Harvey Fierstein Updating Jennifer Lopez Role in Bye Bye Birdie Live! to Be Less 'Sexist'

NBC’s upcoming Bye Bye Birdie Live!, set to air in December, is receiving some forward-thinking tweaks to the book and lyrics, says Harvey Fierstein in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Fierstein has adapted the script for the musical's 2017 live treatment to represent the role of Rosie, to be played by Jennifer Lopez, in a more even-handed way.

"Having Rosie be Albert’s secretary whom he’s having an affair with is sexist and old-fashioned," says Fierstein, a Tony winner currently represented on Broadway by Kinky Boots and appearing onstage at the Public Theater in Gently Down the Stream.

In an effort to give the central adult couple a modern representation, Rosie will no longer be the secretary to teacher and songwriter Albert. They’ll both be 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,'" continues Fierstein, who also notes that some lyrics to the opening number “An English Teacher” will changed to better fit the new character dynamics.

As previously announced, Fierstein’s Hairspray collaborator Jerry Mitchell will codirect Bye Bye Birdie Live! with Grease: Live Emmy winner Alex Rudzinski. Further casting will be announced, but Lopez has noted that Nick Jonas is on her wish list to play the title role.