Andrea Martin on Juggling Two Musical Workshops, a TV Pilot and a Solo Show

When Broadway.com recently asked Andrea Martin, “What’s new?,” the Tony-winning actress wasn’t kidding when she replied, “It’s been a busy time.” Martin has just returned to New York from Toronto, where she performed her new one-woman show Final Days! Everything Must Go!, described as a musical extravaganza and comedic journey that includes stories from her life and career, Broadway tunes and characters such as Frau Blucher from Young Frankenstein, Edith Prickley from SCTV and Aunt Voula from My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

“I’m about to do workshops for two new Broadway musicals,” Martin revealed, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory [with a score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman] and Ballroom [a re-thinking of Michael Bennett’s short-lived 1978 musical adaptation of Queen of the Stardust Ballroom]. Tyne Daly is playing the main part, and I’m playing opposite her; I think Marilyn Cooper played my part. It's a great cast—Rondi Reed is in it—and Jerry Mitchell [is directing]. Sounds fab, right?” Most definitely. "I'm really excited."

In addition to all that onstage activity, Martin told us she’s got a TV project up her sleeve, as well: “I just did a pilot for a new series for the Syfy network called Three Inches, which I really hope goes. It’s fabulous.” The 90-minute show, written by Twin Peaks vet Harley Peyton and directed by Jace Alexander, is about a young underachiever [Noah Reid] who develops the power to move objects three inches after being struck by lightning and is recruited by a covert team of superheroes. Martin plays the mother of the main character.

A Tony winner for My Favorite Year, Martin received Tony nominations for Candide, Oklahoma and Young Frankenstein. Her most recently Broadway credit was the 2009 production of Exit the King, and she headlined the Toronto production of Nora and Delia Ephron’s Love, Loss and What I Wore. The actress performed a previous solo show, Nude, Nude, Totally Nude, in New York, Montreal, Toronto and Los Angeles.