‘The Nanny’ is coming to Broadway as a musical. What do we know so far about the upcoming show?
The Nanny was one of the most beloved sitcoms of the ‘90s, ranking among the likes of Seinfeld, Frasier, and Friends. The sitcom ran for seven seasons from 1993 to 1999 and followed the will-they-won’t-they romantic tension between Nanny Fran Fine (Fran Drescher) and Broadway producer and widower Maxwell Sheffield (Charles Shaughnessy).
The premise: cosmetics saleswoman Fran fine from Flushing, Queens shows up on Maxwell’s doorstep, and he gives her a weekend (in desperate need of a nanny to his three children) to prove her competence. She rises to the occasion, bringing warmth back into a household that had grown quite cold and depressing. And, while many sitcoms and movies have been receiving on-screen reboots as of late, Drescher has decided to go in a different direction with The Nanny. She’s currently working to bring a musical adaptation to the Great White Way.
Fran Drescher is working to bring ‘The Nanny’ to Broadway: Who’s behind the production?
According to Broadway.com, The Nanny musical is currently in development with a book penned by series creators (and former couple) Fran Drescher and Peter Marc Jacobson.
The genius behind Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Rachel Bloom, will write the music and lyrics. Bloom is also known for her work on Trolls World Tour and The Angry Birds Movie 2.
According to Playbill, Marc Bruni — who directed the multiple Tony-award-winning Beautiful: The Carole King Musical — will steer the production. The father-son team Scott and Brian Zeilinger will serve as producers.
Casting information and a premiere date have yet to be announced
With Drescher and Jacobson working on the story — the two minds who came up with the sitcom — the book is bound to be solid. And Bloom has proven her competency when it comes to meshing music with comedy. Thus, the team at play seems like the right ingredients for success. As of now, casting remains unconfirmed, as does a specific timeline for the Broadway-bound production.
Because the pandemic put a stop to current productions and has delayed those in the works, it will likely be quite some time before The Nanny makes her way from Flushing to Manhattan once more.
Here’s to hoping the classic theme song makes an appearance in The Nanny musical. And, fingers crossed that whoever is chosen to play Nanny Fine can capture Drescher’s contagious energy, nasally talking voice, and bust out the pipes to blow the audience away!
