Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre Presents THE PRODUCERS 9/11-11/7

The show broke countless box office records and won every theatre award imaginable, including 12 Tonys in 2001, more than any production in history. It began as a movie, made its way to Broadway, and then found itself back on the silver screen. Now, the smash-hit musical comedy The Producers comes to the Frederick stage for the very first time!

From 2001 to 2007, the hottest tickets on the Great White Way were for Mel Brooks' first musical, which was based on his 1968 film about a down-on-his-luck Broadway producer and his mild-mannered accountant who come up with a scheme to produce the most notorious flop in history thereby bilking their backers (all "little old ladies") out of millions of dollars. Only one thing goes awry: the show is a smash hit! The antics of Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom as they maneuver their way fecklessly through finding a show (the gloriously offensive Springtime For Hitler), hiring a director, raising the money, and finally going to prison for their misdeeds will leave audiences rolling in the aisles.

Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick joined forces as Max and Leo, respectively, when the show first opened on Broadway at the ST. James Theatre in the spring of 2001. Over the next seven years and 2,535 performances, many celebrities returned to their stage roots by stepped into the leading roles, including Jason Alexander (Max) and Martin Short (Leo) who appeared in the production's Los Angeles engagement. In 2005, much of the original company, including Lane and Broderick, returned to the roles they created on Broadway for the Columbia Pictures/Universal film version of the musical.

"The Producers is one of the funniest musicals ever written," says Bill Kiska, Way Off Broadway's Executive Producer and CEO. "We're thrilled to be able to bring it to the stage for the first time in this area. Anyone familiar with Mel Brooks' work will know how funny it is and that it's a must-see show."

Stepping into the roles of the conniving, yet loveable, producers are Jordan Stocksdale as Max Bialystock and Jeremy Trammelle as Leo Bloom. Jeffrey Davis returns to the Way Off Broadway stage as "renowned theatrical director" Roger DeBris after last appearing in 2008's Lend Me a Tenor. Zane Oberholzer joins the cast as the former Nazi turned playwright Franz Liebkind with Taylor Whidden playing the role of Swedish blonde bombshell Ulla. Making his WOB debut is Gary Bernard DiNardo as Roger's common-law assistant Carmen Ghia. Filling out the rest of the company are Kelly Delameter, Gus Glatzel, Alexandra Goldstein, Lance E. Hayes, Miranda Marsh-McDonald, Bronwyn Mathis, Shawn Nakia, and Susan Thornton.

The Producers has a book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan with music and lyrics also by Brooks. Way Off Broadway's production is directed by the theatre's President and Managing Director, Justin M. Kiska, with assistant direction and choreography by Christie L. Kiska and musical direction by Eric Seebach.

The show runs September 11 thru November 7, 2009 with performances every Friday and Saturday evening, and matinees on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sunday of each month. Sunday evening dinner and show performances are scheduled for September 13 and October 11. Twilight Show Only performances will be held on September 27 and October 25. Tickets on a Friday evening are $43; $45 for a Saturday evening; and $41 for Sunday performances. Tickets for the Twilight Show Only performances are $25.

For additional information visit www.wayoffbroadway.com or to purchase tickets contact the Box Office at (301) 662-6600.

The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre has been a leader in the region's performing arts community since it first opened in 1995. Under the direction of the Kiska Family since 2002, WOB, currently celebrating its 15th Anniversary Season, has produced such productions as A Funny Thing . . . Forum, Guys & Dolls, Steel Magnolias, Oklahoma!, Grease, Fiddler on the Roof, The Odd Couple, A Chorus Line, The Sound of Music, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Evita, as well as the regional premieres of Neil Simon's The Goodbye Girl - The Musical, Jerry Herman's La Cage aux Folles, and the musical comedy The Wedding Singer. Following The Producers for the holiday season will be the original musical Another Radio Christmas.

 

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