1,60023
Bachelor of Jenology
1,60023

    Mar 30, 2017#201


    14K6,346
    Contributor
    14K6,346

      Mar 30, 2017#202

      NBC Makes Jennifer Lopez's 'Bye Bye Birdie' Less Sexist for TV

      NBC is giving the book and lyrics for Bye Bye Birdie a fine-tuning before the musical becomes the network's next live song-and-dance event in December.
      The original 1960 Tony-winning Broadway musical — which inspired the 1963 film — centers on a songwriter-agent Albert and his sweetheart secretary Rosie, who aim to stage a final publicity stunt for their hip-thrusting musician before he's drafted into the Army.

      However, Albert and Rosie — the latter played by Jennifer Lopez, who is also exec producing — won't be industry folks in the live staging, says Harvey Fierstein, who has finished adapting the book. "I want to be true to the time it takes place but at the same time, having Rosie be Albert's secretary whom he's having an affair with is a little sexist and old-fashioned. I didn't see any reason for that," he tells The Hollywood Reporter. "So I changed that. I made them both high school teachers."

      "He's the English teacher who writes a song, and she's the music teacher who says, 'I've got a great kid with a great voice,'" he continues. "He ends up being Conrad Birdie, who's supposed to only take one summer off to promote the record but turns into a star. It's been eight years and Rosie just wants to go back to their real lives. It really makes a lot more sense that way."

      Fierstein, currently starring in the off-Broadway play Gently Down the Stream, previously made similar modern updates to The Wiz and Hairspray for NBC. "I have great respect for Michael Stewart, who wrote the original book," he reassures. "I spoke to his sister and made sure she knew the changes I was going to make and I would hope Michael would be happy with, had he lived into our time."

      Also among the Bye Bye Birdie tweaks: The beloved opener "An English Teacher" will be repurposed with slightly changed lyrics, and many scenes and songs are reordered to accommodate the commercial-friendly format. For example, the musical will close with the climatic Ed Sullivan Show performance, which originally appears at the end of the stage show's first act.

      Further adjustments will also accommodate Lopez's wish for the airing to highlight Rosie's struggles as a Puerto Rican woman about to hit middle age and in a relationship with a man afraid of commitment, as seen in the original musical's book but lost in the 1963 film. Adds Fierstein, "Then, you know, Jennifer Lopez knows what she wants out of performing."
      http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/rambli ... -tv-989253

      8,0063,390
      Doctor of Jenology
      8,0063,390

        Mar 30, 2017#203

        I think it's good for her!

        12K11,438
        Contributor
        12K11,438

          Mar 30, 2017#204

          I don't know enough about musicals to care or to have an opinion but regardless I'm excited for this. Really hope she pulls this off and gets some acclaim.

          46K3,606
          Admin
          46K3,606

            Mar 30, 2017#205

            I'm glad he's adjusting the book, but it's hard to say if it's a good thing or bad thing because I've only seen the movie. If he's worried about the sexism, I wonder if racism will still be part of it.

            Nice to see Queen JLo had her input, haha.

            12K588
            Doctor of Jenology
            12K588

              Mar 30, 2017#206

              Crazy4JenL wrote:I don't know enough about musicals to care or to have an opinion but regardless I'm excited for this. Really hope she pulls this off and gets some acclaim.
              +1

              14K2,614
              Doctor of Jenology
              14K2,614

                Mar 30, 2017#207

                so now Rose will be a Music Teacher !!!!! cool

                20K7,828
                Doctor of Jenology
                20K7,828

                  Mar 30, 2017#208

                  I'd like to see someone famous in this. Not only Jen. Maybe it would help with promo and ratings lol and I feel like every project she does recently everything depends on her. It must be stressful lol

                  12K588
                  Doctor of Jenology
                  12K588

                    Mar 30, 2017#209

                    Luka711 wrote:I'd like to see someone famous in this. Not only Jen. Maybe it would help with promo and ratings lol and I feel like every project she does recently everything depends on her. It must be stressful lol
                    lol true but tbh i think Nick Jonas will get the part. ;) Also i think Jen enjoys and wants the attention. :oops:

                    46K3,606
                    Admin
                    46K3,606

                      Mar 30, 2017#210

                      panos86 wrote:
                      Luka711 wrote:I'd like to see someone famous in this. Not only Jen. Maybe it would help with promo and ratings lol and I feel like every project she does recently everything depends on her. It must be stressful lol
                      lol true but tbh i think Nick Jonas will get the part. ;) Also i think Jen enjoys and wants the attention. :oops:
                      People like her thrive on that kind of pressure. I wouldn't be able to deal, lol.

                      2049
                      Contributor
                      2049

                        Mar 31, 2017#211


                        12K11,438
                        Contributor
                        12K11,438

                          Mar 31, 2017#212

                          I wonder if she will actually sing live? I kind of doubt she will. She is the queen of prerecorded vocals and people wondering if it's live or not.

                          2,3701,326
                          Bachelor of Jenology
                          2,3701,326

                            Mar 31, 2017#213




                            Original VS Jen's photoshot in 2009 Vanity Fair
                            It's a similar look!

                            14K6,346
                            Contributor
                            14K6,346

                              Mar 31, 2017#214

                              Crazy4JenL wrote:I wonder if she will actually sing live? I kind of doubt she will. She is the queen of prerecorded vocals and people wondering if it's live or not.
                              I was thinking about that too but that would be lame particularly if all the other performers sing live, I don't think that her songs are that hard to perform but she will have to really work on them, I think she already started.

                              23K5,924
                              Doctor of Jenology
                              23K5,924

                                Mar 31, 2017#215

                                Love_JLO wrote:Original VS Jen's photoshot in 2009 Vanity Fair
                                It's a similar look!
                                The Vanity Fair shoot was West Side Story, though.

                                1,60023
                                Bachelor of Jenology
                                1,60023

                                  Mar 31, 2017#216

                                  Crazy4JenL wrote:I wonder if she will actually sing live? I kind of doubt she will. She is the queen of prerecorded vocals and people wondering if it's live or not.
                                  I think she will :Bravo:

                                  14K6,346
                                  Contributor
                                  14K6,346

                                    Mar 31, 2017#217

                                    In original play she only has 2 real solos "An English Teacher" and "Spanish Rose" then it's mostly duets/Ensemble or short parts of songs, Kim the teenage character seem to have the hardest songs, they're probably gonna cast a Broadway star for that.

                                    Her 2 solos




                                    Her duet with Albert

                                    20K7,828
                                    Doctor of Jenology
                                    20K7,828

                                      Mar 31, 2017#218

                                      She has to sing live ... it shouldnt even be a question lol

                                      5,0542,424
                                      Doctor of Jenology
                                      5,0542,424

                                        Mar 31, 2017#219

                                        Luka711 wrote:She has to sing live ... it shouldnt even be a question lol
                                        Of course she should, but will she?

                                        20K7,828
                                        Doctor of Jenology
                                        20K7,828

                                          Mar 31, 2017#220

                                          ^I believe she will O:)

                                          22K4,143
                                          Doctor of Jenology
                                          22K4,143

                                            Mar 31, 2017#221

                                            She better do, even if it's a mess. Look at Rihanna the gurl couldn't hit a note with her cringe-voice and now she can pull some great vocals!

                                            46K3,606
                                            Admin
                                            46K3,606

                                              Mar 31, 2017#222

                                              It will be an endless debate, no matter what. Even with Hairspray plenty of people thought the vocals were pre-recorded. The producers talked about having their studio vocals available in case the exteriors were too loud if a plane came by overhead or for stuff stuff like that.

                                              14K678
                                              Admin
                                              14K678

                                                Mar 31, 2017#223

                                                The vocals should be live, but I wish the show itself would be prerecorded. So they could fix some big mistakes and polish it.

                                                I watched last years show to see what I can expect and some parts were really messy and could've been much better if they just chose the best run through of each scene. I know that's not the concept, but it would be much better tbh.

                                                2,203402
                                                Bachelor of Jenology
                                                2,203402

                                                  Mar 31, 2017#224

                                                  I bet she won't have any trouble she did great of AI with diamonds and locked out of heaven.

                                                  46K3,606
                                                  Admin
                                                  46K3,606

                                                    Mar 31, 2017#225

                                                    To be clear, I do think vocals will be live and that she will sing live.

                                                    I agree that it can be a bit messy because it's live, but I do see why they do it. It's so thrilling watching something live. It's one of the best parts about theater. On such a massive scale, though, I definitely see the pros and cons. The TV productions are so huge that the mistakes are amplified. In the theater, people are more forgiving about mistakes, but now with social media, it's so easy for people to hate-watch.

                                                    Read more posts (132 remaining)