Mel Brooks' musical is over-the-top fun | Theatre

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - Over the top, sarcastic, and just overall fun. That's what you can expect from a musical written by comedian Mel Brooks and performed by Opera House Theatre Company.

The Producers was adapted from Brooks' 1968 film of the same name.  It follows Max Bialystock, a struggling Broadway producer.

"He makes nothing but terrible, terrible plays," said actor Anthony Lawson.

Leo Bloom, his accountant, stumbles upon something Max can't resist.

"He discovers that technically you can make more money producing a flop than you could with a hit," said Lawson.

And so the process begins.  Bialystock and Bloom must first find the "worst play ever written."  They think they've done that when they discover Franz Liebkind's Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp with Adolf and Eva at Berchtesgaden.  Liebkind, an ex-Nazi, engages Bialystock and Bloom in a dance and makes them swear an oath to Hitler.

From there, the producers must hire the "worst director in town."  For that, they tap the flamboyant Roger De Bris who wants to make the show more happy.

When the show opens, Bialystock and Bloom are surprised to find out it's a hit, and they could actually go to jail.

"It exposes what it is to put on a play in the funniest light," said Lawson.

"It's all over the top," said actor Jason Aycock. "There are very, very few serious moments. Everybody's going to find something they enjoy, whether it is big dance numbers, funny crazy scenes, some sweet moments. I think that there's just a little bit of fun for everybody."

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