Jennifer Lopez will be starring in NBC’s next live musical, and we CAN’T WAIT
As forever fans of J-Lo, we almost couldn’t handle it when Entertainment Weekly told us that Lopez is starring in NBC’s next live musical: Bye Bye Birdie! And if you crush hard on J-Lo like we do, you’ll know that she has a lot going on right now.
Between her gritty role as a Columbian drug lord in an HBO movie, starring in NBC’s Shades of Blue, and fighting for gender equality with the United Nations (and being a devoted mom), we don’t know how she’s fitting in a musical —but it’s happening and that’s all that matters! So what’s the role, you ask? Lopez will play Rosie Alvarez, the girlfriend of music agent Albert Peterson.
Here’s what NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt said in a statement:
"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."
And indeed it WILL be a must-see! The musical features a host of show-stopping classic songs, including “Put on a Happy Face” and “A Lot of Livin’ To Do,” and we’re beyond excited to see how Lopez brings her signature style to the performance.
This particular role also seems very meaningful to Lopez, as she grew up on a diet of musical film.
"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."
Did we mention this is being adapted for television by the guy responsible for adapting Hairspray — Harvey Fierstein? Yessss! Oh my gosh, we CAN’T WAIT to venture back to the 1950s and see J-Lo do her thing.
