Singer-actress Jennifer Lopez has been signed on to star in the upcoming live musical "Bye Bye Birdie".
Lopez will executive produce the project with Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Benny Medina, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. Harvey Fierstein will write the television adaptation, with the special slated to air in December, 2017, reports variety.com.
NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt announced the adaptation of the musical by Michael Stewart, Lee Adams, and Charles Strouse on Thursday at the Paley Center for Media.
The original Broadway production of "Bye Bye Birdie" won the Tony Award in 1961 for Best Musical. It starred Dick Van Dyke as Albert Peterson, the manager of rock star Conrad Birdie, and Chita Rivera as Rosie Alvarez, Albert's girlfriend and secretary.
When Birdie is drafted into the Army, Albert and Rosie concoct a plan to have Birdie give "one last kiss" to a small-town high school girl live on "The Ed Sullivan Show" before heading off for induction. The show was adapted into a 1963 feature film starring Van Dyke and Janet Leigh. A short-lived 2010 Broadway revival starred John Stamos and Gina Gershon.
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