10/5/2009 4:08:00 PM Theater Review: Bawdy Off Broadway Shockingly, 'The Producers' and its unseemly wit receive a warm welcome in Springfield
Partners in theatrical crime Leo Bloom, played by Eric Eichenberger, left, and Max Bialystock, played by Jeff Jenkins, cook up a scheme to make money off a Broadway flop.
Shyster producer Bialystock (Jenkins) and his accountant, Bloom (Eichenberger), try to persuade Franz, played by Jimmy Wilson, at right, to sign over the rights to his politically incorrect play, "Springtime for Hitler."
The Producers
What: Mel Brooks' 1968 story about two men who cook up a get-rich scheme of producing what they think is a sure-fire musical flop. When: through Oct. 11 Where: Landers Theatre, 311 E. Walnut St. Tickets: $25/adult and $15/child (ages 14 and under) Show Times: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday Run Time: 2 hours and 15 minutes Audience: rated PG-13 due to sexual references and adult language Up Next: Go to www.springfieldlittletheatre.org/shows for the full calendar.
"The Producers" was birthed as a 1968 movie about a musical, landed on Broadway in 2001, returned to the silver screen in 2005 and now is on stage at Landers Theatre, under the direction of Springfield Little Theatre veteran Beth Domann.
Watching it on opening night was a thing of wonder. I wasn't sure that a Springfield audience would respond favorably to the bawdy humor, overtly gay references and writer/director Mel Brooks' dyed-in-the-wool Yiddish-isms.
But from the first scene to the final curtain, the crowd was engaged, and the production never dropped a beat.
Domann has directed several SLT productions - "The Wizard of Oz" being the most noteworthy - and is always at home with comedy. "The Producers" gives her the chance to use her comedic gifts to the fullest, and the cast, from leading men Jeff Jenkins and Eric Eichenberger to the large chorus/ensemble, never falters in talent or enthusiasm. Jenkins, founder of The Skinny Improv comedy troupe, obviously understands the showbiz axiom, "Death is easy ... comedy is hard."
Jenkins is at home in the character of shyster producer Max Bialystock and never makes a false move. At one point during the premiere performance, he threw in an obviously improvised line that made an impression on his fellow cast members, as well as the audience. And he played the moment perfectly, with a twinkle in his eye.
Eichenberger as Leo Bloom, the rather repressed accountant who becomes Max's partner in theatrical crime, does a great job in a role created by Gene Wilder in the original film and Matthew Broderick on Broadway and on film. Eichenberger is a Branson performer who plays himself in the 2009 documentary, "Branson."
For those unfamiliar with the premise, Max is a rather unqualified Broadway producer who finances his flops with money he obtains by wooing lonely older ladies. Leo is an accountant who is investigating Max's business practices, and they come to the conclusion that one could make more money with a theatrical flop (if done properly) than with a hit. With that in mind, they set out to produce the worst musical to ever threaten the Great White Way.
What they come up with is a tribute to Adolph Hitler, written by a crazed German who still relishes the Third Reich. Entitled "Springtime for Hitler," it's about as politically incorrect as a production could be. Add to that a flamingly gay director with a penchant for over-the-top musicals, backed by a staff of equals, and you've got what's sure to be a bona fide Broadway fiasco.
Or so Max and Leo hope. To their dismay, the opening night audience and the critics respond to the play and find it to be a hilarious satire.
What can they do but abort their plan to close shop after one night? Instead, they must grin and bear success and figure out how to get the failure they need to make their fortune.
SLT's lead actors - who have to sing and dance as well as joke and emote - are great, and the supporting cast is as good. Erin Henderson, as the sexpot Ulla, brought Uma Thurman to mind. Then I realized that Thurman played the role in the 2005 movie (which I have not seen). The tall, blonde Henderson gets laughs throughout her stage time.
In truth, there are no "bit" roles here; everybody involved is putting out their best.
Domann's production of "The Producers" is ambitious and seems somewhat out of the norm for a musical in this neck of the woods. Judging from the audience response, though, it's striking a nerve. There's not a dull moment in its two hours and 15 minutes, and I'm sure this endeavor will set a new standard for musical comedy at Springfield Little Theatre.
About Mel Brooks The history of Mel Brooks' "The Producers" is rich, twisted and tawdry (in the best sense of the word).
By the 1960s, Brooks had already made his name as a comic genius writing for Sid Caesar's "Your Show of Shows." Then he created the TV spy spoof "Get Smart." He and Carl Reiner made a few classic comedy albums with a character they invented, The 2,000 Year Old Man.
It was 1968 when Brooks wrote and directed his first film, "The Producers," and made his mark on the big screen. In the years that followed he proffered the comedy classics "Blazing Saddles" (with writing help from Richard Pryor), "Young Frankenstein" and "High Anxiety."
Brooks fell into somewhat of a slump after those trailblazing movies but never became an embarrassment to his craft or legacy.
In 2001, he revamped "The Producers," wrote songs and a new script and turned the film into a Broadway hit, winning 12 Tony awards.
In 2005, a movie based on the musical was released to great commercial and critical acclaim.
