The Producers Film Opens December 25: Lights! Camera! Nazis!

First things first. Stay seated for the closing credits. And when you think what you've stayed seated for is over, stay longer. And when you're positive that the new film version of The Producers is completely done, stay seated. Let me put it this way... don't get up until Mel Brooks says you can get up.

I will leave it to the movie people to tell you if Susan Stroman's feature film directing debut resulted in a good movie. This review is from a theatre guy for the benefit of other theatre people; those who already know the songs, who don't need a plot summary and who would prefer to spend more time discussing what Broadway favorites make cameo appearances. I have no time for most contemporary movies. I spend most weeks reviewing two or three plays for BroadwayWorld.com and on my nights off I relax by taking in a play. Movies? I think the last movie I saw that wasn't theatre related was the one with Bill Murray in Japan. I forget the name.

And from the perspective of this theatre guy, The Producers on the big screen succeeds enormously as a documentation of the show that opened at the St. James Theatre over four and a half years ago. There are no big surprises in the way scenes are presented or songs are staged. Susan Stroman took what worked on Broadway and placed it in front of a camera, often allowing generous amounts of time between shots so that we may enjoy the comic bravado of the actors instead of clever camera angles. This is perhaps the closest you're going to get to having a movie nearly replicate the experience of seeing a Broadway musical without placing cameras on stage during a performance.

Yes, we lose a handful of terrific moments in this adaptation of the Mel Brooks/Thomas Meehan script. Gone are "Where Did We Go Right", "In Old Bavaria" and the challenge tap. But the loss that hurts the most is the cutting of Nathan Lane's character introduction song, "The King of Broadway", and the many funny lines that go with the scene. It's not until "Along Came Bialy" that Lane gets to truly show his musical comedy star chops. As he vamps for the camera while preparing to put his backers on their backs, and moments later when he merrily dances through the streets of Manhattan leading a parade of little old ladies through Central Park, his charm and gusto brings to mind great film musical actors like Gene Kelly and Danny Kaye. His "Betrayed", captured on film, is dazzling. The Producers is all the proof you need to know that Nathan Lane could have been a major star of the golden age of movie musicals. (Can you imagine Comden and Green writing comedy songs for Nathan Lane?)

Matthew Broderick is a bit more subdued than he was on stage, aside from the well-timed bursts of panic attacks. With his meek delivery and eyes wide with wonder, he gives a performance reminiscent of Eddie Cantor, especially when singing nearly all of "That Face" directly into the camera.

Roger Bart and Gary Beach are just as sweet and wacky as when they were last seen at the St. James, and Will Ferrell is a welcome presence, singing with a strong character voice as a childishly funny Franz. Uma Thurman, unfortunately, doesn't seem up to the task of playing Ulla, singing unattractively, dancing without flair and never quite getting a handle on what's funny about her character.

One of the reasons Ferrell and Thurman were cast was to add some nationally known star power, but Broadway fans will find their kind of star power energizing the smaller roles. Watch for appearances by Brad Oscar, Brent Barrett, Peter Bartlett, Debra Monk, Andrea Martin, Karen Ziemba, John Barrowman and many other familiar faces, including a very funny bit with co-author Thomas Meehan. Many of the stage show's original chorus members can be seen throughout (including Kathy Fitzgerald recreating her role as Shirley Markowitz) along with gypsies from all over Broadway.

Though many of the earliest movie musicals were filmed in Hollywood, the greatest of them were all about the glamour and excitement of Broadway. And underneath all the jokes about Nazis, erections and eating with actors, The Producers on film remains a valentine to live musical comedy. Is the movie stagey? Sure, it is. Gloriously stagey.