Chita Rivera and Brent Spiner: An English Teacher and Rosie from Bye Bye Birdie

The original Rose Grant/Alvarez and Star Trek’s Lieutenant Commander Data recreate the opening and closing numbers from Bye Bye Birdie. Chita says: “The people who try and change ’Birdie’ tend to mess it up. It’s anchored in a particular time and place. In my opinion, the original ending that (director) Gower Champion gave it is inspired. The musical theater that I came from always ended the same way: After all these big numbers, the whole cast comes downstage and sings whatever was supposed to be the show’s hit song in this big, overblown fashion. What Gower did to end ’Birdie’ was to have two people, Albert and Rose singing this very simple, very sweet song called ’Rosie’ and just walking into the sunset. It couldn’t have been more effective or more beautiful.“