Broadway Bomb

Critics Already Bid Bye Bye to Birdie

John Stamos' musical revival fails to impress.

Though it didn’t elicit boos from the audience, like the Met’s opening night, Bye Bye Birdie has debuted with less-than-enthusiastic reviews. The musical, inspired by Elvis Presley’s induction into the Army, opened last night on Broadway, and critics are already bemoaning its return. Delayed by technical issues, the show was preceded by a few impromptu jokes from lead John Stamos’ former Full House co-star, Bob Saget, and Don Rickles. Unfortunately, that was the highlight of the evening. Frank Sheck of the Hollywood Reporter called it “a misdirected, miscast, sluggish mishmash of a normally effervescent musical.” Stamos’ performance was “bland,” and Gina Gershon’s “uninspired.” The musical was a hit when it first premiered 1961, even receiving a Tony Award for Best Musical. But this time around a repeat of its success looks unlikely.