Nicole Scherzinger is the latest star to join ABC’s Dirty Dancing remake, which already stars Abigail Breslin and Debra Messing.
The former Pussycat Dolls singer will star as Penny, Johnny’s dancing partner who is pregnant, notes Entertainment Weekly. The role was played by Cynthia Rhodes in the now-classic 1987 film.
Scherzinger recently appeared on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and CBS’ How I Met Your Mother. She co-hosted NBC’s short-lived Neil Patrick Harris variety show Best Time Ever and served as a judge on the first season of the ill-fated American version of The X-Factor.
The Dirty Dancing remake will be ABC’s first foray into the new musical special fad among the networks. It was announced in December and will star Breslin as Baby (Jennifer Grey’s part) and Messing as Baby’s mother. colt Prattes, a singer and dancer who appeared in Pink’s “Try” music video, will fill in for the late Patrick Swayze as Johnny.
The Sapphires’ Wayne Blair is directing and Jessica Schazer is writing the new script. Eleanor Bergstein, who wrote the original film, is among the executive producers.
ABC hasn’t said when they movie will air.