The Producers

Could anyone tell me if Mel Brook's "The Producers" currently playing on Broadway is bound for Melbourne next March 2004?
I saw the opening preview night on Broadway back in April 2001 which starred Nathan Lane & Mathew Broderick it was sensational...A fantastic show worthy of the huge standing ovation it received.
regards
Who is ear marked for the rolls if it is comming to Australia?
What about auditions :-)

regards
Rick

I'm very interested to see if this show does go overseas, not just Australia, as well.

Despite it having been on Broadway for a good couple of years now, I've not heard much about a production launch on the West End, which means that an Australian launch is probably even further off.

Which makes me wonder, is Mel Brooks going to let it go up anywhere but America? Is such an American musical in every sense of the term - not just the accents, but the structure, the musical styles, the humour and above all, the voice types required (that uber-twang/belt that you just don't get anywhere but Broadway, or after years of training from a Broadway specialist) - going work anywhere else?

I can't help but think of two immensely disappointing cast recordings I have which are great examples of why 'Producers' shouldn't be done outside America: the West End 'City of Angels' recording I have is jarring to listen to - terrible accent coaching and wildly inappropriate voice types (which definitely come from the British emotional-content musical school which, for me anyway, sit badly with the Cy Coleman jazz-belt requirements); and the Broadway recording of 'Me and My Girl' - brassy belters trying to sing what is basically lyrical English music hall, and some severely dodgy 'Allo-'allo-'allo-Dick-Van-Dyke-
School-of-Cockney accent work (the wonderful Robert Linsay, the definitive 'Bill', is the exception on this recording, of course).

There is, however, 'Witches of Eastwick' - an extremely exciting collabloration between West End and Broadway. But then the musical isn't quite so definitively one or the other.

I've often thought about this - how much you want to do it aside (I'd love to play Ulla, but I ain't a six foot Nordic blonde, so I'm not kidding myself that it's going to happen), would it work anywhere but America?

I posit this purely as a topic of discussion...

[%sig%]

Amanda Chesterton wrote:
"...is Mel Brooks going to let it go up anywhere but America? Is such an American musical in every sense of the term - not just the accents, but the structure, the musical styles, the humour and above all, the voice types required (that uber-twang/belt that you just don't get anywhere but Broadway, or after years of training from a Broadway specialist) - going work anywhere else?

"... would it work anywhere but America?"

Well, to be quite honest. If ti is going to work anywhere in the world it will work here in Australia, for two reasons.

1. Technically. The main advantage of not having a national style of musical is that our people are trained in all the other forms. If you're gonna get people able to belt, you can get them here in Oz. If you need people to dance, you can get them here. Remember 42nd Street? Gower Champion composed some of the trickiest tap steps ever for the chorus, and then had to tone it down for the original production cos it was too hard for the chorus. Then, when the production got here they discovered that the level of talent was so good they could give them the ORIGINAL choreography, not the watered down version.
On more than one occasion I have heard of American AND English producers saying that the Oz production is better than the original (42nd Street, Phantom, etc)
Ulla would not be a problem, a blonded up Rhonda Burchmore or Jackie Love? Can anyone remember Tom Burlinson in "How to Succeed in Business"? for that matter what about Georgie Parker in the same. We have the talent to do it right here.
(Also remember hearing how Shirley MacLaine, who got her start in Pajama Game, said that the only chance she'd ever get to do Norma Desmond was in the Oz production, but she'd have to wait for years for the local talent to pass on it)
[chuckle - just had a flash of Robin Archer playing Shirley Markowitz the Lighting Designer]

2. The show itself. This is a show that appeals to the slightly more cynical American sense of humour ("The show that offends everyone!") I think it would probably be greatly received by the Australian Public. Possibly even more so than in the States. After all, we practically invented the sort of ironic humour that this show utilises.

We can but hope and pray someone does it soon.
Then again, if they don't, I know at least one Amateur club that would jump at the chance should the amateur rights become available...

"Make it Gay! Make it Gay! Make it Gay!"

Paul Treasure

Reg Livermore and Tom Burlinson have been cast in the lead roles here in Australia. Set to open Aril 2004 in Melb's Princess Theatre

Paul Treasure wrote:

> "Make it Gay! Make it Gay! Make it Gay!"

The phrase is "Keep it gay" by the way.

Hehe

The rumour still seems to be unsupported despite some old text...

Variety reports The Producers will arrive first, in April 2004...On July 26 (2002), Producers lyricist Thomas Meehan told Playbill On-Line to expect the Tony-gobbling musical comedy in Oz. "Australia is happening," stated Meehan, although the librettist did not mention the specific dates.


Is that Jason Alexander? And Martin Short? What happened to Nathan Lane?

Visa says that its just a rumour at the moment...

Sorry,
Its been a while since I listened to the recording...

is there a show to-day, if so what time will it start
thank you

rob loricco