BWW Preview: THE PRODUCERS at Quincy Music Theatre

Flying walkers, glittery Swastikas, and outrageous laughs shoot across the room with dizzying frequency at the Quincy Music Theatre. Director Naomi Rose-Mock, red-hot out of her success with The Little Mermaid last month, has barreled into Mel Brook's theatrical masterpiece, The Producers. After six years, Rose-Mock is returning to one of her favorite shows to provide laughs in a time where Tallahassee needs it most.

Robert Stuart has done the dance with Rose Mock before, cast as Roger DeBris in her 2009 production. "This cast just has so much energy," he told me, "it's like a different show entirely."

Also returning is Dan Hall, originally an ensemble member, now leading the show as Leo Bloom. He and Sam Higdon, portraying Nathan Lane's Max Bialystock, carry the Brook's show in and out of the pitfalls that come with the complex script. Even in tech, it's a relief that this duo has the chemistry and bombacious humor necessary to carry The Producers.

"They cancelled all my credit cards, it was just insane," Stuart laughed. Rose-Mock's production this time around brings a lot of pieces from her original to the future, including Stuart's costuming and Hitler-attire.

"I had to go to white-supremacist sites," he told me. "And Naomi, she got contacted by some supremacists in Tallahassee!"

The backstage excitement mirrors that which is coming together on the stage, with the actors and actresses perfectly matched on and off-stage. There was never a boring moment in the space, certainly.

Mel Brook's show Young Frankenstein showed audiences how poor transitions and flow could become when dependent on characters and individual jokes. The Producers was much better written, but with the departure of original Broadway cast leads Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, audiences saw how much expectations there lay for a specific Producers. Many community directors are quick to realize how hard it is to divide their show from the Tony-winning classic.

Always a good reminder that Rose-Mock is a professional- within ten minutes together, Hall and Higdon cement themselves in new characters, landing the same jokes in new ways, and breathing life into those which are thought impossible. Stuart is such an unpredictable DeBris that, even with his limited stage-time, he threatens to steal the show from the rest of his cast. Thankfully, Alex Fabrega is there to pad his thunder as Carmen and give a wonderful foil. Rounding out the main cast is Ashleigh Zych Littlefield as sultry Ulla, and Nathan Williamson as Franz Liebkind, both giving more depth and flair to the colorful show. It seems that the entirety of the cast studied the characters' roots, but strove to outgrow the mold set for them. It works.

A large-scale show as The Producers wouldn't survive without a large, bustling ensemble and this is where Rose-Mock's biggest success lies. Without costumes or makeup, performers like Spencer Scruggs and Emma Finnegan managed to split sides through their facial expressions and choreography. Credit is due to the choreographer, Taylor Whittle, who makes The King of Broadway and the exuberant Springtime for Hitler numbers that refuse to leave your mind.

Whether the biggest fan of The Producers, a tentative fan of the show, or just somebody interested in a riotuous night of entertainment, it's worth the drive to Quincy thrice-over.

The Producers runs August 19th-28th. You can get tickets online or at the door.

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