[NEohioPAL] Berko review: THE PRODUCERS @ Beck Center for the Arts

[Roy Berko]

‘THE PRODUCERS’ produces laughs at Beck

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--
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--COOLCLEVELAND.COM—

Mel Brooks, who co-authored the script for the musical, ‘THE PRODUCERS,’ is 
noted as an off-the-wall, hysterically funny film director, screenwriter, 
composer, lyricist, comedian, actor, and producer.   He is one of the few 
artists who has received an Oscar, Emmy, Tony, and Grammy.   Among his zany 
works is The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000 with Carl Reiner.  He was a  
comedy writer for Your Show of Shows, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and The Steve 
Allen Show.  His list of movie, TV and stage shows is endless.  This is one 
talented man.

Brook’s first feature film was the satire, The Producers, a dark comedy.  
Because the major production number was entitled "Springtime for Hitler," 
studios wouldn't touch it.  He finally found an independent company which 
released it as an art film.   It went on to win an  Oscar for Best Original 
Screenplay and became a cult hit.  Brooks later turned the script into a 
musical, which became hugely successful on Broadway, receiving twelve Tony 
awards.  It is this script which is now being presented at the Beck Center for 
the Arts.  

‘THE PRODUCERS’ centers on a theatrical producer (Max Bialystock), noted for his 
many flops who, along with a nebbish accountant (Leo Bloom), schemes to collect 
an enormous amount of money, produce a flop, steal the money and fly off to 
Rio.  Unfortunately, their ‘SPRINGTIME FOR HITLER’ becomes a hit and they wind 
up in trouble with the law.  This is not before Bloom falls in love with the 
curvaceous Ulla, a group of old ladies perform a dance using walkers, a coop of 
pigeons do the “sieg heil,” and ridiculous accents, caricatures of homosexuals 
and Nazis are presented.

The musical takes much of its format and humor from the film, but deviates 
enough so that it becomes its own entity.  It is much more upbeat and doesn’t 
have the flick’s darker side.

The original production opened on Broadway on April 19, 2001, starring Nathan 
Lane and Matthew Broderick, and ran for 2,502 performances.
Judging from the reaction of the nearly sold out Sunday matinee audience I 
attended, the Beck production, under the directorship of Scott Spence, delights. 
  This, in spite of the fact, that some of the characterizations were slightly 
off and laugh lines were lost due to timing and nuance issues.

Mark Heffernan physically fits the role of Bialystock.  He has a fine singing 
voice but lacks the comic timing and development of the shtick that is needed to 
fully flesh out the conniving producer.  His “Betrayed” was well done, but “The 
King of Old Broadway” was emotionally flat.  Brandon Isner, as Bloom, has a 
well-tuned singing voice but could have been more neurotic at the start so that 
we see a more drastic change as he “matures.”  His “I Wanna Be a Producer” 
needed a harder sell, a more exciting presence.   Both men need to grow into 
their roles, be more spontaneous and react, rather than act.  They feign rather 
than are. 

Betsy Kahl has the physical attributes for Ulla, but her accent keeps coming and 
going, especially when she is singing.  Her “When You’ve Got It, Flaunt It” 
lacked the necessary overdone sexiness.

Kevin Joseph Kelly displays a big voice and personality as Roger DeBris, the fey 
director.  His “Keep It Gay” was cleverly conceived and well done.  Gilgamesh 
Taggett was properly overboard as Franz, the pro-Nazi.  His “In Old Bavaria” was 
well done.

“Springtime for Hitler” should be a hysterical show stopper.  As is, it was 
entertaining, but could have been so, so much more outlandish and fun.   

The show moves quickly along, aided by well-timed set changes and May Ann 
Black’s nicely conceived choreography as performed by the huge but sometime 
laboring cast.  Larry Goodpaster’s peppy orchestra does a nice job of playing 
and not overshadowing and drowning out the singers.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  Beck’s ‘THE PRODUCERS’ gets lots of laughs, though it misses 
some others.  This show should be a total romp.  When the cast settles in and 
stops begging for laughs and lets Brook’s natural humor and ridiculousness come 
through, the show should be even more pleasing.

“THE PRODUCERS’ runs through  August 22 at Beck Center for the Arts.  For ticket 
information call 216-521-2540.  
 
Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 
2010, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at 
http://royberko.info
His reviews can also be found on www.coolcleveland.com and NeOHIOpal (to 
subscribe visit http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/neohiopal.)