Review: Rivertown Presents Mel Brooks' THE PRODUCERS

My first memory of THE PRODUCERS was when my dad and I were flipping through channels when all of a sudden I see showgirls walking down stairs with pretzels and bratwurst on top of their heads. He was cracking up laughing and I can recall the confused and slightly horrified look on my own face. What in the world were we watching? The longer the spectacle went on, and the more ridiculous it got, a slight smile started to appear on my lips. And then... sassy Hitler appears. I lost it. Belly laughing and tears falling down my face. I still wasn't sure what I was watching, but I did know that this was one of the most hilarious things I had ever seen. And thus, a PRODUCERS fan was born.

Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts is now in the midst of their very first season of all musicals, and they couldn't have opted for a better opening show than THE PRODUCERS, directed by Ricky Graham. They also couldn't have chosen a better pair than Sean Patterson and Gary Rucker to play leading men Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom.

For those who don't know the story, THE PRODUCERS is about a current and a prospective Broadway producer duo that team up to create what they think is going to be nothing short of a major flop. Why would they do this? Well... Leo figures out early on that Max could actually make more money producing a show that closes just after opening night than he can with a show that runs long-term. They go in search of the worst script they can find, and come across a show called 'Springtime for Hitler' that was written by Franz Leibkind (played by Alan Payne), a dedicated Nazi. Franz wrote 'Springtime for Hitler' as an ode to his beloved führer; however, when a last minute accident causes the hot mess of a director Roger De Bris (played by Kevin Murphy) to take on the role of Adolf Hitler, his flamboyance and humorous antics cause the show to be a mega hit.

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed Rivertown's rendition of the show! It was hilarious, it was flashy, it was heartfelt, and most importantly it was a whole lot of fun to watch. Seriously, the entire show was great; but, I have to say my favorite scenes were near the end of the first act when Max and Leo are tracking down Franz and Roger ("In Old Bavaria," "Der Guten Tag Hop Clop," and "Keep it Gay"). I took the entire intermission to catch my breath from laughing so hard at these wonderfully choreographed scenes. If you have any knowledge of Mel Brooks' work, you know that his characters are often outlandish and a little nutty. They're also incredibly brilliant. But, a character is only as good as the actor who plays it. That being said, hats off to Patterson, Rucker, Payne, and Murphy for taking these crazy characters and bringing them to life!

Congratulations to Rivertown on a job well done! I am surely looking forward to the rest of the season. Make sure to visit rivertowntheaters.com to purchase your season tickets. Up next is THE ADDAMS FAMILY that will run from November 6 - 22.

ARTICLE MAY ALSO BE VIEWED HERE: http://www.nolabackstage.com/single-post/2015/10/19/BWW-Review-Rivertown-Presents-Mel-Brooks-THE-PRODUCERS

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