Jerry Lewis-Helmed Nutty Professor to Feature Score by Hamlisch and Holmes

As previously reported, legendary comedian Jerry Lewis will make his Broadway directorial debut on with the new musical The Nutty Professor, based on the 1963 film that he starred in and co-wrote. With music by composer Marvin Hamlisch and a book and lyrics by Rupert Holmes, the musical is aiming for a bow on Broadway in the 2010/2011 season.

“I was born with show business in my blood and working on Broadway gets it coursing through my veins like no other place can,” Lewis said in a statement, adding, “Marvin and Rupert have given one of my favorite and most enduring films The Nutty Professor a hilarious and gorgeous adaptation for Broadway and I could not be happier. Does this story sing and dance? You bet it does."

The story of The Nutty Professor follows Professor Julius Kelp, dull geek with a bright idea. Privately experimenting in his laboratory to find the cure for his social failures, he creates a potion that transforms him into a smooth-talking party animal named Buddy Love. Buddy is everything that Julius always dreamed of being and gets the girl that he always dreamed of dating, Stella. The only problem is that the potion doesn’t last very long. A remake of the film, starring Eddie Murphy, was released in 1996. 

Lewis, often called The King of Comedy, is no stranger to Broadway, appearing and touring the U.S. and U.K. in Damn Yankees! in 1995 and Jerry Lewis at The Palace in 1953. Lewis and his performing partner, Dean Martin, were hailed as the most popular comedy duo in the nation. They made their film debut in 1949 and starred in 13 blockbuster comedies before their split in 1956. Lewis went on to star in over 25 films, 13 of which he directed including The Bellboy, The Ladies' Man, The Family Jewels and The Nutty Professor. In the ‘80s, Lewis garnered some of the best reviews of his career for his work in Martin Scorsese's The King of Comedy and also appeared in the films Mr. Saturday Night and Funny Bones. His humanitarian efforts for The Muscular Dystrophy Association have won him countless accolades, including a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. Lewis received an Oscar in 2009 with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

Hamlisch has won virtually every major award that exists for composers. He has written the score for the Broadway musicals They’re Playing Our Song, The Sweet Smell of Success, The Goodbye Girl, Smile and the Pulitzer Prize-winning A Chorus Line. Hamlisch also wrote the score for the Broadway play with music Imaginary Friends. He is the composer of more than 40 film scores including his Oscar-winning score and song for The Way We Were, his adaptation of Scott Joplin’s music for The Sting, and the upcoming Steven Soderbergh-Matt Damon film The Informant, which will be released in September 2009.

Tony winner Holmes’ Broadway credits include Curtains (Drama Desk Award, Tony nominations) The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Tony, Drama Desk; Outer Critics Circle Awards), Accomplice, Solitary Confinement, Say Goodnight Gracie (Tony nomination).

Casting and additional creative team will be announced later this year.