Music & Lyrics by Mel Brooks, Book by Mel Brooks & Tom Meehan
Directed & Choreographed by Susan Stroman

Review by Alan Bird
June 2003

Mel Brooks is surely the zaniest comic genius ever, and in the musical version of his hit movie “The Producers”, we see just how zany he really is. Who would have thought that a musical with the song “Spring Time for Hitler” would prove to be an all time Broadway classic!

The story concerns Max Bialystock a struggling Broadway producer and Leo Bloom a stage-struck accountant. These two men join forces in order to make mega-bucks by producing the worst musical ever seen on Broadway. When they receive a musical script from Franz Liebkind, a ex-nazi storm trooper, which tells the story of Hitler’s rise to power in song and dance, they are convinced that they have found a show that is guaranteed to offend just about everybody.

The musical has nazi arm-band wearing chickens, dancing storm troopers, dirty old ladies with euphemisms such as “Lick-me Bite-me” and “Hold-me, Touch-me”, a song with the refrain “Don’t be stupid / Be a smarty / Come and join the Nazi party!” And the marvellously scandalous closing number “Spring Time for Hitler”, which sees an outrageously camp Fuhrer take centre stage.

This musical is sure to offend anyone with out a funny bone and bring nothing but child-like glee to everyone else. To quote words from “Spring Time for Hitler”, the audience is sure to leave the theatre feeling ‘Happy and Gay’.

The Producers is an absolute must see!

(Alan Bird)

What the critics had to say when the show opened in 2001.....

BEN BRENTLEY of the NEW YORK TIMES says “It's fast, fierce, shameless, vulgar and altogether blissful.” JOHN LAHR of THE NEW YORKER says “Mel Brooks is back, mit a bing, mit a bang, mit a boom.” RICHARD ZONGLIN of TIME MAGAZINE says “What's not to love?” RICHARD CORLISS also of TIME MAGAZINE says “I wasn’t overwhelmed. Just…whelmed.” CLIVE BARNES of NY POST says “mammoth old-time Broadway hit” FRANK SCHECK of HOLLYWOOD REPORTER says “delirious a feeling as you'll ever experience in the theater.” HOWARD KISSEL of NY DAILY NEWS says “so much imagination, so much sheer pleasure.” ELYSA GARDNER of USA TODAY says “most raucous good time to be had.” MICHAEL SOMMERS of STAR-LEDGER says “it will split your ribs with mirth” ACQUES le SOURD of NY JOURNAL NEWS says “fresh blast of giddy triumph”

External links to full reviews from newspapers

New York Times
New York Post
Time Magazine