Nicole Scherzinger joins the cast of NBC’s upcoming ‘Annie’ production.
Nicole Scherzinger
The Pussycat Dolls star will play Grace Farrell in ‘Annie Live!’, which will be the latest live production of a musical put on by the network.
Grace is the assistant of Daddy Warbucks – who will be played by Harry Connick Jr. – and champion of the titular little red-haired orphan, who has not yet been cast.
Alongside Nicole and Harry, Taraji P. Henson will also star as the cruel orphanage owner, Miss Hannigan.
In a statement to Deadline, 43-year-old Nicole said: “Musical theatre has always made my heart soar, so I’m over the moon to join this amazing cast for such a great classic.”
‘Annie Live!’ was announced in May, when it was reported the show will air over the holiday season at the end of the year.
Robert Greenblatt will executive produce the telecast along with Neil Meron, who has served as executive producer on all of NBC's live musicals since 2013.
In a previous statement, Robert said: "It is a joy to come back to NBC and produce a new live musical, a form I loved bringing back to life with my partners Neil Meron and the late Craig Zadan.
“We're thrilled to work with Susan Rovner and her new team because they share our belief in the power of broadcast television to bring families together for events like these."
While Neil added: “There are few musicals like Annie where you know the words to every song and the overriding message - especially in the trying times we live in - is optimism.
"The song 'Tomorrow' means more than ever now, and it's not lost on us that even Franklin Roosevelt and his New Deal are impacted by this little orphan who simply believes in the goodness of everyone!"
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