In this article we're going to review a musical that has had more revivals and renditions than any musical in history. For those who were not around in the 1960s it is really hard to know which came first, the chicken or the egg. Or, in the case of the musical The Producers, which version came first. The original version of The Producers was actually a movie from back in the 60s that starred Zero Mostel as Max Bialystock and Gene Wilder as Leo Bloom. It wasn't until the movie was turned into a Broadway musical play by creator Mel Brooks years later that its popularity really soared. To confuse things even more, the play was turned back into a movie just recently, with the latest version looking more like the play than the original movie. As a matter of fact, the movie starred the two people most identified with the popular play, Nathan Lane as Bialystock and Matthew Broderick as Bloom. This cast has been said to have performed the definitive version of this critically acclaimed play. For those not familiar with the story, it is a simple one. Bialystock tries to think of a way to make a lot of money on Broadway. He figures out, with the help of Bloom, that the best way would be to create a play that was so bad that it would close after one performance. Then they could take all the money that backers gave to them for a long run and make their way to Rio with it. Well, things didn't quite work out the way they planned. The horrible play, "Springtime For Hitler" became an instant smash and the two crooks were eventually sent to jail for their diabolical plan. Mel Brooks is no less than a genius, not only because he wrote such a clever and insane plot but because he knew to get two of the most talented people in the business, Lane and Broderick, to play the lead roles. Musically, the show is full of memorable pieces. None, however, became more popular than the timeless "Springtime For Hitler." Most pieces of music are great because of the music. This was one song that was a lyrical masterpiece. Done totally tongue in cheek, this song shows off Brooks' genius like nothing he has ever done before or has done since. Just to see this done live on stage is worth the price of admission. The rest of the music is simply meant to fill out the story, and this is done well. The Producers may be one of the few musicals in history that was really greater than the sum of its parts. The music itself was okay outside of "Springtime". The actors were okay outside of Lane and Broderick. And the story was, in all honesty, kind of ridiculous. But everything put together as a whole created something that is just beyond description and has to be seen. It's too bad Land and Broderick are no longer on Broadway but if you can see the movie remake, do so. It's something you won't soon forget. |
