Caroline Rhea: This mom's got it going on

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She may be fairly new at being a mother, but Caroline Rhea feels like an old pro and wants to help other moms cope with their overwhelming responsibilities.

The comedian and former “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” star will headline and executive-produce a hybrid sketch/talk series with Emily Cohen for Nick Jr.’s new primetime comedy block, NickMom.

The still-untitled series debuts this fall along with a slew of other mom-targeted shows, such as “NickMom Night Out.”

“It’s a great idea,” Rhea says over the phone, while simultaneously talking to her 3-year-old daughter Ava and going through a fast-food drive-through. “Moms need a break. I know I do!”

“NickMom Night Out” takes moms out for a night at a comedy club. Featured comedians include Rhea, Judy Gold, Cory Kahaney, B-Phlat and Dena Blizzard, each offering their spin on the joy and pain of parenting.

“Myself, I’m at a crossroads: I’m middle-aged (now 48) and I’m in the throes of motherhood. I’ve got all the bases covered.”

She has a LOT on her plate: She’s a mom and a wife. She has a busy stand-up schedule — between NickMom tapings in Orlando, she’s squeezing in shows at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre this weekend — and she continues to provide the voice of the mom on Disney Channel’s animated hit “Phineas and Ferb.”

Oh, and get this: She recently finished filming “The Christmas Consultant,” a Lifetime movie co-starring David Hasselhoff.

“Isn’t that a hoot,” Rhea says, “me in a movie with David Hasselhoff? I’m not a tabloid person; I don’t read that garbage. But I have to say, he was a total sweetheart. We had such a great time filming it. And it’s hilarious how famous he is. We were filming this in freezing northern Canada and even the old men living up there know who David Hasselhoff is. He has groupies everywhere.

“Me? I have people asking me about the talking cat.”

Ah, the talking cat: That would be Salem, a warlock turned into a cat (voiced by Nick Bakay) on “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.” Rhea starred on the popular ABC sitcom for six of its seven seasons.

“Sabrina” is enjoying a revival in reruns on cable’s The Hub.

“It’s actually on a channel called College Tuition. Cha-ching,” Rhea says. “At first, Ava told me, ‘Mommy, I don’t like this show, can we watch something else? No, wait a minute, the cat is talking.’

“Honestly, when I watch the show, I don’t remember doing any of it. It seems like ages ago. But we had a great time doing it. Julia Louis-Dreyfus said once that for $100 million, she would be Elaine on ‘Seinfeld’ forever. I’ll be Hilda forever for way less.”

In the meantime, she’ll settle for putting out her second comedy album, “Does This Baby Make Me Look Fat?,” later this year.

“I’ve had a great life, but since I’ve become a mom, it’s put everything in Technicolor. I’m savoring every minute of being a mom and still having a career.”

CAROLINE RHEA
7 p.m. Friday (Aug. 10); 7 and 9:15 p.m. Saturday (Aug. 11); 7:30 p.m. Sunday (Aug. 12). McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 3333 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. $19, $23. 925-3869; mccurdyscomedy.com.
Last modified: August 7, 2012
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