Bye Bye Birdie

Bye Bye Birdie is one of Broadway's most beloved works of musical theatre, and now it returns home for the first time since the original production in 1960. Starring a cast of spirited teens and all-star adults including John Stamos, Gina Gershon, and Bill Irwin and directed and choreographed by Robert Longbottom, this production takes a fresh look at the classic story of teen heartthrob Conrad Birdie's final performance before being inducted into the Army. This new rendition hits the mark on all aspects of the production, from the key character building scenes to the high powered musical numbers. With a cinematic sense of motion that draws the audience in, Bye Bye Birdie keeps the energy high all the way through to the final curtain.

Lightswitch collaborated with a team of Broadway veterans including lighting designer Ken Billington and scenic designer Andrew Jackness to integrate bold, graphic projections into this high-energy, fun-filled production. We pulled from period footage, research of 1960's graphic styles, and from the scenic and prop designs to assemble a visual language for the show.

Projection/Video design in live performance has the benefit and the burden of being able to produce images from the abstract and emotional to the purely literal. Through careful collaboration with the rest of the creative team, Lightswitch was able to enhance the bold, colorful style of the production by adding visual layers in essential scenes, and diminishing at times where the audience is meant to focus on the exposition of characters. It was important for us to enhance and adhere to the director's style of always-moving, dynamic transitions, which helped facilitate changes from book scene to music number, and from location to location.