Two-time Emmy nominee Fran Drescher will make her Broadway debut as Ella's stepmother Madame in the Tony-nominated Broadway revival of Cinderella. Drescher will begin performances on February 4, 2014 and will remain with the production through April 13 at the Broadway Theatre. She takes over the role from original star Harriet Harris.
Drescher is best known for her iconic role as Fran Fine in the hit TV series The Nanny, which she also created, wrote, directed and executive produced. Her other film and TV credits include Saturday Night Fever, American Hot Wax, Summer of Fear, The Hollywood Knights, Doctor Detroit, This Is Spinal Tap, UHF, Jack, Living With Fran and Happily Divorced. Drescher has appeared in off-Broadway productions of Neil LaBute’s Some Girl(s), The Exonerated and Nora Ephron’s Love, Loss, and What I Wore. She also performed in a special production of Camelot at Lincoln Center.
Directed by Mark Brokaw, the classic fairy tale Cinderella originally aired as a TV special in 1957, starring Oscar winner Julie Andrews. The new production features a completely re-imagined book by Douglas Carter Beane and additional Rodgers and Hammerstein songs originally composed for other R&H musicals.
Drescher joins a cast that features Tony nominees Laura Osnes as Ella and Santino Fontana as Prince Topher, Rebecca Luker as Marie/ Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother, Ann Harada as Charlotte, Marla Mindelle as Gabrielle, Peter Bartlett as Sebastian and Greg Hildreth as Jean-Michel.