Why is "The Producers" Popular?

[Attendthetale331]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 6:18pm

I have seen many shows and I have seen "The Producers" on tour and on Broadway and I regret to admit that I have seen the movie and I honestly cant understand why the show is so popular or why it won all of the Tony's that it did, except for the lack of new material that year. When I saw the stage show I was extremely disappointed and I thought that maybe I just needed to see the original cast to understand why it is looked at as being good. So when the movie came out I waited a few weeks and then I saw it and not to my surprise it was terrible. The show is redundant, the jokes are used and old and the material just seems to be Regurgitated jokes.

So can someone explain to me the phenomenon behind "The Producers?"

[pauseforamoment99]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 7:24pm

Dude, I would have to agree with you on that one. The producers fricken sucks. I mean seriously, who cares that Ulla gets out of work @ 11? We know that Max and Leo just want her to come straight over, and have sex with them. And that dance move she does on stage left where she spins off of the desk and onto the stage floor into a split is totally unoriginal. Honestly, I can't believe how many Tony's it got. And every time I walk by the St. James' theatre I want to barf! At least they could spice up the decorations! Green?! Eww. It only looks good on the Gershwin.

Wow!

[nolatheatre]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 7:38pm

It seems like a closed question to me. Why is Spelling Bee Popular? Why is Wicked Popular? The Producers is fuuny, has good music, star cast and well... its Mel Brooks. All the times i have seen the producers (the original movie, the b-way show and the movie musical) I laugh my butt off and come out feeling wonderful.

[Attendthetale331]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 7:43pm

I enjoy the original movie, I think its wonderful and Mel Brooks is great, and yea the music is catchy, i guess. I just think that Mel Brooks isn't at his best and I guess I might have thought so highly of it before seeing it that when I finally did I was very disappointed. And yes, there are flaws in every show, I mean "Wicked" is certainly no work of art but to me it seems that "The Produders" is completely overrated.

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 7:47pm

::head desk::

WHERE THE HELL ARE ALL THESE NEWBIES COMING FROM!?!?!

[Holliwoodblonde]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 7:49pm

Colleen: You've officially become my favorite board member. :)

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 8:51pm

Susan Stroman is an incredible talent. When you pair her genius directing skills with a brilliant cast - Lane, Broderick, Beach, Bart and Brad Oscar - along with the twisted, insane and BRILLIANT mind of Mel Brooks, all you can get is success.

I found the show to be a joy when I saw it with the original cast. Since then, yes, it's become stale. It has become very rehearsed and a lot of the performances are very phoned-in each night. But Stroman's choreography and vision are incredible.

[xM3L24x]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 9:28pm

::head desk::

WHERE THE HELL ARE ALL THESE NEWBIES COMING FROM!?!?!


hahahahaha, i dont know.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 9:35pm

There was another major hit that year called The Full Monty which many people feel deserved the awards and the attention a lot more than The Producers. I think you can't really answer that question. I believe The Producers has one of the most mediocre scores on Broadway right now (along with Spamalot). I've heard that without the original cast the show is not too good.

[EddieVarley]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 10:41pm

I'm never afraid to admit when I love something, so let me state clearly that I'm a fan of both the stage show and film. The core story of Max and Leo's "romance" is one I'm always happy to surrender to, the film happily captures a bit of the magic that Nathan and Matthew brought to the show in those early days, I will also admit sometimes the various casts haven't totally lived up to the OBC's huge shoes footprints...the show usually leaves me with a smile.

And really, a smile ain't such a bad thing to have these days.

[CaTheatreGirl]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 11:05pm

You know, Eddie my dear, that I totally agree with your assessment of The Producers. Haven't we enjoyed many a smile upon leaving the theater?!

[AnotherDay46]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 11:07pm

I enjoy the Producers a lot. I think it's funny and creative. Of course, it is Mel Brooks humor, and if you don't like him - you won't like the show. Some think it's overrated, but alas - I love it. ^_^

[AnotherDay46]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 11:07pm

Double Post Updated On: 1/8/06 at 11:07 PM

[SirLiir]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 11:07pm

Because it's what people want to see, I suppose, would be a solid answer.

[SirLiir]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 11:07pm

Because it's what people want to see, I suppose, would be a solid answer.

[Jon]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 11:14pm

Why is WICKED so popular? It sucks! The story ids stupid and the songs are lousy! How did it ever win all those Tony Awards?

Oh.... wait a minute... it didn't. Just Idina and the set design won. And Idina is gone.

[EddieVarley]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 11:14pm

I spent one of the most enjoyable nights of my theater going life with our own CaTheatreGirl sitting front and center at the St. James, smiles indeed, I think we stopped the show that night!

[jsg03jd]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 11:15pm

THE PRODUCERS is popular because, quite simply, as a bona fide musical comedy, it delivers. 'Nuff said.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 11:16pm

THE PRODUCERS is a good example of a show being in the right place at the right time, coming as it did as a breath of fresh air after a long spate of turgid LloydWebberian pop operas. It initiated a revival of COMEDY musicals on Broadway that is blissfully still with us today.

Updated On: 1/8/06 at 11:16 PM

[CaTheatreGirl]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 11:22pm

Oh, Eddie! Wasn't that night at The Producers so much fun?! We were laughing so hard, we did affect the cast and it was far from the first time either of us had seen the show. I'm sure they loved people like us in the audience.

[timote316]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 11:26pm

Is saw Matthew and Nathan, and enjoyed the show immensely. I then saw the tour... and hated it. The performances just seemed to be carbon copies of the originals, nothing really new. Then, I saw the movie - and I realized how redundant it all was. The jokes get really old, really fast.

[YankeeGal#24]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 11:33pm

I saw Matthew and Nathan at the St James six times--obviously loved every minute of it. Saw the film twice so far, and loved it too. I can only speak for myself, but I loved it because it was witty, funny, irreverent, and just plain silly. How often do most of us get to experience that in our day to day lives?

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 1/8/06 at 11:37pm

It's popular because it won 12 Tonys.

[wickedfreak]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 12:16am

It is popular becuase it is just fun and silly. :)

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 6:52am

Shows that are really popular usually don't demand too much of the audiences. PRODUCERS promises nothing more than 2 1/2 hours of old-fashioned musical comedy, and it delivers. It's candy floss: Not much substance but so good on the tongue! The movie was ok but didn't bring in anything new. (10 or 20 new jokes would have helped. So would the director coaxing a better performance from Broderick. Am I alone in thinking he was the weakest link in the movie?)

As for the Tony awards, FULL MONTY and opened and was a hit but when PRODUCERS came along it was a big old-fashioned Broadway smash and opening just prior to the Tony deadline it had momentum that FULL MONTY was losing 8 months along into its run.

Haveing seen both shows, I would have to say that if I were a voter, I would have gone with PRODUCERS too. It was bigger, slicker, funnier and more tuneful. Still not the greatest musical comedy of all time (GYPSY wins that award!) but given the competition at the time it was the best of the 2001 season.