BYE BYE BIRDIE CHARACTERS
BYE BYE BIRDIE SONGS
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Pix from when I was in Bye Bye Birdie
At the office of Almaelou Music, New York City, music manager Albert Peterson is worried sick about his failing music company. His main star, Conrad Birdie, has been drafted into the army, meaning income will drop tremendously. His secretary and fiancie, Rose Alvarez, reminds him of the simple life he could have led if he had become AN ENGLISH TEACHER, like he wanted, instead of going into music like his mother wished. Rose concocts the idea of having Albert write a special farewell song for Conrad, "One Last Kiss," which Conrad will perform on the Ed Sullivan show to millions of television fans, obviously guaranteeing its instant success. She also suggests he sing it to one of the members of Conrad's numerous fan clubs. They will release the record, settle any debts and close the business. With Albert jumping on the idea, Rose picks one of Conrad's fans at random - Kim MacAfee, of Sweet Apple, Ohio. Rose calls Kim and is greeted by every line in Sweet Apple being busy.
The reason for the phone's occupation is it is THE TELEPHONE HOUR and all the teenagers in Sweet Apple are chatting about how Kim MacAfee just "got pinned" to Hugo Peabody. We see Kim on the phone with her best friend Ursula. Kim, thinking of herself as a mature young woman, ironically changes into jeans and a baseball cap as she wallows in the feeling of HOW LOVELY TO BE A WOMAN. The phone call from Rose finally breaks Kim's mature fagade.
Albert and Rose are the Pennsylvania Station, New York waiting for Conrad so they can board a train to Ohio. While waiting, Albert cheers up a girl sadden by Conrad's sudden army duties (PUT ON A HAPPY FACE) and we meet Albert's domineering, over-the-top mother, Mrs. Mae Peterson. Conrad arrives (A HEALTHY, NORMAL, AMERICAN BOY) and the three are off the Sweet Apple.
There, Kim is getting ready to greet Conrad as he steps off his train. She is stopped by her boyfriend, Hugo, who is upset that she is now turning her back on their new relationship to go "kiss somebody else." Kim reassures him that there is only ONE BOY for her - and that's him. Rosie watches and parallels their feelings to her own situation with Albert - She is Hugo, Albert is Kim and Mrs. Peterson is Conrad, the one force distracting Albert from marriage (ONE BOY Reprise).
The town mayor greets Conrad, and the entourage of screaming girl fans ask Conrad how he makes "that glorious sound." He simply replies that you have to be HONESTLY SINCERE.
The next morning, Mr. MacAfee laments the way Conrad, Albert and Rose have taken over his house. He refuses to see the excitement Kim is going through. Yet, when Albert informs the MacAfee family they will appear with Kim on the Ed Sullivan Show, they give a HYMN FOR A SUNDAY EVENING (ED SULLIVAN).
Rose and Albert search for places to hold the Ed Sullivan show in town. While doing so, Albert admits he wrote his mama to tell her he is dissolving Alamelou. Rose is ecstatic until Mama Peterson arrives (thinking her son crazy) along with a new secretary for Albert - the tap dancing, bubble-gum chewing Gloria Rasputin. Rose's anger matches Hugo and they hatch a plan for the following evening on the Ed Sullivan Show.
Conrad performs ONE LAST KISS with Kim (and her fame-seeking father), but Hugo rushes on before they can kiss. Hugo punches out Conrad, and Rose says good-bye to Albert as the first act ends.
The second act opens with Rosie and Kim ridding themselves of their men - WHAT DID I EVER SEE IN HIM? Rosie decides to go out on the town and "live" to get back at her mamma's boy of a fiancie. Kim wants to go to, but Mr. MacAfee stops her. Conrad, still recovering that same evening from Hugo's punch, wants to go out and have some fun his last night before he goes into the army. Albert says no. Yet, Conrad and Kim are very determined, as they have A LOT OF LIVIN' TO DO and sneak out of the house for some fun.
The MacAfees discover Kim is gone and along with the other neighborhood parents, lament about their "irresponsible, impossible" KIDS.
Hugo goes to a bar and attempts to drink himself to death - but the bartender doesn't believe his fake age impression and throws him out. Rosie appears and explains her situation to the bartender. Albert calls the bar, having called every other hotspot in the area, looking for Rosie. The other men in the bar, along with Albert, plead with Rose - BABY, TALK TO ME. Rosie hangs up, and notices a backroom in the other end of the bar. She walks in, uninvited on a Shriner's meeting and has a ball dancing and teasing them (THE SHRINER'S BALLET).
Meanwhile, Albert sets out on foot to find Rose, being followed by his mother. He finally gets up enough courage to tell her to go home. She replies that A MOTHER DOESN'T MATTER ANYMORE. Albert admits he has made A GIANT STEP just before Mr. MacAfee arrives and Hugo stumbles on, drunk off of milk. He tells Albert and Mr. MacAfee that Kim and Conrad have gone off to the ice house. Mr. MacAfee becomes enraged and once again complains about KIDS Reprise.
Albert, Mr. MacAfee, Hugo, police officers and Rose all appear at the ice house, just after Kim and Conrad had some privacy and then were burst in upon by Ursula and the other teens. Mrs. Peterson appears, and Rose exchange words about becoming her daughter-in-law. Mrs. Peterson, who has continually mocked Rosie's Spanish heritage, makes one more remark and Rose replies with her rousing rendition of SPANISH ROSE.
The next morning, Kim and Hugo are back together (now engaged), and Albert sends Conrad and his mother off on a train. Rose arrives, realizing Albert sent them away so they could pursue their own marriage. Albert has written a song for Rose and as they board a train for Pumpkin Falls, Iowa (where there is an English teacher opening) he performs it for her - ROSIE.
