Bye Bye Birdie: Youth Edition

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Cast Size

6girl(s), 6boy(s), 6any gender (youth) plus ensemble
Duration

60 minutes (1 hour)
Subgenre

Theatre for Young Audiences, Period
Target Audience

Appropriate for All Audiences, Children (Age 6-10)

Accolades

Winner! Four 1961 Tony Awards, including Best Musical
Nominee: Eight 1961 Tony Awards
Winner! 1961 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical
Winner! 1996 Primetime Emmy Award, Outstanding Music & Lyrics

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Bye Bye Birdie

Details

Summary

Bye Bye Birdie: Youth Edition is a one-hour adaptation of Bye Bye Birdie, specially tailored for elementary and middle school-aged actors. The materials have been prepared to help your school or organization mount the best possible production and to give your young cast and crew an exciting and rewarding experience.

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A loving musical send-up of the early 1960s, small-town America, teenagers, and rock & roll, Bye Bye Birdie remains as fresh and vibrant as ever. Teen heartthrob Conrad Birdie has been drafted, so he chooses all-American girl Kim McAfee for a very public farewell kiss. Featuring a tuneful high-energy score, plenty of great parts for kids, and a hilarious script, Bye Bye Birdie remains one of the most popular shows in schools across the country. Hit songs include “Put on a Happy Face,” “One Last Kiss,” “One Boy,” “A Lot of Livin’ to Do,” “Kids!” and “Rosie.”

History

Bye Bye Birdie opened on Broadway, April 14, 1960 and played for 607 performances at the Martin Beck Theatre (later at the 54th Street and the Shubert Theatres) starring Chita Rivera as Rose and Dick Van Dyke as Albert. The show played for 268 performances in London at Her Majesty's Theatre. In 2009, it was revived on Broadway at Henry Miller’s Theatre.

Cast Attributes

Keywords

Performing Groups

Time Period 1950s
Setting New York City and Sweet Apple, Ohio, 1960.
Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes, Period Costumes
Duration 60 minutes (1 hour)
Cautions
- No Special Cautions

Media

“A superbly stylish throwback to the 1950s! Genuine fun, fizz and frenzy... total silliness.” – The Chicago Sun-Times

“An amusing, light-hearted send-up of 50s teen culture... Written in 1960, this Broadway musical may have been one of the earliest satires of 1950s middle-class society... the entire show is a colorful delight.” – Chicago Critic

“A rollicking musical firmly rooted in the 50s, Bye Bye Birdie has been popular since its 1960 Broadway debut. Michael Stewart's scripts holds up... the tunes are eminently hummable... the show stopped as individual scenes recieved ovations from the capacity audience.” – The LA Times

Videos

Strouse and Adams on Bye Bye Birdie
Bye Bye Birdie on Broadway 2009
"The Telephone Hour"
"Honestly Sincere"
"A Lot of Livin' To Do"
"Put On A Happy Face"

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Photos

Image: 2024 Kennedy Center Production (Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

Image: 2024 Kennedy Center Production (Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

Image: 2009 Roundabout Theatre Company Production (Joan Marcus)

Image: 2009 Roundabout Theatre Company Production (Joan Marcus)

Image: Sam Norkin

Image: Sam Norkin

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Music

Music Samples

Musical Style Classic Broadway, Pop/Rock
Dance Requirements Easy
Vocal DemandsEasy
Chorus Size Large

Licensing & Materials

Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

PLEASE BE ADVISED: There are multiple versions of this title. Before you proceed, please double-check to ensure that you are applying for the version you want. We will not be able to refund rental or shipping fees if you pay for the wrong version. If you’re not sure which version best suits your needs, you may purchase a perusal for each available version.

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Scripts

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Add-Ons

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Authors

Michael Stewart

Michael Stewart (1924-1987) scored on Broadway the first time when he won a Tony Award for his Bye Bye Birdie libretto. He was the librettist for Carnival (Drama Critics Circle Award) and Hello, Dolly!, which earned him both a Tony and Drama Critics prize. Stewart also wrote ...

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Charles Strouse

Charles Strouse is one of America's most successful musical theatre composers. His first Broadway musical, Bye Bye Birdie (1960), written with his long-time collaborator Lee Adams, won him a Tony Award and the London Critics Best Foreign Musical Award. In 1970, Applause, star ...

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Lee Adams

Lee Adams began his professional career as a journalist, working as a newspaper reporter, magazine writer and editor, and radio writer and interviewer. But his life took a sudden turn when his “hobby” of lyric writing led to Bye, Bye Birdie in 1960. This unheralded little Bro ...

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Bye Bye Birdie: Youth Edition