“The Producers,” Sept. 11, 17-18, 8 p.m., Sept. 12, 19, 4 p.m., Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre (537 N. Main St., Wilkes-Barre). Tickets: $18. Info: 570.823.1875.
According to playwright Neil Simon, “Words with a ‘K’ in it are funny.” If Simon’s humorous instincts are to be trusted — and let’s face it, the man knows a thing or two about comedy — Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre’s upcoming production of “The Producers” should be a laugh riot. The musical stars some power in the form of leads Greg Korin and Kevin Holbert, offers the tag-team direction of Dave Baloga and Christa Manning-Dupper and comes with the talents of a top-notch supporting cast and crew, K’s be damned.
“The Producers” tells the story of former King of Broadway Max Bialystock and hapless accountant Leo Bloom. The down-on-their-luck duo concoct a scheme to defraud investors and get rich quick by producing a surefire Broadway flop, “Springtime for Hitler.” The pair soon learn that there’s no such thing as a sure thing in show business when audiences fall in love with the outrageous musical.
Does the kooky showbiz caper sound familiar? It should. Funny man Mel Brooks first brought “The Producers” to life in a 1968 movie version starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder as Bialystock and Bloom. The comedy got new life and a bunch of new tunes in April of 2001 when it opened on Broadway at the St. James Theatre starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick. Featuring songs including “Opening Night,” “When You Got It, Flaunt It” and “Keep It Gay,” the musical was an all-out hit, running for six years and 2,500 performances. “The Producers” snagged 12 Tony Awards out of 15 nominations and 11 Drama Desk Awards out of 14 nominations. Four years later, the stage stars revived their roles on the silver screen for a movie based on the play based on a movie.
It takes an enormous amount of effort to make a good show about making a bad show, and with just a few days left before opening, LTWB is hopping. The crew is putting finishing touches on the set, the costumer is making adjustments and Baloga is polishing the opening number. Meanwhile, Korin and Holbert just keep bringing the funny, even during a break in the action, finishing each other’s sentences and letting zingers fly left and right.
Korin has had his eye on the role of Bialystock since before it was written for the stage. His brother took him to see “The Producers” at the movies in 1968. He’s been dying to bring the has-been producer to life ever since.
“I was willing to sleep my way to the top if I had to. And I did,” he says. “I came in, laid down on the couch in the lobby and fell asleep.”
Holbert was drawn to audition for the role of Bloom by the high laugh potential.
“This show is one of the most hysterical in the history of musical theater, and I love a good comedy,” he shares. “It’s so specific, it’s almost like a cartoon. All of the characters are so out there and crazy in their own way. I don’t think there’s one normal character in the whole show.”
Holbert’s on-stage partner in crime agrees.
“Nope. There’s something wrong with everyone in the whole show,” Korin says with a hearty laugh, before turning serious for just a minute. “I’ve been doing community and professional theater since 1971, and this is the hardest show I’ve ever had to do. But the payoff is, when you leave and you know you’ve done everything right.”
Holbert immediately picks up the cue.
“Not that we’ve done that yet, but we’re looking forward to it,” he says. “It’s so perfectly written, too. It’s too bad we’re going to be the idiots who mess it up.”
There’s little chance that will happen, judging from Sunday night’s rehearsal. After all, Korin, Holbert and the rest of the cast’s funny folk have not one, but two directors to keep them in line. Baloga and Manning-Dupper worked together in the past, and they thought a huge musical like “The Producers” would be an ideal chance to combine their directing strengths.
“I’m big into staging, and she’s big into character, so it works out,” Baloga says.
Even with two directors at the helm, getting “The Producers” up and running on the North Main Street stage has been a challenge.
“It’s such a big show,” Baloga says. The cast needs spot-on comic timing for the constant stream of gags. Laura Mitchell’s choreography is intense. Then there are the set and costume requirements, none of which could be cut without losing a joke. And don’t even mention finances. Still, with opening night looming, Baloga seems pleased.
“We have an outstanding cast,” he says. “Everyone has worked really hard. They all know what a challenge it is and everyone really stepped up.”
Baloga and company, led by a couple of K’s, will continue polishing every gag to precision until opening night.
“There are so many great jokes. I think this is one of the funniest, if not the funniest, show ever written. It definitely dares to go where other shows don’t. It dares to be funny in so many taboo ways. I think it’s Mel Brooks’ way of getting back at Hitler.”
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