History Theatre / ByeByeBirdie

* DisneyAcidSequence: The movie repurposed "Put On A Happy Face" from Albert comforting one of Birdie's fangirls to Albert entertaining Rosie. While he sings this version, he draws smiling faces in the air, and creates a duplicate Rosie to dance with.

* LogoJoke: In the movie, some animated red flames jump out of the Creator/{{Columbia}} lady's torch and form the title.

--> [[PaulLynde Kim's Father]]: I never told you this, but one summer I worked with the circus... all those midgets... WILD!

* TheFifties: Unabashedly shown through the nostalgic lens, though the musical was produced in 1960.
** Which is still in the cultural decade of the 50's. So, it's more of affectionate parody of teen superstars and the music industry at this point.

* UrExample: One of the very earliest examples, if not the earliest, of the Nostalgic Fifties. When the musical was first performed, having teenage protagonists--even as secondary to the adult leads--was quite novel.

* AsHimself: Ed Sullivan in the film.

''Bye Bye Birdie'' is a comedy musical inspired by the hoopla that surrounded Elvis Presley's induction into the U.S. Army, the story concerns Albert Peterson, a neurotic wannabe academic who is working as an agent for rock sensation (and troublemaker) Conrad Birdie in order to pay off his debts and return to college, and the scheme he cooks up with his secretary, Rosie Alvarez, to make a killing when Conrad is drafted into the army. Since this means he'll likely be "out of action" for at least two years, which--as we all know--might as well be forever in the entertainment business, Albert needs to cash in big and cash in now.

''Bye Bye Birdie'' is a tribute to TheFifties in the same vein as ''{{Grease}}'', though ''Bye Bye Birdie'' precedes ''Grease'' by about ten years. Inspired by the hoopla that surrounded Elvis Presley's induction into the U.S. Army, the story concerns Albert Peterson, a neurotic wannabe academic who is working as an agent for rock sensation (and troublemaker) Conrad Birdie in order to pay off his debts and return to college, and the scheme he cooks up with his secretary, Rosie Alvarez, to make a killing when Conrad is drafted into the army. Since this means he'll likely be "out of action" for at least two years, which--as we all know--might as well be forever in the entertainment business, Albert needs to cash in big and cash in now.

* AffectionateParody: The whole musical is an affectionate parody of TheFifties, focusing heavily on the affectionate.

* BlatantLies: It depends on which production does it (as some might actually have Hugo saying the following in perfect clarity, just rage), but we get Hugo walking on the stage, having just tried to get into a bar. The adults ask him what he just drank. "...Milk."

** The 1963 movie implies that her smothering was a massive BatmanGambit to force Albert to grow up as when he finally stands up to her and insists on quitting songwriting and marrying Rosie she approves.

* Cartoon Conductor: When Maestro Borov speeds up, so do the musicians and ballet dancers.
* Creepy Changing Painting: Nikita Kruschev's portrait is not happy with the ballet.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Both Broadway and Hollywood had [[TheDickVanDykeShow Rob Petrie]] while the latter features Uncle Arthur from {{Bewitched}}.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Both Broadway and Hollywood had [[TheDickVanDykeShow Rob Petrie]] while the latter features [[Series/Bewitched Uncle Arthur]].

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* HeyItsThatGuy: Both Broadway and Hollywood had [[TheDickVanDykeShow Rob Petrie]] while the latter features {{Bewitched Uncle Arthur}}.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Both Broadway and Hollywood had [[TheDickVanDykeShow Rob Petrie]] while the latter features [[Bewitched Uncle Arthur]].

* HeyIt'sThatGuy: Both Broadway and Hollywood had [[TheDickVanDykeShow Rob Petrie]] while the latter features [[Bewitched Uncle Arthur]].

* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: The play was inspired by the hysteria that accompanied Elvis Presley's induction into the U.S. Army. Screaming fangirls and all.