SALT LAKE CITY — When “The Producers” debuted on Broadway in 2001, it was the must-see show and smashed almost every record. It won, and still holds, a record 12 Tony Awards — breaking the previous, 37-year record of 10 set by “Hello Dolly.”
It broke the record for the largest single-day box-office ticket sales in theater history at the time. And later, when original cast members Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick reprised their roles, “The Producers” broke its own record for the largest single-day box-office take.
The musical adaptation of the 1961 film of the same name would also make writer Mel Brooks a member of the prestigious EGOT club — for winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award.
And now, “The Producers” is coming to Salt Lake City — the touring production will run Feb. 2-7 at Capitol Theatre.
The story is about two theatrical producers, Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom, who figure out they just might make more money by convincing investors to invest in a Broadway play that actually ends up being a flop — then they’ll take the money and run. They do everything in their power to orchestrate a flop, and hilarious high jinks ensue.
Needless to say, “The Producers” is filled with the trademark humor of Brooks — it’s biting, it’s edgy and it makes fun of just about everyone.
“No one is safe,” said actor John B. Boss, who plays Roger De Bris, the director hired by Bialystock and Bloom to direct their “flop.” “He pokes fun at everybody, but just get out there and enjoy it with an open mind and you’ll belly laugh — you really will.”
“You know, Mel Brooks started out as a percussionist in his youth,” Boss added. “And comedy has a certain rhythm to it or it doesn’t work. It’s not just words, it’s not just actors. This show is 2 1/5 hours of a 100-mile-an-hour freight train of comedy. … Brooks is just a brilliant writer — it’s probably the funniest musical comedy ever written.”
Even though it’s been close to 15 years since the musical first debuted, Boss said the material still holds.
“We’re also proud that for this production we are re-creating original director Susan Stroman’s original direction and brilliant choreography,” Boss said, adding that the company spent an afternoon working with Stroman while rehearsing in New York. “This is my fourth time playing Roger, and I’ve learned so much more about the character, working with this crew on this production.”
And the show’s large cast is just the beginning.
“It takes 50 people, outside of regular theater staff, to bring ‘The Producers,’” Boss said. “We have 24 actors, nine musicians and eight crew members. Plus we hire up to 16 crew (members) in each city we play — those folks will also double as dressers.”
“It’s a big, big show. If you’re not onstage tapping and singing, you’re backstage quickly changing your clothes,” Boss said, noting that some of the changes are a swift 45 seconds. “We’re never sitting in a chair waiting for our next scene.”
And all that tapping, at this altitude, requires the help of a bit of oxygen backstage — “And thanks goodness for that,” Boss said.
“This is just a really top-notch Broadway production with all the bells and whistles,” he said. “The original set pieces, original costumes, original staging and Mel Brooks.”
“Leave the children at home and be ready to laugh.”
Content advisory: Language and swearing, racial slurs, sexual innuendo, suggestive situations, smoking and drinking; if this production of "The Producers" were a film, it would likely be rated PG-13.
If you go ...
What: “The Producers” national tour
When: Feb. 2-7, times vary, matinees available
Where: Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South
How much: $32.50-$65
Web: artsaltlake.org
Phone: 801-355-2787
Erica Hansen was the theater editor at the Deseret News for more than three years. An area performer, she was also the original host of the radio program "Showtune Saturday Night."