Broadway Reviews – Bye Bye Birdie
By Lori Draz
Bye Bye Birdie
From Elvis, to the Jonas Brothers, young girls have always had an idol to worship and for these two hours, it’s Conrad Birdie, twitching to give one lucky girl one last kiss on his way to the Army. The first Broadway revival of this time tested favorite has TV veteran John Stamos courageously taking on the 
Albert role, made famous by Dick Van Dyke. Stamos shows off some decent dancing as he blindly evades the so-sexy Gina Gershion, and shows devotion to his fur coat clad Mama, played by veteran actress Jayne Houdyshell The energetic cast includes Tony Award Winner Bill Irwin and generously introduces newcomers in leading and supporting roles, including two cast members from Marlboro. It’s a colorful production that attracts some of the most eager audiences on Broadway. It seems like everyone knew each line, probably because everyone has been in or near a production of the show sometime. Mothers explained to daughters that people really did use telephones to gossip, like they did in the bubbly “The Telephone Hour” (Going Steady), groups compared notes, andall came to worship at the Birdie idol. The revival of Bye Bye Birdie is perfect at these difficult times. It’s wholesome, happy, funny and innocent; it’s also been extended due to overwhelming crowds, but still is a limited run show so go before its says Bye Bye. Bye Bye Birdie is at the Henry Miller Theater on 43rd St, between 6th and Broadway and has some of the most comfortable seats in NYC.
We had the chance to talk with Jayne Houdyshell, who tells us that all her years of traveling the country doing regional theater and her time on Broadway made playing guilt-flinging Mama possible. She actually read the part two years ago, before the production ever got started and got the call for the role. “I am so grateful. This is a wonderful part and I see that sometimes what you do years ago, reaps rewards later. This is a remarkable crew of very generous spirits. I especially enjoy being around the enthusiastic young actors. It reminds me why I got into this life.” Growing up in the Midwest, she learned much about performing from listening to cast albums. “ When you have the fire in you, you find a way to feed it.”
The cast also features two young actors from Marlboro…Paul Pilcz as the crackly voiced Harvey Johnson and Jillian Mueller as one of the fan club girls. Paul started performing at age four at local Temple shows and credits much of his development to the wonderful training he received at Howell Performing Arts. “I went onto Montclair State but those days in Howell were awesome.” “The singing and dancing,,this show is such fun, and everyone is so nice.” Paul also writes original music and invites his friends to check it out at www.myspace.com/paulpilcz. 15 year old Jillian Mueller, still attends Colts Neck High School and knew from her earliest memory that she wanted to be a performer. “You have to have it in you. I have one brother who wants nothing to do with this life, but I am always working at it….dance, acting, voice lessons, I love it.“ She previously appeared in the New York production of How the Grinch Stole Christmas and advises, as Paul does, to never give up.
