Bye Bye Birdie

Bye Bye Birdie is a 1995 musical comedy television film directed by Gene Saks with a screenplay by Michael Stewart based on his book of the 1960 stage musical of the same name. It features music and lyrics by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams respectively. It stars Jason Alexander and Vanessa Williams and features Chynna Phillips, Tyne Daly, Marc Kudisch, George Wendt, and Sally Mayes. It was produced by RHI Entertainment and released by ABC on December 3, 1995. It is the second film adaptation of the musical, the first being in 1963. Plot In 1959, it is announced that Conrad Birdie (loosely based on Elvis Presley), the most popular rock and roll singer, is to be drafted into the army, upsetting teenagers across the country. Included in this group is Albert Peterson, Birdie's manager and songwriter, and Rose 'Rosie' Alvarez, his long-time girlfriend. Rose tells Albert that she wants him to leave the music and study to become an English teacher at NYU ("An English Teacher"). However, Albert's mother, Mae, wants him to continue managing Al-mae-lou, the music studio she and Albert created. Rosie comes up with an idea for one final public stunt before Birdie's drafting. She plans to pick a girl from a stack of names and send Birdie to kiss her and sing one final song on live television. Kim MacAfee from Sweet Apple, Ohio is chosen but all the phone lines there are busy. This is due to the news that Kim got pinned to Hugo Peabody ("The Telephone Hour"). In Sweet Apple, Kim has decided to mature herself into a grown woman ("How Lovely To Be A Woman") but quickly loses this mentality when she learns that she will be kissed by Birdie. Albert and Rosie arrive in Sweet Apple and Albert confronts a girl about being too old to date Birdie when he comes back from war ("Put On A Happy Face"). Conrad arrives and Albert and Rosie feed reporters false stories in an attempt to clean up his past ("A Healthy, Normal American Boy"). Hugo worries that Birdie's arrival will cause Kim to break up with him, but she assures him that Conrad means nothing to her ("One Boy"). Though everyone is ablaze about Birdie's arrival, Rosie is still upset about Albert's career choice ("Let's Settle Down"). Birdie is awarded a key to the city by the mayor of Sweet Apple but the ceremony breaks into chaos when he begins singing ("Honestly Sincere").