By Kimberly Harper
Max Bialystock knows what it means to fail. Once a Broadway producer with the Midas touch, he’s fallen on a long streak of bad shows, producing flop after flop and moving from the lap of luxury to living in a busted up looking office. His backing comes from a revolving door of attention-starved little old ladies and his books are less than accurate.
Enter anxious accountant Leo Blum, who harbors dreams of producing a Broadway show. He mentions to Bialystock that in theory, one could make more money with a guaranteed failure of a show than a hit, as long as they knew the show would never take off. And so begins “The Producers,” the Tony-winning stage version of the Mel Brooks movie, that’s absolutely so offensive and in your face tasteless that you can’t help but laugh. (Somewhere, a millennial on Tumblr is disagreeing violently with me, I’m sure.) The script is a gem of one-liners and physical comedy that manages to poke fun at everyone and anyone. The version at Theatre by the Sea is as good as anything you’d see on Broadway, in part due to the direction of Brian Musgrove, who was in the original Broadway cast, but also thanks to – no surprise here – the insane talent pool TBTS has once again collected.
First we have Joel Briel and Richard Lafleur in their aforementioned roles of Bialystock and Blum, respectively. The two are both great singers and actors, who are blessed with the gift of great comedic timing and stage chemistry. If there’s a laugh to be had, these two manage to get it. They’re often joined by Sabrina Harper, who plays Ulla, the kind-hearted, charming, and very sexy secretary/actress who comes in sometime after they choose the script “Springtime for Hitler.” Harper has an incredible voice and is a joy to watch whenever she’s on stage. And speaking of the guaranteed flop of a script, it was written by the definitely-not-a-Nazi Franz Leibkind, who is so definitely NOT a Nazi that he has trained pigeons on the roof who can zieg heil as well as he can. Liebkind is played by A.G. Parks, who may be one of the best character actors TBTS has had recently. Add in a killer ensemble, some fantastic music numbers, and TBTS has done it again, closing out a fantastic season on a truly hilarious high note.
This is not a play for children. There’s strong language and more potential uncomfortable discussions for the drive home than you can swing a cat at. So teenagers will probably love it. You’ll probably love it too, as long as you don’t take yourself too seriously. And it’s Mel Brooks, so really, what more could you ask for? The show clocks in at almost exactly three hours, but it’s a long ride that’s worth the trip.
“The Producers” runs through Sept. 10 at Theatre By The Sea, 365 Cards Pond Rd., Wakefield. Tickets start at $46-$72 and may be obtained by calling (401) 782-8587, or online at theatrebythesea.com.
