J. Hoberman reports on a recent New York appearance by Jerry Lewis that sounds a lot like the one I attended in Beverly Hills a few weeks ago. It includes the odd remark that Lewis is "the most cerebral Hollywood funny man since Buster Keaton." "Cerebral?" I can't think of any sense in which that is so. In fact, it seems to me the main artery of Jer's appeal is how he is so much the opposite of "cerebral." But okay.
Jerry said at the event that the long-heralded Broadway musical of The Nutty Professor will open November 15 of this year, which would be a good indicator that it's going forward if they also have a theater booked. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, perhaps they do and the show currently playing there doesn't want its termination to be announced just yet. Or perhaps this is like the announcement that the show was definitely going to debut in New York in 2009, was definitely going to debut in New York in 2010 and was definitely going to debut in New York in 2011.
Jerry will direct, Michael Andrew will star, Kathleen Marshall (who choreographed the recent revivals of Anything Goes and Pajama Game) will do the dances, Marvin Hamlisch is supplying the score and Rupert Holmes has written the book.
I've decided to strike a note of guarded optimism about this one; not that it'll be a hit — I have no idea — but that it'll ever happen. I know there are those who think that at age 86, Jerry Lewis is too old to direct a Broadway musical but hey, George Abbott directed a show at the age of 96. Then again, that was Mr. Abbott's 35th and final directing job on Broadway and Mr. Lewis is looking at his first…