Photo Flash: Maltz Jupiter Theatre Presents THE PRODUCERS

The Maltz Jupiter Theatre has just the solution for you this season with the hit Broadway blockbuster The Producers, set to take the Theatre by storm January 10 through 29.

Winner of 12 Tony Awards®, The Producers combines Mel Brooks' humor with the magic of Broadway to create an outrageously funny adventure. The smash hit musical follows the story of a down-on-his-luck producer and his accountant who decide to take a chance on Broadway with a brand-new show. Together they scheme to produce a flop in order to keep the backers' money and become rich.

Beloved for its take-no-prisoners style, this musical phenomenon explodes with witty antics and over-the-top shenanigans that will keep audiences laughing from beginning to end!

"The Producers is a comic tour-de-force and a hilarious audience favorite," said Andrew Kato, the Theatre's producing artistic director and chief executive. "We'd like to encourage patrons to purchase their tickets early before this hit musical is completely sold out."

The musical will mark the return of a powerhouse duo: director Mark Martino and choreographer Shea Sullivan, two Carbonell Award winners who previously collaborated on the Theatre's dazzling productions of Crazy for You, The Music Man and The Will Rogers Follies: A Life in Revue.

Martino, a director and choreographer who works at some of the nation's best regional theaters, is well known locally for his work on the Theatre's past productions, including the recent LES MISERABLES, Annie, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and others. Sullivan isa world-renowned choreographer who spent two decades as the protégé of Tony Award-winning choreographer and "Master of Tap" Henry LeTang.

The show will star two Broadway veterans in its title roles: Lenny Wolpe as the down-on-his-luck producer Max (whose Broadway credits includeBullets Over Broadway, Wicked, The Drowsy Chaperone and The Sound of Music) and Mark Price as his accountant Leo (whose Broadway credits include Mary Poppins, Wonderful Town, All Shook Up and Mamma Mia!).

Adapted by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan from Brooks' 1968 film of the same name, The Producers features lyrics by Brooks and music composed by Brooks and arranged by Glen Kelly and Doug Besterman. The musical's original Broadway production opened in 2001 starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick and ran for 2,502 performances, winning a record-breaking number of Tony Awards® and earning rave reviews. "Delicious," "altogether blissful" and "tirelessly agile!" raved the New York Times.

Over the past 25 years, The Producers is one of only a handful of shows (including Rent, Angels in America, The Book of Mormon andHamilton) that have ranked as runaway smash hits. The Producers initially broke the record for the largest single day box-office ticket sales in theatre history with more than $3 million in single day ticket sales, then later broke its own record by taking in over $3.5 million. Its success led to a hit London production, national tours, many productions worldwide and a 2005 film version.

"If you look at all of the shows that became huge hits, they have one thing in common: they all created something that didn't look anything like the rest of Broadway at the time," Martino said. "When The Producers came along using every gag, gadget and gimmick that you'd find in an old vaudeville trunk, it let us rediscover the joy of humor that knows no boundaries, aiming straight at our funny bone without irony or introspection. In 2001, that felt bracingly fresh and irresistible to audiences."

Featuring a cast of 21, a nine-piece orchestra and outrageous costumes, the musical will showcase the scenic design of Carbonell nominee Paul Tate DePoo III (known for his work at the Theatre for The Will Rogers Follies: A Life in Revue, LES MISERABLES, The Wiz and others), lighting design by Carbonell nominee Paul Black (The Will Rogers Follies: A Life in Revue, LES MISERABLES, The Wiz, Doubt: A Parable, A Chorus Lineand others), costume design by Carbonell nominee Gail Baldoni (known for her work across the country and for the Theatre's productions that include The Will Rogers Follies: A Life in Revue, Fiddler on the Roof, LES MISERABLES and Annie), music direction by Michael Larsen (whose Broadway credits include playing keyboard for the original productions of Annie, Nine and 42nd Street) and sound design by Carbonell Award winner Marty Mets.

The Producers is sponsored by Jane Napier and William W. Napier; tickets start at $56. For showtimes and additional information, call (561) 575-2223 or visit www.jupitertheatre.org. For more information about bringing your group to the Theatre, contact group concierge Shannon Murphy at (561) 972-6117.

About the Maltz Jupiter Theatre
The not-for-profit Maltz Jupiter Theatre has become one of Florida's preeminent professional theatres, committed to production and education through its collaborations with local and national artists. Currently the state's largest award-winning regional theatre, the Theatre draws 100,000 people annually, serves a subscription base of more than 7,732 and has world-class classroom facilities in support of its Goldner Conservatory of Performing Arts, which serves hundreds of youth and adults. The Theatre is a member of the prestigious League of Resident Theatres and has earned numerous Carbonell Awards, South Florida's highest honor for artistic excellence, including the prestigious Bill Von Maurer Award for Theatrical Excellence. For more information about the Theatre's upcoming shows and Conservatory, visit www.jupitertheatre.org or call the box office at (561) 575-2223.

Photos by Alicia Donelan.

To post a comment, you must register and login.