Reboots, revivals, and live adaptations are everywhere, but few have felt as refreshingly original as The Nanny Live!, a campy, drag-fueled love letter to one of TV’s most iconic comedies. While many revivals play it safe, this production embraced the outrageous, the theatrical, and the unapologetically queer—resulting in an electrifying performance that felt both nostalgic and revolutionary.
For longtime fans of The Nanny, this production was a dream come true. Everything that made the original show great—the biting humor, the gaudy yet glorious fashion, and Fran’s unmistakable charisma—was on full display. But instead of simply recreating the past, The Nanny Live! reimagined it through the lens of drag performance, taking the camp factor and turning it into an art form.
The cast was nothing short of spectacular. Each performer brought their own unique flair to their role while still staying true to the essence of the original characters. Fran, Maxwell, Niles, and even C.C. Babcock were given drag-infused makeovers, resulting in exaggerated yet affectionate interpretations that added new dimensions to their personalities. Watching drag queens embody these characters made it clear just how much The Nanny had always belonged to queer culture—it was a show built on sharp wit, flamboyance, and a deep appreciation for the absurd.
What set The Nanny Live! apart from other revivals was its understanding that nostalgia isn’t about recreating something exactly as it was—it’s about recapturing the feeling it gave audiences. By infusing the production with a modern, queer sensibility, the show managed to be both a perfect tribute and a fresh take on a beloved classic.
This wasn’t just a performance—it was an event. A celebration of drag, of comedy, and of one of television’s most delightfully eccentric leading ladies. If The Nanny Live! proved anything, it’s that some classics don’t need to be rebooted—they just need to be reimagined by the right artists.
