The Producers is a musical adapted by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan from Brooks’ 1968 film of the same name, with lyrics by Brooks and music by Brooks and Glen Kelly. As in the film, the story concerns two theatrical producers who scheme to get rich by overselling interests in a Broadway flop. Complications arise when the show unexpectedly turns out to be successful. The humor of the show is accessible to a wide range of audiences, and draws on ridiculous accents, caricatures of EVERYONE, and many show business in-jokes.

The original production opened on Broadway on April 19, 2001, starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, and ran for 2,502 performances, winning a record-breaking 12 Tony Awards. It spawned a successful London production, running for three years, national tours, many productions internationally and a 2005 film version.  We will be presenting the same script performed in the national tour and last year at Chanhassen Dinner Theaters.

GREAT Theatre welcomes— Ted Brown as director, he has directed the amazing HSM2, Annie, Little Shop of Horrors and Once Upon a Matress for GREAT, musical director Bobbi Foote, she has directed the beautiful Willy Wonka, Honk!, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and Seussical (twice!) and Britta Peterson as choreographer, she has choreographed such hits as Aladdin Jr, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way To The Forum and HSM2.  Joining them as stage manager is Linda McGowan, sound design is by Jerry Ford and set design is by Dennis Whipple.