The 'Shades of Blue' star will also executive produce the live musical, which is based on the 1960 Tony-winning Broadway musical.
- Oct 28, 2016
AceShowbiz - NBC has planned its next live holiday musical. NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt announced during a panel at Paley Center in Beverly Hills that Jennifer Lopez would star in "Bye Bye Birdie Live!" set for 2017.
"Broadway musicals and films fueled my childhood and 'Bye Bye Birdie' was one of my favorites," said the former "American Idol" judge. "I'm proud to be a part of the NBC family with 'Shades of Blue' and I thought it would be a blast to take on one of their big live musicals."
"To have a superstar like Jennifer Lopez starring in this classic show, which every high school in America has done, will ensure that our holiday musicals continue to be must-see events for the whole family," added Greenblatt. "It was her idea to take on this classic singing and dancing role made famous by the legendary Chita Rivera, and we are so happy to oblige! This show has delighted audiences for generations with classic songs that include 'Put on a Happy Face' and 'A Lot of Livin' to Do', and this will be an extravagant production built around this big star."
Lopez will play Rose "Rosie" Alvarez, the secretary and miraculously patient girlfriend of frazzled songwriter and music agent Albert Peterson, in the adaptation of the 1960 Tony-winning Broadway musical starring Chita Rivera and Dick Van Dyke. The 47-year-old singer/actress will also executive produce the live telecast alongside Nuyorican Productions' Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and her manager Benny Medina.
Harvey Fierstein ("Hairspray Live!") will adapt Michael Stewart's original book of "Bye Bye Birdie" for the telecast. Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who were behind NBC's previous live musical productions "The Sound of Music Live!", "Peter Pan Live!", "The Wiz" and the upcoming "Hairspray Live!", will return as exec producers for "Bye Bye Birdie Live!".
The original Broadway play follows the hysteria of a small town in Ohio when music heartthrob Conrad Birdie pays a visit to a member of his fan club, Kim MacAfee, to give her "One Last Kiss" before being drafted into the Army. It was inspired by Elvis Presley and his induction into the Army in 1957.
