By Michael Nielsen
Mel Brooks’ THE PRODUCERS
Bigger than life characters and great productions numbers make THE PRODUCERS a fun theatrical experience.
One might think a story about a couple of men trying to produce a Broadway flop would be just that–a flop. But of course, the brilliantly funny and irreverent Mel Brooks has taken this unusual plot and made it in to a laughter- and music-filled extravaganza.
Max Bialystock (exuberantly played by Cameron Kapetanov) has produced a few hits, but mostly a long line of failures on Broadway; productions mostly financed by little old ladies with whom he has “dalliances” to obtain the checks. Enter CPA Leo Bloom (Daniel Pack), a neurotic and quietly shy counter to Max, who has always dreamed of being a producer. While looking at the books, Bloom offhandedly notes that one could make more money producing a “flop” than a hit. Together they decide “WE CAN DO IT” and set out to find the worst script ever written (SPRINGTIME FOR HITLER), the worst director, Roger De Bris (played a bit inconsistently yet hilariously by Quinn Kapetanov) and swindling little old ladies out of their checks.
Technically, the production had a few minor flaws, most of which I have no doubt have already been remedied, worst of which was the volume of Max’s microphone. Cameron Kapetanov plays the character loud and frenetic, so the volume on his mic sometimes became bothersome. Pack’s hand-wringing quietness plays off Kapetanov nicely. Really, all the characters are much bigger than life, which makes this show work. Ulla (Talese Hunt) uses her height, long legs and impressive body language beautifully as the new arrival hoping to make it big on Broadway, instantly winning over both men. Owning the stage any time he is on, BJ Whimpey’s Franz Liebkind is a joy to watch as the writer of this love story to Hitler. Later, Quinn Kapetanov actually plays Hitler in a Ziegfeld style musical number which will leave you rolling in the aisles.
The true stars of the show, however, were the musical numbers staged and choreographed by director Rick Rea with Kacee Neff. The entire ensemble (some playing several roles) and leads OWNED the stage and not only danced, strutted and sang beautifully, but convinced us they were having fun doing it. Nothing beats a chorus line of “old ladies” dancing with their canes and finishing with a rousing “tap” number using walkers. SPRINGTIME FOR HITLER used brilliant costuming (Becky Jean) and staging to give the feel of a Ziegfeld number, and made the show all the more hilarious. Another fun aspect of the production was the use of video on the back of the stage to take us to Broadway and used as a marquee for the theatre.
Overall, the entire cast and production team did a remarkable job of bringing the fun and silliness to a show with large production numbers and intimate moments, a difficult thing to do well in a small theatre. Director Rick Rea should be proud of being able to keep this larger than life story and characters under control while giving the audience an escape to a fun night of theatre.
Note: On their website, they include this–
Reccomended for ages 18+ (or 12+ with parental guidance)
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Content: Contains brief strong language, moderate sexual humor and innuendos (no nudity), and mild comic violence.
The Ziegfeld Theatre
Playing Fridays and Saturdays
Through Sept. 6th at 7:30 pm
With 2:00 pm Matinees the 30th and the 6th
Ticket Pricing
Adult: $15
Student (With valid ID): $12
Senior (65 and up): $12
Child (12 and under): $12
http://www.theziegfeldtheater.com/
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