She had style, she had flair, she was there — and now, with the help of a “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” she’s on the road to Broadway!
A musical theater adaptation of the hit ’90s sitcom “The Nanny” is currently in the works, with the help of a few seasoned TV veterans.
The series’ original creators Fran Drescher (who also starred as nanny Fran Fine on the show) and her ex-husband Peter Marc Jacobson are penning the book, while Rachel Bloom and Adam Schlesinger tackle the score.
Bloom co-created, wrote, produced and starred in the CW musical series “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” for which Schlesinger was an executive music producer, composer, musical director and writer.
The cast of the new musical has yet to be determined.
“Nobody is cast yet — we’re plotting — but we feel confident we will find a fabulous actress who is funny, charming and has a great voice,” Drescher and Jacobson said in a statement.
Drescher joked: “Of course I would do it myself, but we’d have to change the title to ‘The Granny.’ ”
Bloom explained how this project has special meaning for her.
“‘The Nanny’ was a fundamental part of my childhood because it was the first time I saw an openly Jewish female protagonist on television,” she said in a statement. “The story of Fran Fine, however, is a universal one that has touched the hearts of people of every race, religion and orientation. I am so proud to be using the characters established by ‘The Nanny’ to tell a new story about one woman’s journey to becoming proud of who she is and what makes her different.”
Marc Bruni, who directed the recent Broadway show “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” is set to direct, and Brian and Scott Zeilinger are the project’s producers.
“The Nanny” ran for six seasons from 1993 to 1999, following cosmetics saleswoman Fran Fine as she cared for the three kids of a wealthy British widower, played by Charles Shaughnessy.
On CBS’ “The Nanny,” Fran Drescher played a household helper hired by a wealthy widower (Charles Shaughnessy).
CBS
In a statement, Bruni described how the series “began from a familiar theatrical premise” similar to the Broadway classic “The Sound of Music.”
“But what if instead of Maria Rainer with her guitar, Fran Fine showed up on the doorstep of a fractured family?” he continued. “Over its six seasons, the show examined class, coming of age, feminism, love and Broadway with heart and laughs. I am thrilled to be working with Fran, Peter, Rachel, and Adam in bringing these characters to the stage in a fresh new light that I hope will delight fans of the show, as well as capture the imagination of a new generation of theatre-goers.”
Bloom expressed her excitement for the project Wednesday, posting the news to her Instagram and writing, “I CAN FINALLY SPEAK ABOUT MY INVOLVEMENT WITH THIS!”
Drescher also showed her enthusiasm on her Instagram, writing, “The Nanny Musical Broadway Bound! Go online it’s all over the news!”
Read more at usatoday.com
