BWW Reviews: Stroman Brilliantly Re-Stages THE PRODUCERS for the Hollywood Bowl

It's official. In its choice to put on THE PRODUCERS—the hilarious 12-time Tony Award-winning musical from comic genius Mel Brooks—the 18,000-seat Hollywood Bowl has once again proven that its summer all-star blockbuster musical is one of the most exciting, highly-anticipated theater offerings of the year. Ridiculously silly in all the right ways and featuring a comically gifted, star-studded principal cast that delivers the goods with infectious gusto, this large-scale revival on this outdoor arena elicited such a huge chorus of laughter all evening that you wonder if the households in the surrounding neighborhood might have wondered what the fuss was all about.

The fuss can certainly be blamed on Susan Stroman, who won a pair of Tonys for her work on the original 2001 Broadway production. Tasked to re-stage the show on the massive stage of the Hollywood Bowl, Stroman executes the mounting beautifully, making smart cuts, easily changeable sets, and effective blocking that results in a genuinely fun production that's about as close to a real Broadway musical show than previous summer shows have attempted (most, frankly, resemble just an elaborate concert staging).

Naturally, it helps that the elements that have been assembled for this one-weekend-only presentation—from costumes to music—all work (well, mostly). The source material is, of course, already a beloved entity. Adapted from his own 1968 movie of the same name, Mel Brooks (along with co-book writer Thomas Meehan) have fashioned an entertaining, mad-cap musical comedy about a greedy Broadway producer, Max Bialystock (the brilliant Richard Kind), who along with mousy new co-conspirator Leo Bloom (Modern Family's Jesse Tyler Ferguson) devise a plan to make a lot of money—for themselves—by putting on a guaranteed flop on Broadway. To help ensure their show is about as revolting as possible, the pair procures the script for Springtime for Hitler from novice Nazi playwright Franz Liebkind (surprise scene-stealer Dane Cook), and asks über-gay director Roger De Bris (Tony winner Gary Beach), with help from his common-law assistant Carmen Ghia (Roger Bart) to helm the surefire disaster.

Right from the start to the very amusing end, the show really crackles with a palpable joy; everything from scene changes and set transitions to the elaborate dance numbers and comic exchanges have the look and feel of a show that's been touring arenas for years. By the time Mel Brooks himself appears on stage during the final bows, we too are just as enamored when he says "look what these guys can do in just three days!" Indeed.

Amusing as THE PRODUCERS is, having this particular cast bring it to life is the icing on a very, very delicious cake. As producers Bialystock and Bloom, both Kind and Ferguson are cast in their parts perfectly. Both of these actors seem to possess traces of their respective characters' traits already, so when enhanced for an audience, it makes for an even more enjoyable show. Personally, it's also great to see (and hear!) Ferguson return to his stage roots (yes, TV people, Broadway had him first!), and, more importantly, excel in a role that showcases his fainthearted-but-manic behavior so well. I'm really surprised that he actually hasn't played Leo Bloom until now. Kind, as expected, is nothing short of superb. His comic timing and overall performance is mesmerizing. And, damn, this guy can move!

Reprising the roles they created on Broadway, Beach and Bart make a welcome return to the roles they have done incredibly time and again—both on stage and even in the so-so movie version. The pair are such a flashy delight to watch; and Beach, once again, demonstrates live why he won the Tony Award for this role. His work on the huge production number "Springtime for Hitler" is not only all kinds of crazy-good, it's downright amazing. Seriously.

As for the relative newbies in the cast, the results are mixed, but nothing to dispel audiences from enjoying the show. As Ulla, the sexy Swedish import that sashays into the Bialystock and Bloom office for an audition, only to be hired as their receptionist, Ugly Betty's Rebecca Romijn—while not quite a strong enough singer that has been traditionally required for the role—does a fine, valiant job mostly. Fortunately, she is so genuinely effervescent—and so very funny, actually—that one forgets the minor flaw. Joyfully penetrating and at the ready, she's a real smile-inducer, for sure.

Michael Lawrence Quintos is a quiet, mild-mannered Art Director by day. But as night falls, he regularly performs on various stages everywhere as a Counter-Tenor soloist, actor, and dancer for The Men Alive Chorus since 2002. He's sung everything from Broadway, Jazz, R&B, Classical, Gospel and Pop. His musical theater roots started early, performing in various school musical productions and a couple of nationally-televised programs. The performing bug eventually brought him a brief championship run in the Philippines' version of "Star Search" before moving to Las Vegas at age 11. College brought him out to Orange County, California, where he earned a BFA in Graphic Design and a BA in Film Screenwriting. He has spent several years as a designer and art director for various entertainment company clients, while spending his free time watching or performing in shows. Follow Michael on Twitter at: twitter.com/cre8iveMLQ.

More Articles by This Author...