Patrick Marber will direct THE PRODUCERS for London’s Menier Chocolate Factory, beginning November 2024

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 7/23/24 at 11:59am

Though not known for musicals, Patrick Marber (a comedian) feels like a great fit for reimagining this show, and casting the right Max might help audiences forget (momentarily) Nathan Lane's performance. Hope it's great!

https://www.theatermania.com/news/the-producers-gets-new-revival-directed-by-tony-winner-patrick-marber_1745758/

There was a conceivable Max & Leo pairing in the U.S. version of Leopoldstadt (David Krumholtz & Brandon Uranowitz), but that seems unlikely for London + scheduling.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/23/24 at 12:03pm

Isn’t this such a tiny space for such a large scale musical? Seems interesting. 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 7/23/24 at 12:08pm

They usually do scaled down revivals, so I'm inclined to hear and see what they do with this.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 7/23/24 at 12:08pm

RippedMan said: "Isn’t this such a tiny space for such a large scale musical? Seems interesting."

Yes, but they’ve found success reimagining/scaling down other musicals in the past (Fiddler, Merrily, Funny Girl, The Baker’s Wife, La Cage, Sunday, Night Music) so I won’t be too concerned till we see it.

Will the show work without all the Stroman trappings? We’ll see!

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/23/24 at 12:12pm

When the space is used as a traditional theater setting, it’s a decently sized stage. You can see what that looks like in this video of MERRILY from 2013. 
 

Merrily We Roll Along

[Kad]

Posted: 7/23/24 at 12:39pm

I’m a big fan of The Producers, but it is kind of hard to imagine it being done well at a smaller scale unless it’s kind of a tongue-in-cheek, deliberately low-budget  Dames at Sea vibe. 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/23/24 at 1:25pm

Stroman’s late husband Mike Ockrent was the show’s original director and started creating the show prior to his death. Stroman basically took over as director using his notes and working with everything he had already implemented into the show so she didn’t create the show we know entirely - her initial involvement was solely as the show’s choreographer. This validates why she’s had enormous limitations as a director in projects that came her way after the colossal success of THE PRODUCERS. 

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 7/23/24 at 1:33pm

“Isn’t this such a tiny space for such a large scale musical? Seems interesting”

 

there’s no reason this show HAS to be big. Thinking about shows solely through the lens of their venues is incredibly limiting and short sighted. 

[BwayLB]

Posted: 7/23/24 at 1:39pm

It it’s any good as that scale down Young Frankeinstein, I’ll see it

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 7/23/24 at 1:51pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "Stroman’s late husband Mike Ockrent was the show’s original director and started creating the show prior to his death. Stroman basically took over as director using his notes and working with everything he had already implemented into the show so she didn’tcreate the show we know entirely - her initial involvement was solely as the show’s choreographer. This validates why she’s had enormous limitations as a director in projects that came her way after the colossal success of THE PRODUCERS."

Let's not minimize Stroman's contributions to THE PRODUCERS.

Ockrent died in December 1999, the show didn't begin in Chicago until February 2001. While, naturally, some things may have been set up prior to his death, she still had a significant hand in its design, staging, choreo, development, and writing, and she worked hand in hand with him, Mel, and Meehan while he was undergoing cancer treatment. By all accounts she was basically a co-director when they collaborated together.

A lot of shows have a lot of hands on them. It doesn't really matter who does what as long as the end product is good. (Case in point: Glen Kelly ghost-composing the show under the title of Music Arranger; Jerry Zaks being initially attached as director pre-Ockrent; David Geffen being attached as originating producer pre-Jujamcyn/Frankel).

As to who deserves the "blame" for her recent string of flops... She probably wasn't the right person to direct BIG FISH, and the musical made some bad changes from the movie. PRINCE OF BWAY was Hal's show and vision. NYNY and BULLETS were failed by their books and shoehorned songs. SCOTTSBORO was a noble effort failed by the audience, the economy, and producers who wouldn't give it a chance...and it probably should have had a Black director, choreographer, and co-author. YOUNG FRANK and FROGS probably shouldn't have happened, but she was reuniting with trusted collaborators...hard to say no to them.

Updated On: 7/23/24 at 01:51 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 7/23/24 at 4:17pm

I believe Ockert died before the first workshops of the show and even before Lane was attached. He may have had a vision for the production, and he may have helped developed the script and left notes, but to imply Stroman did little but follow a recipe her husband left behind is both untrue and rather gross. 

Updated On: 7/23/24 at 04:17 PM

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 7/23/24 at 4:38pm

I can see Steve Coogan as Max... or no?

Anyway, he'll be busy doing Dr. Strangelove at the time.

Who else?

Joe Lycett would be a good Leo.

[darquegk]

Posted: 7/23/24 at 7:03pm

BwayLB said: "It it’s any good as that scale down Young Frankeinstein, I’ll see it"

Pittsburgh CLO is currently running a very funny six-person Young Frankenstein, and I think it works better than the splashier original.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 7/23/24 at 10:25pm

I've always wanted to see Roger Bart take on Max, but that might be too much sweaty yelling. (I also wanted to see Gary Beach try Max, but, alas...)

Would Bertie Carvel come across too mean for Max?

What's Charlie Stemp up to this winter? Leo?

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 7/24/24 at 5:29pm

Patrick marber said he wanted to work more in nyc after winning for leopolstadt. Of course he does, they all do when the cash starts coming in.  I bet their aim is Broadway. 

[Dolly80]

Posted: 7/24/24 at 6:02pm

You can all stop stop speculating… they’ve already cast Max- Andy Nyman.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 7/24/24 at 6:43pm

Dolly80 said: "You can all stop stop speculating… they’ve already cast Max- Andy Nyman."

Andy Nyman is becoming the new Henry Goodman!

[BwayLB]

Posted: 7/24/24 at 7:25pm

darquegk said: "BwayLB said: "It it’s any good as that scale down Young Frankeinstein, I’ll see it"

Pittsburgh CLO is currently running a very funny six-person Young Frankenstein, and I think it works better than the splashier original."

I saw a production at La Mirada a while back. YF maintained its ensemble vibe. But the production was more of a vaudeville throwback

[Owen22]

Posted: 7/24/24 at 8:59pm

The Producers never was a great show, despite it's Tony trophies.  It's never really worked outside of New York (and without Nathan Lane). Mel's a comic genius, but the writing is just not there.  If Jason Alexander and Martin Short couldn't get people into seats in LA....

I think the problem with doing the show at the Menier is that the ONLY marvelous number (stolen from the film) is the Springtime For Hitler number, which needs to be lavish. That's the joke. And that won't happen at the Chocolate Factory.

Andy Nyman is nice casting though.  And for those who saw Two Strangers Carry a Cake Across New York, I would love to see Sam Tutty as Leo Bloom.

I will be in London during it's run and with all my above bitching about the show...I will probably still see it.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 7/24/24 at 9:37pm

Owen22 said: "I think the problem with doing the show at the Menier is that the ONLY marvelous number (stolen from the film) is the Springtime For Hitler number, which needs to be lavish. That's the joke. And that won't happen at the Chocolate Factory."

SFH can be effective without being opulent, it just needs to be rethought from the Stroman mold. There can be humor in an endearing scrappiness. But the number also needs a great Roger to land it.

[Kad]

Posted: 7/25/24 at 10:07am

In the original movie, SFH is not especially lavish at all. The Broadway show ratcheted it up substantially when they turned it from a 3 minute-ish number and a couple book scenes into a 10 minute show stopping  production number. In fact, I would argue that the musical made SFH too objectively good. Remember, it’s supposed to be tasteless and so bad it’s funny, the result of a bad writer, bad director, and bad actors all bringing their misguided visions together and it inadvertently working as a mockery. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 7/25/24 at 10:17am

Sorta like seeing Titanique or Disaster! downtown, or even "the corn musical" Shucked.

You walk in with low-ish expectations, and then come out saying "sh*t, that was way better than expected!"

[algy]

Posted: 7/25/24 at 11:01am

Jordan Catalano said: "When the space is used as a traditional theater setting, it’s a decently sized stage. You can see what that looks like in this video of MERRILY from 2013.


Merrily We Roll Along"

I hate to be that person, but I think that Merrily recording is of the West End Transfer of the Menier Production - and was filmed at the Harold Pinter, not the actual Chocolate Factory. (which I'm off to next week to see The Baker's Wife)

[berniesb!tch]

Posted: 7/25/24 at 4:18pm

I wonder if they would ever "odd couple" this and do it with two women. I'd love to see Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson take a crack at it. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 7/25/24 at 7:11pm

berniesb!tch said: "I wonder if they would ever "odd couple" this and do it with two women. I'd love to see Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson take a crack at it."

Maxine Bialystock and Leona Bloom

Sounds like a high-powered ladies’ law firm