Nolan Gerard Funk, Allie Trimm, Dee Hoty and More to Star in Bye Bye Birdie

Nolan Gerard Funk of Nickelodeon’s Spectacular! will headline the upcoming Roundabout Theatre Company revival of Bye Bye Birdie on Broadway. Dee Hoty, Matt Doyle, Molly Ephraim, Jane Evan Schwencke, Allie Trimm will also join previously announced stars John Stamos, Gina Gershon, Bill Irwin and Jayne Houdyshell in the production. The show, directed and choreographed by Robert Longbotton, will begin performances at Henry Miller’s Theatre where it will inaugurate the newly renovated venue on September 10 and open there on October 15.

Funk, who will play the Elvis-like teen idol Conrad Birdie, is known for his starring role as Nikko in Spectacular! With the number one soundtrack and a top 10 album on iTunes, Funk also had his first song on the Billboard charts, "Break My Heart." His TV credits include The L Word, Smallville, Supernatural, Lie to Me and a recurring role on Aliens in America. His movie appearances include X2 and the upcoming films Triple Dog and Bereavement.

Three-time Tony nominee Hoty Footloose, The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public, The Will Rogers Follies will play Mrs. McAfee; Doyle Spring Awakening, Gossip Girl will play Hugo Peabody; Ephraim Fiddler on the Roof, Into the Woods will play Ursula Merkle; Evan Schwencke Distracted will play Randolph MacAfee; and Trimm 13 will play Kim MacAfee. Additional casting will be announced shortly.

Set in 1960 and featuring music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Lee Adams and a book by Michael Stewart, Bye Bye Birdie finds hip-swingin’ superstar Conrad Birdie Funk has been drafted into the army. Birdie's manager Albert Stamos and his secretary Rosie Gershon have cooked up a plan to send him off with a swell new song and one last kiss from a lucky teenage fan… on The Ed Sullivan Show.

The show, which won a Tony Award for Best Musical, originally opened at the Martin Beck Theatre on April 14, 1960, transferring twice and playing a total of 607 performances before closing on October 7, 1961. A 1963 film adaptation followed, starring Dick Van Dyke as Albert, Janet Leigh as Rosie, Ann-Margret as Kim McAfee, Paul Lynde as Harry MacAfee and Maureen Stapleton as Mama Mae Peterson, going on to be nominated for two Academy Awards.

Bye Bye Birdie’s creative team includes Andrew Jackness sets, Gregg Barnes costumes, Ken Billington lights, Acme Sound sound and David Chase music supervisor.

The production will play through January 10, 2010.