Jennifer Lopez is a busy lady. She’s in the crime drama Shades of Blue on NBC, she has a Vegas residency at Caesars and now we’re hearing that she’s slated for one of those live action musicals which are inexplicably popular lately. Lopez is going to do a live version of Bye Bye Birdie on NBC, which is being coproduced by her longterm manager, Benny Medina. Apparently this was Lopez’s idea, because she needs to have a bunch of projects going at all times I guess.
NBC has a potent pairing for its 2017 holiday musical: singer-actress Jennifer Lopez starring in Bye Bye Birdie Live!
Lopez will play Rosie and serve as an executive producer on Birdie, which is based on the Tony Award-winning musical, NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt announced Thursday.
Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, the award-winning team behind previous live NBC adaptations of The Sound of Music, Peter Pan and The Wiz, will be executive producers, along with Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and Benny Medina. Broadway great Harvey Fierstein, who is starring in NBC’s December 7 production of Hairspray Live!, will write the teleplay adaptation.
“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,” Greenblatt said in a statement. “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 also issued a statement: “Broadway musicals and films fueled my childhood and Bye Bye Birdie was one of my favorites. 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.”
So now I’m reminded that Hairspray Live is coming. My God, what’s next – My Fair Lady, Fame, Hair, Rent, Guys and Dolls, The Music Man? I did some half ass googling and found that Rent and also The Music Man were in consideration. This trend needs to stop. Not all of these shows do well with audiences of course, The Sound of Music with Carrie Underwood was largely considered a flop and Peter Pan got mixed reviews. The latest remake, Fox’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show starring Laverne Cox did not do well at all, but that was pretaped so we can’t really lump it with this genre.
As for Bye Bye Birdie, I saw the movie with Ann-Margret when I was young and I can’t imagine anyone else in the role, but as the statement notes Chita Rivera is the original Rosie from the Broadway version and I’m mistaken about whom Lopez is playing. Ann Margaret played the teenager, Kim, and Rosie is the music industry secretary (played by Janet Leigh in the movie) who comes up with the scheme for the pop star to meet one of his fans. So this is a decent role for Lopez, it’s just not a musical which needs to be live. Grease wasn’t a total disaster though and they did a decent enough tribute. It’s easier to remake the classics then sell TV and movie executives new ideas. Can you imagine if she was still with Casper Smart? He would probably be playing the Elvis character or at least choreographing the thing.
Lopez doing blue steel face while filming Shades of Blue with Ray Liotta.
photos credit: WENN, FameFlynet and Getty
OMG please make it stop. If I want to see live theater I will go to the theater!
I will never forgive American Idol for making Jennifer Lopez popular again.
She can’t sing!!!! The whole point of live is to hear beautiful songs from musicals not auto tuned. Does she really think anyone believes that’s her real voice.
I was thinking of Jennifer the other day. I saw Lady Gaga in an interview and her face couldn’t move in an effortless natural way. The same when she was doing Carpool Karaoke with James Corden. When they were interacting, it’s like Gaga’s face couldn’t really move or make expressions, and she’s only 30. It made me think of how expressive Jennifer Lopez’s face is and how great her smile and laugh is because she’s not overstuffed with botox and fillers, and she’s in her late 40s.
I love Carpool Karaoke even when it features someone I’m blah about. But this latest one – no, just no. It just seems that EVERYTHING has to be about Gaga, that she can’t fit into any ensemble, she has to be IT. I’ll pass.
PS. jennifer Lopez is a good actress, I really like her in that way, but not so much the JLo routine.
I agree Jayna – you can tell Jennifer has not had a lot of work done and I thinks that’s wonderful! She looks great and beautifully natural. I hope she stays this way as much as possible. Please no chicken cutlet cheeks!! 🙁
She is one of the most hard working and beautiful women I have ever seen. Even her hands are perfect.
My heart is thumping crazy because I simply LOVE Bye Bye Birdie. I mean I Looooooove it, so I’ll take the camp version on tv as a Lifetime movie version of the real story, you know?
I think Jennifer will play Rosie immaculately, it actually seems like a perfectly capable role for her, that she’ll be able to be saucy and spicy.
I’m excited just because I love the idea of younger kids seeing this type of classic movie that was a classic movie when I was growing up. Telephone song is still my favorite favorite ever and that alone is good enough for me.
Wow. I am a major BBB Stan aren’t I? I seriously had no idea. (:
Everything is Rosie… because her name is Rosie…
I’m right there with you, darling!
Who will Play Kim? And Hugo? And CONRAD?!?!
Shambs I know!! Who is going to play Kim? Will she really get pinned?
I’m right there with you! I am so happy they are doing BBB!
The big problem is casting Albert, Rosie’s love interest, and Conrad Birdie, who HAS to be sort of an Elvis impersonator. I think they tried to update this on Broadway a few years ago & made Birdie a big quiffed 1980s pop star, but it was a dismal failure.
This will only work if Feinstein sticks to the original pre-Beatles setting, and they cast Albert & Birdie with decent actors.
OMG, ETA: They did a TV version of BBB in the early 2000s, with Jason Alexander as Albert & Vanessa Williams as Rosie. It was terrible – they had zero chemistry. Lopez is a good choice for Rosie – hope they find someone who has some sparks with her. Maybe Zachary Levi or James Marsden for Albert? Since Jamie Foxx is doing TV ads now, how about him? Chris Pine?
NBC: Killing your childhood, one TV special at a time.
Right???
We need more people like Lin-Manual who can write amazing musicals. I wonder if there is a lack of original musicals or if the idea of an original musical isn’t as attention grabby for a wide audience as a reboot of a classic to draw in the original audience and a new audience?
Otherwise I can’t really figure out why so many ideas keep being rebooted and regurgitated when I feel there are so many screenwriters/writers with stories to tell. It’s interesting to me.
OMG that is funny!
Grease was a lot better than ‘not a total disaster’! They did an absolutely brilliant job with it. The Wiz was excellent too.
I don’t see how this is going to work though, Lopez is a terrible live singer. You definitely don’t have to be a technically great singer to do these things, but you do need a voice that holds up live. Even if this is pre-recorded like Rocky, she needs to be singing live during the taping. I’ve seen a few of her performances, and it seems like it takes an awful lot of effort for her to perform just one song live in between poorly lip syncing.
That’s the beauty of the movie version. Rosie literally has one song alone (without dancing I think) and then the spectacular dance number (perfect for Jenny) and then mostly chorus/duet if my memory serves.
My family loved Grease! And when I was trying to come up with other musicals for my boys to watch I was showing them youtube videos from the original Bye Bye Birdie. I am so excited they are doing these! Live theater is not an option for everyone so why not make these great shows accessible for more people!!!!!
This.F*cking.Pose Dear GOD
I assume you’re not talking about the senior portrait pose against the tree shot? (;
I don’t think she has the talent. Should be a laugh.
Not everyone has the money for live theater. I think it’s great! Unlike the drastically miscast Carrie Underwood, JLo is the right type/age and has the right personality for this role. I just hope the rest of the cast isn’t white.
Zendaya for Kim? Adam Lambert for Conrad Birdie?
…never heard of this movie…Ann Margaret?…a beautiful star in her day which was a long long time ago…how about my little pony live…
Stream it – it was a touchstone musical in the 1960s – even made it into Mad Men because Hollywood sexed up the Kim part for Ann-Margret (Kim is rather virginal in the stage musical).
Why make it stop? She’s on top of her game and working. This is great for her. Go on JLO!!!
Wow. JLo must be seriously broke. I mean, does she say no to anything? Have you seen that movie Boy Next Door? It was basically a glorified Lifetime movie and JLO strips down and has simulated copulation like a wannabe actress just staring out. She looked fantastic, but it was sad. She’s JLO! I am side-eying her because she is on a grind right now which means she owes someone a lot of money.
I dont mind all these live musicals because a)Im a musical junkie and b)some people cant afford live theater and this may be their only exposure. So as long as it continues to be profitable for the network, the who cares.
That being said, Bye Bye Birdie is pretty cheesy.
Well, I am happy to see live theater on broadcast television. Not everyone can afford to go to the theater or even has good quality theater productions nearby. That said, I’m not sure about Bye Bye Birdie, but getting Lopez was smart as a draw. I actually think Guys and Dolls (with the right cast) could be a great musical for one of these network specials. Terrific score, funny book, and Michael Kidd’s original choreography was spectacular.
No she can’t sing 😒
Not sure why The Sound Of Music is called a flop and Grease referenced as not a complete disaster. TSOM is the reason for all of the live musicals because of huge ratings. Carrie’s acting was awful but nobody changed the channel. Grease also had huge ratings and really stepped up the direction and production game. I don’t think Bye Bye Birdie will do well. The other musicals were fan favorites for years. I don’t think Bye Bye Birdie will bring the same excitement.
I won’t watch! Bye Bye Birdie is my all time favorite. Ann Margaret Janet Leigh Dick Van Dyke Paul Lynde Bobby Rydel Maureen Stapleton Ed Sullivan! “I’m going to be on Ed Sullivan”. What’s this new version going to say, “I’m going to be on Carpool Karoke”? Ugh! 😒 I was probably 10 years old when I first saw the movie on TV and I had such a crush on Jesse Pearson who played Conrad Birdie to cheesy perfection. I’m ok with high school versions of Bye Bye Birdie but I can’t with JLo. Sorry. Nope.