One of my favorite Mel Brooks movies is _The Producers_, so when I heard they were making a Broadway musical based on the film, my reaction was a very enthusiastic "Huh". When I heard that the ticket prices were going to be a hundred dollars each (making this the most expensive show on Broadway), my reaction was a less-than enthusiastic "Huh". When I discovered that the musical was nominated for thirty-seven Tonys and they won more awards that they were nominated for and that the original cast was going to be leaving in a year's time, I realized I had better get tickets.

Two hundred dollars and nearly nine months later, I saw _The Producers, the new Mel Brooks musical_.

For those of you who thought this post was going to be some sort of neo-Nazi spam by the title, here is the basic storyline behind _The Producers_. Max Bialystock (Zero Mostel in the movie, Nathan Lane in the musical) is a Broadway producer who has had a recent run of flops. Along comes accountant Leo Bloom (Gene Wilder/Matthew Broderick) who realizes that, under the right circumstances and using some creative accounting, that one could make a lot more money with a flop than with a hit. "After all, the IRS isn't concerned with shows that fail." Bailystock and Bloom go into business trying to locate the worst possible script, the worst possible director, and the worst possible cast. What they find is _Springtime for Hitler_, a "love letter to the Furher" that is "guarenteed to close by page four".

In the movie, there are already two musical numbers: "Springtime for Hitler" and "Prisoners of Love", in the musical, there are about twenty numbers. Nothing will prepare you for the Little Old Lady Land dance number. Twenty elderly women tap-dancing with walkers. If that's not funny enough, you get to see the actual production of _Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp With Adolf and Eva in Berchtesgaden_ in all of its glory. It's one thing to see the short "Springtime for Hitler" sequence in the movie. It's a whole 'nother thing to see it performed right in front of you. When the dancers formed the 25-man revolving swastika in the middle of the stage, I nearly fell out of my seat. Hitler out-dancing Stalin, Churchill, and FDR; Hitler's torch-song; giant Nazi imagery everywhere -- it was the funniest thing I've seen in several years.

The evening began with a bit of a hitch. After waiting several months for the show, the ticketholders were informed that Nathan Lane would not be performing that night. Wow. If I was Nathan Lane's understudy, I would not have wanted to be anywhere near the lobby when that announcement was made. Oog. Brad Oscar's elevation to the lead role prompted a mini-cascade. Instead of Brad Oscar as writer Franz "I have no ties to the Nazi regime and as a matter of fact I didn't even know there was a war on" Liebkind, the man who usually plays Carmen Ghia (the common-law assistant to the fabulously flamboyant Roger de Bris), portrayed Liebkind. There was a whole series of people moving up a role because of the absent Nathan Lane. I think this made for a more enjoyable night when it was all over -- after nearly 450 performances, the actors were able to see the others perform their roles. Brad Oscar as Max Bialystock very nearly cracked up watching Brad Musgrove as Liebkind singing "Haben Sie Gehurt Das Deutsche Band?"

Haben Sie Gehurt Das Deutsche Band?
Mit a bang?
Mit a boom?
Mit a bing bang bing bang boom?
Haben Sie Gehurt Das Deutsche Band?
Mit a bang,
Mit a boom,
Mit a bing bang bing bang boom?
Russian folk songs and the French "oo-la-la"
Can't compare with zat German "oomph-pah-pah"!
Haben Sie Gehurt Das Deutsche Band?
Mit a zat!
Mit a zap!
Mit a zit zat zit zat zap!

- Faux Elizabeth Pas