As an industry friend of mine said yesterday, "So…The Producers closed. Does anyone care?" In the grand scheme of things, the answer appeared to be "Heil no." After six years and 2,535 performances, the Mel Brooks meta-musical went out with a whimper, rather than a bang. (Though composer-lyricist-coauthor Brooks, librettist Tom Meehan, and director-choreographer Susan Stroman did attend Sunday’s final performance and attempted to inject a celebratory feeling into the proceedings.)
Despite its six-year run, The Producers couldn’t maintain the original giddy excitement that comes with 12 Tony Awards and sell-out houses. Once original stars Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick departed, the show simply wasn’t a phenomenon. It wasn’t even an event. (Until Lane and Broderick’s brief return engagement, that is.) And that’s a shame, because folks who turned their noses up at anyone not named Nathan or Matthew really missed out on something special: a genuinely hilarious, cleverly constructed, runs-like-a-Swiss-watch musical comedy that proved bigger than any two stars.
As for the replacements, well, Wings star Steven Weber may not have been the perfect nebbishy accountant Leo Bloom, but he brought an unexpected sweetness to the role; Nathan’s famous understudy, Brad Oscar, who took over as famous flopmeister Max Bialystock when the Tony winner left, was every bit as blustery and broad as his predecessor; and the most recent stars, John Treacy Egan and Hunter Foster, were a dynamite pairing. If you missed The Producers, it could be coming soon to a city near you. And keep an eye out for Young Frankenstein, the next Brooks-Stroman collaboration, on Broadway this fall.
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I saw the Producers in 2004- when Brad Oscar and Hunter Foster were paired together and Gary Beach was still playing Roger de Bris. It’s definitely an enjoyable- not to mention hilarious- theatre experience.
I was supposed to see The Producers with Lane and Broderick but Lane was sick that night so Brad Oscar played Max and it was still a hilarious, giddy romp. I’ve seen Lane perform before so I didn’t really miss him that night.
I was fortunate enough to see the show 3 years ago, it was after Lane and Broderick, but was still hilarious and one of the best times I’ve ever had at a Broadway show. I hope for a revival a few years down the road, or maybe a Blazing Saddles production, how sweet would that be?
yeah well its sad. Thankfully the Phantom is still on Broadway.
I am a frequent visitor of theatre websites such as Playbill and Broadway.com. However, there is no coverage today of last night’s final bow. Sad! At least we have “The Producers” (musical and otherwise) on DVD forever. I know EW wasn’t thrilled with that incarnation, but I really enjoyed it. And for those of us who weren’t fortunate (or rich) enough to see Lane and Broderick live onstage, it’s more than a decent substitute. I have high hopes for “Young Frankenstein”!
I really enjoyed the show when I went to see it. No big names, just a funny script and an enthusiastic audience. The theatre was great, very intimate for something so huge, adn I spent a ton of time laughing. An extremely enjoyable expericne for my first time seeing a show on the Great White Way. The moview was great too, despite all the critical pans, I always get a laugh when Max walks out during “‘Til Him” and then calmly comes in with his hands up and resumes singing the song after the held chord
. Well, Young Frankenstein will be really funny, I’m sure, and I can’t wait to see some of teh scenes turned into songs!
I saw the show shortly after it opened in 2001 with the entire original cast, and it was hands down the single best theatrical experience I have ever had. I saw the show three years later with a replacement cast, of course, and I have never before seen a show so laborious. The audience left the theater feeling exhausted, as if the cast had picked them up and squeezed them tightly, desperately trying to wring out tired laughs.
ClicheWatch: 1. “the grand scheme of things” 2.”went out with a whimper, rather than a bang” 3.”runs-like-a-Swiss-watch”