Imaginechina via AP ImagesJust call her Cindy! Carly Rae Jepsen will make her Broadway debut in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella starting Feb. 4.
The "Call Me Maybe" singer is replacing Laura Osnes, who received a Tony nomination for the starring role. Osnes is exiting the show after a yearlong run at the Broadway Theatre. Jepsen, 28, will appear in the musical production for 12 weeks. "Broadway has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl and I look forward to working with this incredibly talented cast to tell this classic tale," the pop star said.
She later tweeted, "Dear @LauraOsnes I think you are truly lovely. Big shoes to fill! It's an honor to try on the Cindy shoes! Xoxox."
Jepsen—who performed in high school productions of Annie, Grease and The Wiz in British Columbia—isn't the only new addition to the cast. Fran Drescher will also join the show beginning Feb. 4. The former Happily Divorced star will play Cinderella's cruel stepmother, Madame, replacing Harriet Harris.
What made Jepsen decided to head to the Great White Way? "It was essentially musical theater training with studies in singing, dancing and acting," Jepsen told The New York Times by email on Sunday, Dec. 29. "My favorite part of the school year was our trip to New York, where we met Broadway performers and toured the theaters."
Jepsen added that she's been a longtime fan of Cinderella. "It's so hopeful and inspiring," she said. "I've always been one to believe in the impossible, so I relate to her character completely."
The two-time Grammy nominee is also working on a new album slated for release in early 2014.