Classic Brooks comedy returns
LIVING up to the hype of Mel Brooks’s The Producers is one of the challenges facing the JYM theatre company, which is staging the classic comedy later this month.
Director Brendan Cohen, who is fronting up for his fifth show with the Jewish theatre company, says: “The script is so funny and the story so ridiculous that it is thoroughly entertaining. It’s a show that people know and love and are looking forward to seeing.”
The Producers tells the story of two Jewish entrepreneurs who plot a scheme to make a fortune from a show – so long as it flops.
They stage a musical spoof on Hitler called Springtime for Hitler, but their plan backfires when it becomes an overnight hit.
Among the many musical numbers is the showstopper I Wanna Be a Producer.
Brooks not only wrote the book and screenplay for The Producers, but penned the lyrics when he decided to turn his Oscar-winning 1967 film starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder into a musical.
When it opened on Broadway in 2001 it became an instant box office hit and won a record 12 Tony Awards, including best musical, best original score and best choreography.
Brooks was in Melbourne in 2004 for the big-budget premiere of The Producers at the Princess Theatre starring Bert Newton, Reg Livermore, Tom Burlinson and Tony Sheldon.
For JYM’s production there is a good balance of experience and newcomers, with the lead roles played by Sonny Beycher (producer Max Bialystock), Steven Walker (accountant Leo Bloom), Joel Lazar (Nazi “playwright” Franz Leibkind) and Lisa Brash (leggy secretary Ulla).
“There’s a lovely family feeling to JYM’s shows with experienced actors that you can trust as well as new talent,” says Cohen.
“Almost all of the leads I have worked with before and that makes a big difference.”
Cohen, who is a teacher at Bialik College, says that JYM is very inclusive when it comes to supporting Jewish talent, but is prepared to cast the net wider if necessary.
“We advertise the shows in theatre publications and approach the auditions with an open mind. We want to encourage and support Jewish performers, but will not compromise on excellence when casting.”
In an interview with The AJN in 2004, Brooks addressed the issue of comedy and the Holocaust.
“Hitler has caused a great deal of grief and harm, so the best way to get even with despots is to make them look ridiculous and bring them down with ridicule,” Brooks said.
“You can’t match them for rhetoric, so comedy is a great weapon. You riddle them with jokes.”
Cohen agrees with the sentiment.
“The production ridicules Hitler in a general sense – it is Jews laughing at a monster and the best response to a monster like Hitler is through laughter,” he says.
“I can understand why some people may be concerned about the idea, but when people see the show they will see it’s full of Jewish humour.”
The Producers is at the Phoenix Theatre, 101 Glenhuntly Road, Elwood from May 11-25. Bookings: www.jymtheatre.com.
REPORT by Danny Gocs
PHOTO of The Producers stars (from left) Lisa Brash as Ulla, Steven Walker as Leo Bloom and Sonny Beycher as Max Bialystock. Photo: Des McMillan
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