For a while now, Jerry Lewis has been talking, as if it's a done deal, about a Broadway musical based on his 1963 movie, The Nutty Professor. In the past — here and here — we've tracked the announcements and expressed skepticism that this thing would ever make Manhattan. Lewis didn't announce a book writer, a lyricist or a composer…or any trace of a theater in which to mount a first production. It was, he said at one point, likely to debut in '07 at the Old Globe in San Diego, but apparently no one ever talked to the Old Globe about that.
What he did seem to have was the idea (a good one, probably) and he had selected a performer named Michael Andrew to star in the title role. Mr. Andrew was showcased as such on Jerry's Labor Day Telethon at least one year.
Well now. The Nutty Professor (The Musical) is finally getting somewhere. It's nowhere near the Great White Way but it's getting somewhere. Lewis has announced that Marvin Hamlisch will compose the music and that Rupert Holmes will write the book and lyrics. Those are two guys with genuine Broadway chops…so the project has suddenly taken a massive leap towards reality. We need to dial our skepticism back a few clicks, though it won't go away altogether until we hear of an actual theater and a tentative opening date. Oh, and a star would be nice, too. The press release says casting is to come. There is no mention of Michael Andrew.
It all still sounds to me like the endeavor is also lacking proper financial backing and that fingers are crossed that this announcement will jar that trivial element into place. But it sure wouldn't be the first time that someone tried to raise money for a play by acting like it was more definite than it actually was. That's not the least uncommon…though since such plans usually don't have such big names attached, we usually don't hear much about them. What is rare is for the necessary millions to be entrusted to a guy who's never staged for the stage before. My guess is they won't be able to line up the bucks unless there's someone on the premises who's experienced in that regard, even if Lewis retains the official credit as director.
So this thing could happen. I went to New York to catch Jerry's opening night in the revival of Damn Yankees — his Broadway debut. I'm not ready to book my tickets yet for the world premiere of The Nutty Professor on stage…but I'm prepared to be surprised that there may just be one.