Book by Mel Brooks
and Thomas Meehan
Music and Lyrics by
Mel Brooks
Original direction
and choreography recreated by Rachael Beck and Rachel Thornton
Dramatic Productions
Gungahlin College
Theatre to 26 October
Reviewed by Len Power
16 October 2019
The modern musical tends to tackle serious and worthy issues
of the human condition. ‘The Producers’ exists
just for fun and takes a broad swipe at political correctness while it’s at it.
Adapted by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan from Brooks’ 1967
non-musical film of the same name, ‘The Producers’ focusses on two Broadway
producers who plan to make their fortune by deliberately overcapitalizing on a
Broadway musical, ‘Springtime For Hitler’, that is so bad it can’t do anything
but flop. Of course, the show turns out
to be an unexpected hit, putting them in deep doodoo.
The original production opened on Broadway in 2001 and ran
for over 2500 performances. It won 12
Tony Awards including Best Musical – a record that has never been broken.
Daryl Somers of TV fame shows another side of his talent
with an excellent, highly-energetic performance as the sleazy producer, Max
Bialystock and he sings the demanding role very well. Newcomer to Canberra, Jason Bensen, is
terrific as the nerdy and troubled accountant who blossoms as the other
producer.
Demi Smith is a sexy and very funny Ulla and Zack Drury
pulls out all the stops in his hysterical performance as the insane playwright
and Nazi sympathiser, Franz Liebkind.
Paul Sweeney gives his best performance so far in Canberra as the very
camp director, Roger De Bris and Jake Fraser is delightfully slinky and temperamental
as Roger’s ‘special’ friend, Carmen Ghia.
There is great work from everyone else in the hard-working
cast. They all get their moment to
shine. I’m not sure I’ve quite recovered
yet from seeing Pat Gallagher and David Cannell playing little old ladies!
Musical direction by Ewan was excellent with the orchestra
playing the score very well. Sound balance
between cast and orchestra was just right.
Rachel Thornton’s choreography works extremely well and you
can tell the cast are having a lot of fun dancing it. Suzan Cooper has excelled even herself with
the multitude of dazzling costumes.
Director, Rachael Beck, wisely recreates the main elements
of the original production and, with her enthusiastic team of performers, gives
us a fast-moving, colourful evening of great entertainment. You won’t see many shows as funny as this
one.
Len Power’s reviews
are also broadcast on the Artsound FM 92.7 ‘In the Foyer’ program on Mondays
and Wednesdays at 3.30pm.
