2008: Feb. 18- Rent, Feb. 19- Curtains, April 18- Xanadu, April 22- Wicked, April 26- Legally Blonde, May 31- Wicked, June 13- The Little Mermaid, June 28- Wicked and Young Frankenstein, July 2- The Little Mermaid, July 6- A Chorus Line and Legally Blonde, August 16- Xanadu, September 13- Legally Blonde and 13, September 28- Xanadu and Spring Awakening, Oct. 12-GYPSY and [title of show], Oct. 19- Hairspray & Legally Blonde, Nov. 9- Wicked and 13, Dec. 14-13, Dec. 26- Billy Elliot, 2009: Jan 1- Shrek, Jan 2- 13 and Wicked, Jan 4- 13, Feb 17- In The Heights, Feb 19- Billy Elliot, Feb 22- Sweeney Todd (tour), March 28- Mary Poppins, April 4- Mamma Mia!, April 15- Jersey Boys (on tour), April 25- next to normal & 9 to 5
May 1- Billy Elliot, May 3- Spelling Bee (tour), May 8- Chicago, May 21- Wicked, June 6- Everyday Rapture, June 23- The Wiz, June 25- Hair July 15- Shrek, August 9- Wicked, September 7- Rock of Ages, October 11- Next To Normal, October 23- The Marvelous Wonderettes, November 7- Ragtime November 29- Dreamgirls, December 25- Billy Elliot, December 30- Finian's Rainbow, 2010: January 9- Bye Bye Birdie, January 16- Memphis February 17- The Phantom of The Opera, February 18- God of Carnage, March 7- Billy Elliot, March 31- American Idiot
You are right The Producers was a happy awaking at a "down" time on Bway... But it wasn't the Messiah of theatre. I decided to look at a list of Broadway's longest running musicals (below) and numbers 6-10 all opened in the 90's and ran through the opening of The Producers.
I love the show, but I don't think Mel Brooks did anything to make a "dent in Broadway history" except write a really smart, tight and, what I would even call, a close to flawless show. But as of today, he is nothing more than a "Broadway one-hit-wonder"
thank you Mel Brooks for pushing little old ladies to get tickets
Herbie: "Honey, Don't you know there's a depression?"
Rose: "Of Course I know, I Watch Fox News"
-(modified)Gypsy
Broadway Schedule
December 5th- Hamilton, On Your Feet
December 19th- Noises Off, Edith Piaf Concert at Town Hall
So far Hairspray has had just under 100 more performances than The Producers and they have the rest of November and the month of December to go before they close.
"Smart! And into all those exotic mystiques -- The Kama Sutra and Chinese techniques. I hear she knows more than seventy-five. Call me tomorrow if you're still alive!"
I never stated it was the Messiah of theatre. I just said that I believe that it paved the way for a musical theatre comeback and because of it's success, other shows were created and funded that might not have been created otherwise. I don't know how many investors, who Stephen Schwartz got his funding from, what other shows ran concurrently with it etc. I really don't care. I'm speaking about a feeling, a memory, of a time when theatre was down, much like it is now. None of the other shows created the feeling and reaction like The Producers did. It brought many people back to theatre. for that, I thank Mel Brooks. Hopefully, there will be another show on the horizon that will have the same effect. Until then, we will always have the memories of Footloose and Big.
The only review of a show that matters is your own.
"With it's achievements, it opened many purse strings that made subsequent productions (including Wicked) possible."
You do understand that the workshop for Wicked happened in the same year that The Producers opened. If The Producers never happened it would not have stopped Wicked from taking place. I enjoyed The Producers but the credit given to it, IMO, is a bit overstated.
"Smart! And into all those exotic mystiques -- The Kama Sutra and Chinese techniques. I hear she knows more than seventy-five. Call me tomorrow if you're still alive!"
While I think The Producers and Young Frankenstein are enjoyable musical comedies, the inevitable fate of YF was decided once Brooks started boasting and bragging in the press. I guarantee you if Brooks kept his mouth shut, if the grosses were posted, and the absurd premium pricing never created, Young Frankenstein would have opened to positive reviews and still packing audiences in. This is Brooks' doing.
"I don't think Mel Brooks did anything to make a "dent in Broadway history"
umm that could be argued...i think the producers did make a dent bway history...13 tony's..matthew and nathan together..$300 tixs...Susan's choreography...a shpw that bought people back to the bway after 9-11
I was actually going to change the 90's to the "previous decade" so I wouldn't get "caught" but I decided that it was easier the other way and i didn't think anyone would catch that... good job, you're right, but we can assume that since "The Full Monty" opened June 1, 2000 that it was completely and likely about to start casting at the end of December 1999. But, yes you are right, it did open in 2000.