Bye Bye Birdie is set in the late 1950's, and the teens it portrays would be the grandparents of the teens performing on our stage tonight. That means that some of the cultural references might be a little obscure. Here's a glossary to help you make sense of some of them.
Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965). Schweitzer was a theologian and musician before becoming a doctor at age 38. Then he started a hospital in Africa. For his work there, and his writings and lectures, he received the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize. With the Nobel money, he started a leper colony.
All-clear. A signal--usually a siren--that the danger of an air-raid has passed.
Amapola. A song that became a #1 hit for the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra in 1941.
Dentifrice. Toothpaste or other tooth cleaners.
The Ed Sullivan Show. This variety show aired from 1948-1971, and launched the careers of musicians such as Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, the Jackson 5, The Doors, and many others. Its theme was "Coast to coast with your favorite host," and it aired on Sunday nights.
Flying Down to Rio/Greed. 1933's musical Flying Down To Rio starred Dolores Del Rio and Gene Raymond. It was also the first movie with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Greed is a 1924 silent film.
Granada. The original version of this song, about Granada, Spain, came out in 1932 in Spanish.
Ice House. Buildings used to store ice throughout the year, commonly used prior to the invention of the refrigerator.
Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982). Oscar winning actress. In 1950 she had an out-of-wedlock son with Italian director Roberto Rossellini (not Mussolini), which was quite the scandal, and a few months later married him.
The IRT. The Interborough Rapid Transit Company was the original New York subway. It was bought by New York City in 1940.
Jerries. Derogatory term for German soldiers, used in WWI.
Margo from Shangri-la. Shangri-la was a magical kingdom in the Himalayas, featured in the book (1933) and movie (1937), The Lost Horizon. The movie starred Mexican actress Margo, whose character wanted to leave the perfect community and go to the real world. Once she got there, the magic wore off, her true age became apparent, and she soon died.
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons. A radio show that ran from 1937-1955. Mr. Keen was played by several people over the years, and apparently the crimes rarely involved the need to trace lost persons.
