The Producers is a musical
adapted from Mel Brooks’s 1967 film of the same name. As in the film, the story
concerns two theatrical producers who scheme to get rich by overselling
interests in a Broadway flop. Complications arise when the show unexpectedly
turns out to be successful. The humor of the show draws on ridiculous accents,
caricatures of homosexuals and Nazis, and many show business in-jokes.
The original Broadway production opened at the St. 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.
Act I
In New York in 1959, theatre producer Max Bialystock opens "Funny
Boy", a musical version of Hamlet ("Opening Night"). It
is terrible, and the show closes after one performance. 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").
The next day, Leo Bloom, a mousy accountant, comes to Max's office to audit
his books. When one of Max's little old lady "investors" arrives, Max
tells Leo to wait in the bathroom until she leaves. 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". Leo reveals his lifelong dream: he's
always wanted to be a Broadway producer. 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. Max begs Leo to cook the books to hide the discrepancy. Leo
reluctantly agrees. After some calculations, he realizes that "under the
right circumstances, a producer could actually make more money with a flop than
he can with a hit. ... You could've raised a million dollars, put on your
$100,000 flop, and kept the rest!" Max proposes a scheme:
Step 1: We find the worst play ever written.
Step 2: We hire the worst director in town.
Step 3: We raise two million dollars. ... One for me, one for you. There's a
lot of little old ladies out there!
Step 4: We hire the worst actors in New York and open on Broadway and before
you can say
Step 5: We close on Broadway, take our two million, and go to Rio.
However, Leo refuses to help Max with his scheme ("We Can Do
It"). When he arrives at work six minutes late, Leo's horrid boss, Mr.
Marks, reminds him that he is a nobody. While he and his miserable co-workers
slave over accounts, Leo daydreams of becoming a Broadway producer ("I
Wanna Be a Producer"). He realizes that his job is terrible, quits, and
returns to Max ("We Can Do It" (reprise)). The next day, they look
for the worst play ever written. 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 Franz Liebkind, which Max
describes as "a love letter to Hitler". They go to the playwright's
home in Greenwich Village to get the rights to the play. Ex-Nazi Franz is on
the roof of his tenement with his pigeons reminiscing about the grand old days
("In Old Bavaria"). The producers get him to sign their contract by
joining him in singing Adolf Hitler's favourite 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".
Next, they go to the townhouse of flamboyant homosexual Roger De Bris, the
worst director in New York. At first, Roger and his "common
law-assistant" Carmen Ghia decline the offer to direct because of the
serious subject matter ("Keep It Gay"). 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. Max and Leo
return to the office to meet a Swedish bombshell who wants to audition for
their next play: Ulla Inga Hansen Benson Yansen Tallen Hallen Svaden Swanson.
She auditions for them ("When You've Got It, Flaunt It"). The
producers are impressed, mostly by her beauty, and hire her to be their
"secretary-slash-receptionist". Max leaves to raise two million
dollars for "Springtime for Hitler" by calling on all the little old
ladies in New York ("Along Came Bialy"), which he does ("Act I
Finale").
Act II
Leo and Ulla are left alone in Max's office (redecorated by Ulla), and they
start to fall in love ("That Face"). Max walks in and sees the
perfect form of Ulla's covered behind ("That Face" (reprise)).
At the auditions for the title role, Hitler, one terrible actor after
another is rejected by Roger in summary fashion. Finally, Franz performs his
own jazzy rendition of "Haben Sie Gehort Das Deutsche Band?", at the
end of which Max stands up and shouts, "That's our Hitler!". Opening
night arrives ("It's Bad Luck to Say 'Good Luck' on Opening Night"),
and Franz falls down the stairs and breaks his leg. Roger is the only one who
knows the part of Hitler, and he rushes to the dressing room to get ready. The
curtain rises, and Max and Leo watch the theatrical disaster unfold
("Springtime for Hitler"). Unfortunately, Roger's performance is so
camp and outrageous, the audience mistakes it for satire, and the show becomes
the talk of the town. Back at the office, Max and Leo are near-suicidal
("Where Did We Go Right?"). Roger and Carmen come to congratulate
them, only to find them fighting over the accounting books. Franz bursts in,
waving a pistol, outraged by Roger's portrayal of his beloved Führer. Max
suggests that he shoot the actors (not the producers) to close the show. The
police hear the commotion and arrest Franz, who breaks his other leg while
trying to escape. They also arrest Max and take the books. Leo hides; Ulla
finds him and persuades him to take the two million dollars and run off to Rio
with her.
In jail awaiting trial, Max receives a postcard from Leo and, feeling
betrayed, recounts the whole show including the intermission
("Betrayed"). At his trial, Max is found "incredibly
guilty"; but the now-married Leo and Ulla arrive to tell the judge that
Max is a good man who has never hurt anyone despite his swindling ("'Till
Him"). The judge is touched by this and decides not to separate the
partners, sending both (plus Franz) to Sing Sing prison for five years. In
prison, they write a new musical entitled Prisoners of Love, which goes
to Broadway ("Prisoners of Love") (starring Roger and Ulla), and they
are pardoned by the Governor. Leo and Max become the kings of Broadway and walk
off into the sunset ("Leo & Max"). Everyone comes back for one
last song, telling the audience that they have to leave ("Goodbye").
