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If the word “outrageous” didn’t exist, somebody would have to invent it to
describe “The Producers.”
What else would you call a musical with tap-dancing old ladies complete with
walkers, dancing Nazis, over-the-top musical numbers with songs like “Keep it Gay”
and “Der Guten Tag Hop-Clop” and sight gags that will leave you howling with
laughter in your seat?
And why not? You wouldn’t expect anything less from a Mel Brooks production.
He’s considered a comic genius for a reason. But the stars of “The Producers” —
which makes its New England regional premiere at the North Shore Music Theatre,
running from May 13 through June 1 — say there is something much more basic that
makes audiences love this show. It’s the relationship between the two lead
characters.
First brought to Broadway with Nathan Lane and Matthew
Broderick as the leads, these roles will be played by Scott Davidson and Jim Stanek
during the NSMT run. Davidson stars as down-and-out producer Max Bialystock and Stanek
stars as Max’s timid accountant, Leo Bloom.
Most recently, Davidson appeared on Broadway in “Hairspray” and in the roles of Franz
Liebkind and Roger Debris in the national touring companies of “The Producers.” Stanek
comes to NSMT fresh off his featured role in “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change”
at New York’s Westside Theatre. Stanek also originated the role Louis de Pointe Du Lac
in Elton John’s musical “Lestat,” and was featured in the Broadway revival of “A Funny
Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” and in “Indiscretions” with Kathleen
Turner.
But both actors say they’re especially enamored about the characters they’re bringing
to the stage in this NSMT production. They say they relate to these characters and to
the friendship they form.
“This is one of those roles that I feel I was born to play,” Davidson says.
As for Leo, Stanek says, “I love him. I definitely identify
with him because I am a bit of a geek. That relationship is my favorite thing about
the show. It’s about two misfits who help each other out.”
Stanek likened it to other great well-known entertainment duos like Abbott and Costello
and, more recently, the William Shatner and James Spader pairing on ABC’s “Boston Legal.”
“I am a big fan of ‘Boston Legal,’” Stanek says.
Based on Brooks’ own groundbreaking 1968 film starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, the
musical chronicled the hilarious adventures of Broadway producer Max Bialystock and his
accountant Leo Bloom. The two scheme to get rich quick by producing the most notorious
flop in the history of showbiz and pocketing their investors’ money. Of course, things
go horribly (and comically) awry.
Davidson says it’s the relationship between the two men that “is crucial to telling the
story. The core of this relationship is that they love and need each other.”
FRIENDSHIP IN THE ROUND
The staging of the show on NSMT’s in-the-round stage will
actually help draw the audience into this friendship, Stanek says.
“The really cool thing about Max and Leo is the office scenes. The office scenes are
the heart of the show,” he says. “It is where the idea is born and crafted. Being in
the round, the audience is right there. It’s an exciting experience. It’s almost like
they are privy” to the duo’s private conversations.
But are real-life theater producers as colorful as Max and Leo? Ask Davidson and Stanek
to recall some of the nightmare producers they have worked for and they can’t come up
with name between the two of them.
“I have heard stories,” Davidson says. “I believe Mel based it stories he had heard. I
have never been asked to do things as unscrupulous as Max did. Leo and Max, even though
they were unscrupulous, they didn’t screw their actors. They took care of the actors and
the crew.”
And that’s typically how it is in real life, Davidson says.
“A lot of investors never see a return on that investment,” he said. “Broadway producers
have a passion for the theater. It’s not the money-making venture it once was.”
But this show was certainly a hit and a moneymaker for Brooks. When he took the musical
to Broadway it won 12 Tony Awards, more than any other show in history. And don’t forget
when Brooks took the show on the road again. He played himself on several episodes of HBO’s
“Curb Your Enthusiasm,” casting series star Larry David as Max in an L.A. production of
“The Producers.”
Davidson, who was in the ensemble in the original company of the second national tour —
which opened in Boston at the Colonial Theater — said he’s glad he had some time to watch
the Max character before playing him.
“I don’t think I was psychologically ready to play him (when I first auditioned),” he says.
“I needed more seasoning.”
With all the exposure this show has received, you might think that
Davidson and Stanek would be a bit nervous. Both say they aren’t.
“I am not nervous at all. I am not Matthew Broderick,” Stanek says. “But no one has seen me
do it before. I have an opportunity to play a great role. It’s exciting to be playing a role
and to put your own stamp on it.”
As for Davidson, he says: “I would be intimidated if I didn’t have the history with the show.
I have seen lesser-known actors do it with great success.”
(North Shore Sunday)
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