Rush also played that role in the Australian premiere of the musical, which was seen at the Melbourne Theatre Company in January. Simon Philips directed the production Down Under.

Don McKellar, who co-wrote the Drowsy book with original star Bob Martin, told the Globe and Mail, "We saw him and he was excellent – and also he's an excellent person. We're pretty excited about being involved with him. . .He is incredibly Man in Chair-like. When he was a little boy, instead of playing with trucks, he was making model theatres out of shoeboxes."

McKellar said that the film version of the Broadway musical is in its very early stages: "We're pursuing it in various ways, but there's nothing concrete to say."

Geoffrey Rush won an Academy Award for his performance in "Shine" and was also Oscar-nominated for his roles in "Shakespeare in Love" and "Quills."

The Drowsy Chaperone has Tony-winning music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Gregg Morrison and a Tony-winning book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar. The five-time Tony Award-winning musical comedy made its final toast Dec. 30, 2007, at the Marquis Theatre following 674 performances and 32 previews.