Broadway's Bye Bye Birdie Goes Bye-Bye

The Roundabout Theatre Company production of the musical Bye Bye Birdie, the first-ever Broadway revival of this regional and amateur theater mainstay, is closing at the newly refurbished Henry Miller's Theatre today. Starring John Stamos (Full House on TV, Cabaret on Broadway), Gina Gershon, and Bill Irwin, Bye Bye Birdie was disliked by the critics but managed to do good enough ticket sales early in the run to merit an extension. Initially, the production was selling tickets through to April, but, presumably due to low ticket sales or to a failure to get suitable replacements for Stamos and Gershon when their contracts expired, Roundabout moved up the show's closing date to January 24. The Dame Edna/Michael Feinstein show All About Me will take up residence at the Henry Miller's Theatre following Birdie's departure.

Bye Bye Birdie Begins Broadway Performances

There are a lot of firsts happening on West 43rd Street tonight. This evening will mark the first Broadway performance of the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of Bye Bye Birdie. It will also mark the first time that the classic 1960 musical about an Elvis-style rocker has had a Broadway revival, which is quite surprising given that Bye Bye Birdie has become such a mainstay at regional theaters and high schools everywhere. And then there's the theater itself. Tonight's show will be the first public performance given at the newly refurbished Henry Miller's Theatre, which hasn't been in use for many years. Furthermore, it will mark the opening of Roundabout's third Broadway home - up until now, Roundabout has merely had two Broadway theaters for its productions, the American Airlines Theatre and Studio 54. This production of Bye Bye Birdie stars John Stamos, Gina Gershon, Allie Trimm, and Bill Irwin, and is scheduled to run until January 10, 2010. The show's official Broadway opening at Henry Miller's Theatre will be on October 15.