The Producers, Prod Comp, July 11, 2012

The Producers, Book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan, Music & Lyrics by Mel Brooks

By The Production Company

State Theatre, Melbourne Arts Centre, July 11 to 15, 2012

Reviewer: Kate Herbert on July 11

Stars: ***1/2

 Christie Whelan-Browne in The Producers

THE PRODUCERS, MEL BROOKS' MUSICAL adaptation of his irreverent movie, offends just about everyone with its biting satire but remains hilarious. 

The focus is firmly on the songs and characters in this version directed cheekily by Andrew Hallsworth and Dean Bryant and performed on a minimal set with the orchestra on stage.

Dodgy Broadway producer of flops, Max Bialystock (Wayne Scott Kermond), with prissy accountant, Leo Bloom (Brent Hill), manufactures a plan to make millions from a failed production of Springtime For Hitler.

Kermond brings a clown-like interpretation to Bialystock, using dance and slapstick to create a sleazy, desperate sheister who looks like a shonky, used car salesman, rather than the frazzled up-market con-artist that Reg Livermore played in the same role in 2004.

Hill is deliciously neurotic and prim as the milksop accountant, Bloom, his sudden shifts control to hysteria are slick and funny, and his fine voice is showcased in the showstopper number, I Wanna Be A Producer.

Kermond and Hill make a suitably odd couple singing the upbeat We Can Do It, the ironic Where Did We Go Right? and their friendship ballad, ‘Til Him.

Trevor Ashley is outrageous as the crazed, camp, lederhosen-wearing Nazi playwright performing the wildly raunchy Haben Sie Gehoert Das Deutsche Band.

Christie Whelan-Browne is delectably vacuous and sassy as Swedish bimbo, Ulla, singing When You Got It, Flaunt It.

Mitchell Butel minces comically as uber-gay director, Roger de Bris, singing Keep It Gay, comparing favourably with Tony Sheldon in the 2004 production and, as his over-the-top personal assistant, Carmen Ghia, Rohan Browne out-camps everybody.

The tight and tuneful Orchestra Victoria, under talented and glamorous conductor, Vanessa Scammell, fills the stage with musicians and the theatre with Brooks’ rousing tunes.

The chorus provides vivacious Follies-style routine in Springtime For Hitler, plenty of riotous cameos as Roger’s gay designers and a dancing chorus of old biddies with walking frames.

By Kate Herbert

 

WAYNE SCOTT KERMOND as Max Bialystock
BRENT HILL as Leo Bloom
CHRISTIE WHELAN as Ulla
TREVOR ASHLEY as Franz Liebkind
ROHAN BROWNE as Carmen Ghia
MITCHELL BUTEL as Roger de Bris 

VIRGINIA GAY as Hold Me Touch Me
with
Jakob Ambrose, Renee Burleigh, Emma Clark, Samantha Dodemaide, Euan Doidge, Nelson Gardner, Stephanie Grigg, Jodie Harris, Mark Hill, Nicole Melloy, Joel Parnis, Anthony Pepe, Monique Chanel Pitsakis, Adam Rennie, Andrew Ronay-Jenkings, Chris Sackett, Angela Scundi, David Spencer, Brooke Synnott, Dean Vince

Directors ANDREW HALLSWORTH & DEAN BRYANT
Musical Director VANESSA SCAMMELL
Choreographer ANDREW HALLSWORTH
Costumes KIM BISHOP and PARIS