Fran Drescher Is a Fine Evil Stepmother
The star of The Nanny brings comedy to a devilish role in Cinderella, her Broadway debut.
There is no cackle in the world more recognizable than that of Fran Drescher, the nasal-voiced heart behind television's beloved Nanny, Fran Fine. The television star of The Nanny, Happily Divorced, and Living With Fran took to the off-Broadway stage in Neil LaBute's Some Girl(s), Love, Loss and What I Wore, and The Exonerated, but she makes her Broadway debut this week in a role that complements her signature voice and talent. As Madame, the evil stepmother in Cinderella at the Broadway Theatre, Drescher brings her penchant for comedy to a character that is as colorful as the actress herself. Drescher spoke with TheaterMania about appreciating the feminist qualities of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical and preparing to take the stage opposite Cinderella's newest princess, pop star Carly Rae Jepsen.
Why make the move to the Broadway stage at this point in your career?
I love theater and I would do more of it! They offered me the part at a time when I'm not in production in television, so the timing is perfect. Playing the evil stepmother and a character you love to hate is a delicious opportunity, and doing a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical is such a luxury. Douglas Carter Beane's rewrite of the story is much more contemporary. Cinderella is a stronger character, and the prince is a little more lost and in need of a woman who helps him find who he is. It's already funny, and I'm trying to mine more comedy from it.
What has been the biggest challenge in preparing for the role?
Trusting…that eventually it all comes together. And that my body will move where it needs to without me thinking about it. There were speeches and scenes that I didn't have confidence in, and then I learned them and they became second nature. Each time we moved deeper into the script and learned something new, I had to remind myself that this feels strange only because it's new. I thought that getting ready for the ball was going to be difficult because I have a lot to say and do at that point, and now it's one of my favorite scenes and it's one of the easiest for me to do.
