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Veteran US comedian Jerry Lewis is to make his directorial debut on Broadway, helming a stage musical version of his 1963 hit film "The Nutty Professor."
Lewis, who directed himself in the original movie, hopes the Broadway version will open before October 2008, Variety reported Wednesday.
Lewis told reporters in Las Vegas, where he lives, that he had cast Michael Andrews, an unknown he saw perform at a private function, in the title role.
"You can't reinvent the character," Lewis said. "The dual role of Jekyll and Hyde made the film. If you're looking to make it different, you'll ruin it."
"The Nutty Professor," which was remade as an Eddie Murphy vehicle in 1996, concerns a nerdish professor who drinks a potion that temporarily turns him into a handsome, but obnoxious womaniser, Buddy Love.
Lewis is no newcomer to Broadway, having starred in the show "Damn Yankees" in 1995.
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AFPEntertainment-US-film-theatre-Lewis-people
AFP 072039 GMT 06 06
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