Jennifer Lopez to star in NBC's 'Bye Bye Birdie': Is live element key to success?
Live musical productions have become popular over the past few years for NBC, and Fox has tried it out, too. Fox's recent pre-taped 'Rocky Horror' production, however, was less of a success.
Live musical productions have become popular over the past few years for NBC, and Fox has tried it out, too. Fox's recent pre-taped 'Rocky Horror' production, however, was less of a success.
NBC viewers will be saying hello to Conrad Birdie for the network鈥檚 next live musical, which will star Jennifer Lopez.
NBC has announced that its 2017 live musical production will be 鈥淏ye Bye Birdie,鈥� which takes place during the 1950s and centers on an Elvis Presley-like singer visiting a small town in Ohio. Ms. Lopez is set to play Rosie, who is the secretary and girlfriend of musician Conrad Birdie鈥檚 manager, Albert.
NBC has made a tradition the past few years of airing a live musical production during the holidays, after garnering big ratings for its 2013 foray back into the medium, 鈥淭he Sound of Music Live!鈥� Last year鈥檚 鈥淭he Wiz Live!鈥� also did well in the ratings, though no production since has yet topped 鈥淢usic.鈥澛�
NBC is set to air 鈥淗airspray Live!,鈥� which will star Maddie Baillio, Harvey Fierstein, and Ariana Grande, on Dec. 7.
The productions have been enough of a success that one other network has gotten in on it, with Fox airing 鈥淕rease: Live鈥� earlier this year. The ratings for the production were also a success for the network.聽
One recent stumble in the musical TV department suggests that viewers are most intrigued by the live aspect of these productions.聽
On Oct. 20, Fox aired a remake of the musical 鈥淭he Rocky Horror Picture Show,鈥� starring Laverne Cox. Unlike its production of 鈥淕rease鈥� and the NBC productions, however, the show was pre-taped.聽
Ratings were lower than they were for "Grease," which聽Tony Maglio of TheWrap聽attributed to聽the non-live aspect of the show.
鈥淭here was less incentive to tune in the same way,鈥� Mr. Maglio wrote.聽
However, Variety writer Oriana Schwindt thinks other factors contributed to the production鈥檚 lower ratings.聽
鈥淯nlike musicals like 鈥楪rease鈥� and 鈥楾he Wiz,鈥� 鈥楻ocky Horror鈥� has a far more niche (if far more passionate) fan base,鈥� Ms. Schwindt wrote.