Nancy Opel Joins Cast of Broadway's CINDERELLA as 'Madame' Tonight!

The Tony Award winning musical Rodgers + Hammerstein's CINDERELLA today welcomes Tony Award nominee Nancy Opel to the cast. Opel will play Cinderella's wicked Stepmother, Madame on Broadway, following Fran Drescher's 5-month limited engagement, which concluded yesterday, June 29.

Nancy Opel most recently appeared on Broadway in the Tony Award winning musical Memphis. She received Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics and Lortel nominations for her role in The Toxic Avenger, written by Memphis creators Joe DiPietro and David Bryan. Other Broadway credits includeFiddler on the Roof, Urinetown (Tony Nomination, Best Actress), Sunday in the Park with George, Anything Goes, Triumph of Love, Evita and others. She appeared Off Broadway most notably in works by playwright David Ives. Nancy received Drama Desk, Lortel nominations for Polish Joke and she won an Obie Award for John Epperson's My Deah. She attended The University of Kansas and The Juilliard School.

Now in its second year on Broadway and having recently celebrated its 500th performance, CINDERELLA continues to play to large and enthusiastic audiences at the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway) with a new block of tickets available starting Monday, May 26 through January 3, 2015.

Currently appearing in CINDERELLA are the Grammy-nominated recording artist Carly Rae Jepsen as Cinderella, Joe Carroll as Prince Topher, Fran Drescher as Madame, Victoria Clark as the Fairy Godmother, Ann Harada as stepsister Charlotte, Stephanie Gibson as stepsister Gabrielle, Peter Bartlett as Sebastian, Prince Topher's mentor and Lord Chancellor, Todd Buonopane as the rebel Jean-Michel and Phumzile Sojola as Lord Pinkleton.

CINDERELLA has music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, a new book by Douglas Carter Beane and original book by Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical is directed by Mark Brokaw. Josh Rhodes is choreographer. Music adaptation, supervision and arrangements are by David Chase. Orchestrations are by Danny Troob. Constantine Kitsopoulos is music director and conductor.

With its fresh, new take on the beloved tale of a young woman who is transformed from a chambermaid into a princess, this hilarious and romantic CINDERELLA combines the story's classic elements - glass slippers, pumpkin, a beautiful ball and more - with some surprise twists. More than just a pretty face with the right shoe size, the CINDERELLA of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical now on Broadway is a surprisingly contemporary figure living in a fairytale setting: a spirited young woman with savvy and soul, eager to develop a world view, she doesn't let her rags or her gowns trip her up in her quest for kindness, compassion and forgiveness. She not only fights for her own dreams, but makes the prince, who falls in love with her, open his eyes to the world around him and realize his dreams, too.