dept.kent.edu/theatre/porthouse/TicketInfo.htm.
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