The title is based on the musical Bye Bye Birdie (1963) with book by Michael Stewart, lyrics by Lee Adams, and music by Charles Strouse. The original Broadway production of "Bye Bye Birdie" opened at the Martin Beck Theater on April 14, 1960, ran for 607 performances and won the 1961 Tony Award for the Best Musical.
Eldin (Robert Pastorelli) intends to study with the Spanish muralist Diego Garcia. This is a fictitious name likely inspired by the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera (1886-1957), although there have been several famous persons, including those from Mexico and Spain, named Diego Garcia. Diego Garcia is also the name of an island in the Indian Ocean best-known for housing American and British military bases.