Fran Drescher’s ‘The Nanny’ Getting Broadway Musical Makeover

By Mackenzie Nichols

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Fran Drescher’s legendary character Fran Fine – known for her nasally voice and gravity-defying hair-dos in the ’90s sitcom “The Nanny” – is coming to Broadway. Drescher and Peter Marc Jacobson, who created the original series, will write the book for “The Nanny: A New Musical,” which is in development.

The series followed Drescher as Fine, a cosmetics saleswoman recently fired from her job at a bridal shop and dumped by her boyfriend and employer. After being let go, she then takes a new job looking after the three spoiled children (Maggie, Brighton, and Grace) of an English Broadway producer and widower Maxwell Sheffield (played by Charles Shaughnessy). Fine and Sheffield develop romantic feelings for each other as the series goes on, which Sheffield’s butler Niles starts to recognize and embrace, seeing how well Fine connects with the children.

“The Nanny” ran on CBS for 146 episodes over six seasons, earning 12 Emmy award-nominations. It was partially inspired by Drescher’s life in Queens, New York.

Music for “The Nanny: A New Musical” will be written by Rachel Bloom and Adam Schlesinger, who recently won a 2019 Emmy award for outstanding original music and lyrics for “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” Bloom, who will also write the lyrics, is a Golden Globe award-winner and Schlesinger a Tony award-nominee. Marc Bruni (“Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”) will direct.

“We are SO excited to be working on the Broadway musical ‘The Nanny,’” said Drescher and Jacobson in a statement. “We’re equally excited that the wildly talented will be writing the lyrics and music with the fantastic Adam Schlesinger, and to have the brilliant Marc Bruni directing. 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.”

“Of course I would do it myself,” Drescher added, “but we’d have to change the title to ‘The Granny.’”

The production timeline, additional creative team members and casting for “The Nanny: A New Musical” have yet to be announced.