Broadway's not quiet anymore. The new season is off to a high-flying start. The newest revival, Bye, Bye, Birdie, at the new Henry Miller's, and the newest musical, Memphis, at the classic Shubert, have turn-up-the-heat choreography by, respectively, director Robert Longbottom and Sergio Trujillo. Birdie's Conrad B., as gyratingly and high-flyingly portrayed by former gymnast Nolan Gerard Funk, and the amazing Sweet Apple, Ohio, & and Memphis' breathlessly jiving ensemble are reason enough to catch the two shows. The beloved, Tony-winning Charles Strouse/Michael Stewart Best Musical, BBB (seemingly a staple in annual school productions) is a thinly-disguised parody of the Elvismania that swept the nation when the rock 'n' roll king was inducted into the Army at the peak of his popularity. In a huge promotion, Birdie's manager Albert Peterson, played by John Stamos, wreaks havoc on a small town by having his star plant one last kiss on a more-than-willing teen.
Too bad the teen's mom doesn't have a lot to do. It's sad because the role is filled by the always watchable Dee Hoty. Dad is portrayed by one of theater/circusdom's great clowns, the always irrepressible, ingratiating Bill Irwin, who does some high-flying of his own. You hire a clown, you get a clown. Does his love-it/hate-it performance distract from the show? Yes, particularly in the rendition of what should be one of the show's supreme showstoppers, "Kids." As rendered by Irwin and Hoty, it comes over as a throwaway number.
Assuming director Longbottom didn't want Irwin's wild antics, he would have spun him in a different direction. Few critics were bowled over by Irwin's havoc wrecking; however, audiences are ROTFL. Along with the choreography, Irwin scores as one of the show's high points - which says something about the Roundabout production itself.
In the role of Mae Peterson, Albert's interfering mother, Irwin gets fierce competition from Tony-nominated (for Well) Jayne Houdyshell, an actress not exactly born to the realm of sarcastic comedy, as was the gifted original, so memorably played by Kay Medford (Funny Girl).
