After much persuading and invoking the possibility of a Tony Award, Roger agrees and tells them the second act must be rewritten so the Germans win World War II. At first, Roger and his 'common law-assistant' Carmen Ghia decline the offer to direct because of the serious subject matter ('Keep It Gay'). Next, they go to the townhouse of the flamboyant and gay Roger De Bris, the worst director in New York. The producers get him to sign their contract by joining him in singing Adolf Hitler's favorite tune ('Der Guten Tag Hop Clop') and reciting the Siegfried Oath, under penalty of death, promising never to dishonor 'the spirit and the memory of Adolf Elizabeth Hitler'. Franz is on the roof of his tenement with his pigeons reminiscing about the grand old days ('In Old Bavaria'). They go to the playwright's home in Greenwich Village to get the rights to the play. Max finds a sure-fire flop that would offend people of all races, creeds and religions: Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp with Adolf and Eva at Berchtesgaden, written by ex- Nazi Franz Liebkind, which Max describes as 'a love letter to Hitler'. The next day, they look for the worst play ever written. He realizes that his job is terrible, quits, and returns to Max ('We Can Do It' (reprise)). While he and his miserable co-workers toil over accounts, Leo daydreams of becoming a Broadway producer ('I Wanna Be a Producer'). When he arrives at work six minutes late, Leo's horrid boss, Mr. However, Leo refuses to help Max with his scheme ('We Can Do It').

Step 5: We close on Broadway, take our two million, and go to Rio. Step 4: We hire the worst actors in New York and open on Broadway and before you can say There's a lot of little old ladies out there! Step 2: We hire the worst director in town. Step 1: We find the worst play ever written. After some calculations, he realizes that 'under the right circumstances, a producer could make more money with a flop than he could with a hit.' Inspired, Max proposes a scheme: Max begs Leo to cook the books to hide the discrepancy. After a panic attack when Max touches his blue blanket, Leo tells Max that he has found an accounting error in his books: Max raised $100,000 for 'Funny Boy', but the play only cost $98,000. Leo reveals his lifelong dream: he's always wanted to be a Broadway producer. She plays a sex game with Max, who eventually persuades her to give him a check to be invested in his next play, to be called 'Cash'. When one of Max's little old lady 'investors' arrives, Max tells Leo to wait in the bathroom until she leaves. The next day, Leo Bloom, a mousy accountant, comes to Max's office to audit his books. Max, who was once called the King of Broadway, tells a crowd of down-and-outs of his past achievements and vows to return to form ('King of Broadway'). It is terrible, and the show closes after one performance. In New York in 1959, theatre producer Max Bialystock opens 'Funny Boy', a musical version of Hamlet ('Opening Night'). After Ockrent's death in 1999, Stroman agreed to continue as both director and choreographer. Brooks persuaded Mike Ockrent and his wife Susan Stroman to join the creative team as director and choreographer. Brooks then asked Thomas Meehan to join him in writing the book for the stage.

When Brooks met with Jerry Herman to discuss their working together, Herman declined, telling Brooks that he should do the job himself, as he was a good songwriter. 5.1 Chicago tryout and Broadway (2001–2007)ĭavid Geffen persuaded Mel Brooks to turn his film into a stage musical.It spawned a successful West End production running for just over two years, national tours in the US and UK, many productions worldwide and a 2005 film version. James Theatre on April 19, 2001, starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, and ran for 2,502 performances, winning a record-breaking 12 Tony Awards. The humor of the show draws on ridiculous accents, caricatures of gay people and Nazis, and many show business in-jokes.Īfter 33 previews, the original Broadway production opened at the St. Complications arise when the show unexpectedly turns out to be successful. The story concerns two theatrical producers who scheme to get rich by fraudulently overselling interests in a Broadway flop. It is adapted from Brooks's 1967 film of the same name. The Producers is a musical with music and lyrics by Mel Brooks, and a book by Brooks and Thomas Meehan. Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical

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