Brad Oscar will celebrate his 1,000th performance as Max Bialystock in The Producers
at tomorrow evening's (Thursday, September 1st) performance. Oscar, who
originated the role of Franz Liebkind (for which he received a Tony
Award nomination), took over the role of Max on April 16, 2002. He also
recently reprised his performance in the smash London production.
Oscar
won a Best Actor Award from the Independent Reviewers of New England
for his performance as Max. An original cast member of Jekyll & Hyde, Brad also performed in the show's national tour. He made his Broadway debut in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Aspects of Love
and later toured with the show. From 1992 to 1994, he played a variety
of colorful characters in Gerard Alessandrini's long-running musical
revue Forbidden Broadway, both Off-Broadway and in Los Angeles. His other theatre credits include the Encores! production of Do Re Mi and The Radio City Christmas Spectacular in Los Angeles and Branson (he played Santa). He will appear in the upcoming films The Producers (as a taxi driver), Building Girl, and Rydal Park. Oscar will also perform in the upcoming Actors' Fund benefit concert of On the Twentieth Century and in Arena Stage's winter production of Damn Yankees (as Mr. Applegate).
The Producers
opened on Broadway on Thursday, April 19, 2001 (previews began March
21, 2001). Currently in its fifth smash year at the St. James Theatre
(246 West 44 Street), the show, the 2001 Tony Award winning Best
Musical, is the recipient of the most Tony Awards in theater
history--twelve. Based on Brooks' Academy Award-winning 1968
film of the same name, the show 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.The Producers also
stars Hunter Foster (Leo Bloom), Jonathan Freeman (Roger De Bris), John
Treacy Eagan (Franz Liebkind), Brad Musgrove (Carmen Ghia) and Angie
Schworer (Ulla).The show features a book by Mel Brooks and Thomas
Meehan, music and lyrics by Mel Brooks, and direction and choreography
by Susan Stroman; all won Tonys. The musical also boasts set design by
Robin Wagner, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by
Peter Kaczorowski, and sound design by Steve Kennedy. The show is
produced by Rocco Landesman, Clear Channel Entertainment, The Frankel ·
Baruch · Viertel · Routh Group, Bob and Harvey Weinstein, Rick Steiner,
Robert F.X. Sillerman and Mel Brooks, in association with James D.
Stern and Douglas Meyer and by special arrangement with StudioCanal.
The
show's playing schedule is Tuesday evening at 7 p.m., Wednesday through
Saturday evenings at 8 p.m., Wednesday & Saturday matinees at 2
p.m., and Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. Tickets for The Producers,
which are scaled at $31.25 - $101.25, are on sale by phone through
Tele-charge at (212) 239-6200 and in-person at The St. James Theatre,
246 West 44th Street.
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