The Producers

[squsie]

I just saw the trailer. Anyone else humming "Springtime for Hitler"?

[Deleted]

Granted, I haven't seen the musical version of it but it seems odd to me that they turned a movie into a musical and are now turning that musical back into a movie.

I love musical theatre but my mother loves this play so much that it sort of is leading me to believe that it's not very good.

[mrpancake]

Actually, I saw this on Broadway not really having any specific desire to see it and having NO idea what it was about. It was really quite funny and a very enjoyable experience. I didn't see it with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, but with Alan Ruck (Cameron from Ferris Beuller!) and someone else, who did great jobs. Looking forward to the movie, just because it was so funny on stage.

[squsie]

I'm dying to see Gary Beach. It's interesting that they've kept a number of people from the original cast.

[livviebway]

Oooh, hey! John Barrowman is in this! ...Not that I know him from much more than The Fix.

Uma Thurman, eh? Can she sing?

[mrpancake]

A while ago, there was a rumor or whatever, that they had overheard rehearsals of the filming and she had a terrible voice. But that's why they use a studio to fix it all. I don't think they'd cast someone with a heinous voice, but she may not be the best. I'm just glad they didn't have Nicole Kidman do the part as originally planned. I couldn't see that at all after seeing the play.

[proper stranger]

I'm really looking forward to this. I saw the show on Broadway with Lane/Broderick and in L.A. with Jason Alexander/Martin Short and loved it both times. The trailer looks great. Somehow I didn't know that Gary Beach was in the movie; I'm really jazzed that he was able to re-create his performance for the movie--he was hysterical.

livviebway said:

Oooh, hey! John Barrowman is in this!

Hot John Barrowman is in this? How did I not know this? Now I'm super-excited for this movie! (I just checked IMDb--looks like he plays the guy who starts off "Springtime for Hitler". I wonder if his hair is dyed Aryan-blonde?.)

*sings* We're marching to a faster pace / Look out--here comes the master race!

[jynni]

I saw the trailer and it looks hilarious. I haven't seen the musical but I did see the original movie and thought it was very funny.

Between this, Rent and HP4, I'll be in heaven this fall!

[Deleted]

I thought the trailer looked quite bad. It was a bit too stagey and I didn't find anything funny about Will Ferrel. But I've been getting pretty sick of him lately so maybe thats it. I'm probably in the minority but from the very brief glimpse I got in the trailer, Uma's part looks pretty bad as well. I know she's playing this ditzy secretary, but I"m not sure how well that will translate on screen. Although isn't Mel Brooks films supposed to be campy? So maybe it will work out well.

[missjennifer]

jensational said:

I love musical theatre but my mother loves this play so much that it sort of is leading me to believe that it's not very good.

Not much respect for Mom's taste, I take it?

Take it from me, then...this show is GOOD. It shows off just what a great songwriter Mel is. Many of the songs have jokey musical references to other famous musicals--they're deliberate pastiches of beloved musical forms. (Max's second-act solo, "Betrayed", was originally supposed to be even more of a pastiche of "Rose's Turn" from Gypsy, but I think Jule Styne's estate squawked.) That ties in with the whole theme behind the show...it's a sendup of traditional musicals, but it's an affectionate sendup.

The other great thing about this is the Bullwinklish (is that a word?) self-referentiality of the show. You know how when characters in a traditional book musical sing, they don't know they're singing? Well, The Producers is a musical that knows it's a musical. "Mr. Bialystock, please stop this song, you've got it wrong..." Or, "When did you do all this?" "Intermission."

So...trust your mom's taste for this once, and enjoy! You might want to take the cast CD out of the library. You're sure to hum "Keep It Gay" or "Haben Sie Gehert Das Deustchen Band?" for days.

Heck...it's the only way I'll ever be able to afford to see Lane and Broderick in the roles.