'Spectacular!' star to play Conrad Birdie

NEW YORK, May 29 (UPI) -- Nolan Gerard Funk, star of the TV movie musical "Spectacular!," has been cast in the role of Conrad Birdie in the Broadway revival of "Bye Bye Birdie."

The Roundabout Theatre Company in New York made the casting announcement Friday.

The first Broadway production of the rock 'n' roll musical comedy in 48 years will also co-star John Stamos, Gina Gershon, Bill Irwin, Jayne Houdyshell and Dee Hoty.

Allie Trimm, who made her Broadway debut in Jason Robert Brown's "13 the Musical," will play Kim MacAfee, Birdie's No. 1 fan, in the show, the Roundabout said.

Preview performances are slated to begin Sept. 10, with opening night set for Oct. 15.

This is to be a limited engagement running through Jan. 10, 2010, and will be the inaugural production of the new Henry Miller's Theatre on Broadway.

Robert Longbottom will direct and choreograph "Bye Bye Birdie" with a book by Michael Stewart, music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams.

"Its 1960 and hip-swingin' teen idol superstar Conrad Birdie 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 Roundabout said in a news release.