The Mel Brooks musical comedy The Producers recently announced that Tony Danza has been signed to reprise his role as the down-on-his-luck theatrical producer Max Bialystock in the Las Vegas production following his Broadway run.
To view the Multimedia News Release, click on this link. "I am thrilled that Tony has decided to play Max in the Las Vegas production. He's a Vegas guy and just belongs there," said Mel Brooks. "He will take over and set Vegas on its ear. His moves are so clean and neat and his voice is so fabulous. I think he's gonna shake things up and make for a hard ticket to get!"
Perhaps best known for his work in "Taxi" and "Who's the Boss?," Danza's other television credits include hosting the popular talk show "The Tony Danza Show," Showtime's "12 Angry Men" (opposite George C. Scott and Jack Lemmon), an Emmy-nominated turn in David E. Kelley's "The Practice, " and "Family Law." Danza's screen credits include the Academy Award-winning feature film Crash, Walt Disney's Angels in the Outfield, She's Out of Control, and A Brooklyn State of Mind. For his theatrical debut in Wrong Turn at Lungfish, he earned an Outer Critic's Circle Award nomination. After his Broadway debut in Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge, Danza received critical acclaim for his portrayal of 'Rocky' in the revival of Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh opposite Kevin Spacey (Brook Atkinson Theater). In the fall of 2006, Danza starred in the romantic comedy I Remember You on stage in Los Angeles. Also a cabaret performer, he released his debut album "The House I Live In" in 2003.
"I loved doing The Producers on Broadway and I can't wait to do it again...AND in Vegas. WOW! " said Tony Danza.
The Producers, which opened on Broadway on April 19th, 2001, closed at the St. James Theatre on April 22nd, 2007. The Las Vegas production began its run on January 31st, 2007. The production also stars Leo Raben, Lee Roy Reams (who replaced David Hasselhoff), Bill Nolte and Leigh Zimmerman. Based on Brooks' Academy Award-winning 1968 film of the same name, "The Producers is the story of down-on-his-luck theatrical producer, Max Bialystock, and Leo Bloom, a mousy accountant. Together they hatch the ultimate scam: raise more money than you need for a sure-fire Broadway flop and pocket the difference. Their 'sure-fire' theatrical fiasco?. . . None other than the musical Springtime for Hitler," according to press notes.
The musical, which originally starred Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, features a Tony Award-winning book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan, Tony Award-winning music and lyrics by Brooks, and Tony Award-winning direction and choreography by Susan Stroman. The musical also includes Tony Award-winning set design by Robin Wagner, Tony Award-winning costume design by William Ivey Long, Tony Award-winning lighting design by Peter Kaczorowski, and sound design by Steve Kennedy.
