The year is 1958, and the much-adored rock-and-roll idol -- Conrad Birdie -- has been drafted into the US army. His songwriter and agent, Albert, and Albert’s secretary and longtime girlfriend, Rosie, hatch a plan for a farewell performance to take place on the Ed Sullivan show, which they hope will help sell Birdie’s new song “One Last Kiss”, and ultimately save Almaelou records from going under. To cap off the performance, Birdie will actually give ‘one-last-kiss’ to Kim MacAfee, an avid member of the Conrad Birdie fan club from Sweet Apple, Ohio.
When Albert and Rosie head to Sweet Apple to prepare for Birdie’s arrival, things start to unravel. Kim’s father is starstruck at the thought of being on Ed Sullivan with his daughter, and Kim’s new steady, Hugo, gets jealous at the thought of Kim kissing Conrad on national television. Rosie gets tired of waiting for Albert to muddle through excuses not to marry her. And Conrad Birdie is a handful to manage!
But with screwball hijinks of all ages, rousing dance numbers, and such classic tunes as “Put on a Happy Face”, “Kids”, and “A Lot of Livin’ to Do”, Bye Bye Birdie is a delightful visit to the past!
Bye Bye Birdie - Young Performers Edition guide sections
