BWW Interviews: The Nutty Professor's Sarah Marie Jenkins Answers THE NUTTY FIVE

Anticipation is almost to the boiling point in Nashville, as the time nears for the curtain to rise on the first preview of The Nutty Professor, the brand new musical based on the 1963 Jerry Lewis classic film comedy. With a book by Rupert Holmes (a three-time Tony Award winner for The Mystery of Edwin Drood, his acclaimed musical that will be revived on Broadway later this year) and music by Marvin Hamlisch (who has a Tony, an Oscar, an Emmy and a Grammy at home-along with a Pulitzer Prize for A Chorus Line), the brand new musical is directed by the "king of comedy" himself, Jerry Lewis.

The excitement is fairly palpable as Nashville has gone positively, absolutely Nutty ahead of the show's run at TPAC's James K. Polk Theatre-the first preview is July 24 and the show runs through August 26-and it will be here in Music City USA that the show's future is likely to be determined. If it's a hit in Nashville, where we love our musical theater, the show's very likely to hit the Great White Way.

But while they're here-the whole amazing troupe of actors, dancers, musicians, crew members, techies and the creative team-we're doing all we can to make them feel welcome, in the way that we Southerners are bound and determined to do. Since arriving in town, they've all been hard at work polishing the show, learning choreographer JoAnn Hunter's new dance steps, perfecting their songs and hitting their marks…so down-time has been rare. Still, at some point, you're sure to bump into these exceedingly talented and excessively attractive theater types all over town, so it's up to you to make 'em feel at home.

Thus, we present The Nutty Five, our continuing series designed to help you get to know the whole Nutty bunch of 'em, so that those initial meetings aren't quite so awkward.

Today the spotlight falls on Sarah Marie Jenkins. And I've gotta tell you, there's just something about Sarah-she's charming and funny and disarmingly appealing, she's pretty and talented and, well, you're just gonna love her. Hell, I've only shared emails and Facebook messages and posts with her and I'm already crazy about her (but in a talented girl-crush sort of way, not like some creepy stalker kind of way)! Seriously, if you're not just absolutely taken with her after reading this interview, then read it again.

Granted, I was lucky enough to see her and her ridiculously gifted comrades perform several songs last week during a media look-in, so I know what I'm talking about here: Sarah Marie Jenkins (she probably thinks she's in trouble since I've been calling her by all three names!) is on the brink of stardom. In The Nutty Professor ensemble, Sarah plays Viv, one of a trio of girls who are friends of Stella Purdy (played by the equally drop-dead gorgeous and gifted Marissa McGowan)-the love interest of the show's anti-hero Julius Kelp (and his suave and sophisticated doppelganger Buddy Love), played by Michael Andrew.

So, read along good people, and when you bump into her over meatballs, fried cheese and strippers on Printer's Alley, just smile knowingly and let her go ahead of you-we don't want her missing any entrances!

What was your first "live onstage" taste of theater? I saw the national tour of Cats in San Diego and realized I could perform on a stage bigger than the front of my first grade classroom (where I used to stage my own productions including a completely lip-synched version of The Little Mermaid, written, directed, choreographed by and starring me).

What is your favorite pre-show ritual? FaceTime phone call to my husband (and dog) so I can remember what they look like from so far away.  

What's your most memorable "the show must go on" moment?Opening night preview for the ational tour of Swing!-standing in the wings at the "places" call, warming up. One of our tall, strong dancer boys was prepping to practice tossing me into the air (which was the entirety of the choreography). What we didn't see, was that the bungee towers for the show had just been set up, and no glow tape had been put on it yet, so he launched me straight up into a steel beam stretched across the wing. Next thing I remember was waking up in the hallway with ice on my face and a towel under my nose. The kicker was that our female swing had a broken hand, so they put a bandage on my head, packed my broken nose with vaseline and I did the show with a full concussion…then went to the hospital afterward. (Ah, youth!)

What's your dream role? I don't really have a specific dream role. I've never wanted the responsibility to be the star of the show…I much prefer to be the supporting one that comes in, says a few funny lines, then goes back to the dancing. My dream job, however, would be any show-with a great cast like this one-that gets a loooong run on Broadway. Getting to work and live at home? Dream. 

Have you ever been to Nashville before? And if so, what's your most vivid memory? If not, what do you wanna see and do while you're here? This my third time in Nashville and I am so happy to be back! The last time I was here was with Legally Blonde and we had a great time. One of my favorite nights culminated at the strip club in Printer's Alley-BYOB and free meatballs-an actor's paradise. (I'll obviously be going back.)

• Tickets for The Nutty Professor are on sale now at www.tpac.org or by calling the TPAC box office at (615) 782-4040.