Thanks to Mel Brooks
Thanks to Mel Brooks
mc1227
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/29/07
#1Thanks to Mel Brooks
Posted: 11/23/08 at 10:23pm
With the announced closing of "Young Frankenstein" I just want to take a minute to thank Mel Brooks for injecting life back into musical theatre in 2001 with "The Producers". For those of you too young to remember, Broadway was pretty lifeless at the turn of the century.
It was the "The Producers" that opened the door for popular movies to be turned into musicals. Like him or not, Mel's creativity was largely responsible for musical theatre to flourish for the past 8 years.
We are now seeing a down time due to the economy and perhaps a creative recession as well. Who will be that creative genius to kick start Broadway again once this recession is over? It's anyone's guess. You have to give Mel his props, even if it kills you.
Parks
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/5/04
#2re: Thanks to Mel Brooks
Posted: 11/23/08 at 10:27pm
"Big" was on Broadway before The Producers...
I think to say that he MADE Broadway flourish since 2001 is a bit of a stretch. The Producers and Young Frankenstein (which he had tickets as high as 450 dollars for)--how many shows have opened and closed since 2001? He is responsible for a very successful show on Broadway (The Producers)--but there have been many other shows that have been very successful too.
I think Wicked has probably helped Broadway flourish a lot more...
#3re: Thanks to Mel Brooks
Posted: 11/23/08 at 10:28pm
Well, that is true. If nothing else, Mel led the way for a number of shows that made a lot of money for a lot of people, and kept a lot of actors employed.
(Ow. My pride.)
And thank you, Mel, for the original PRODUCERS movie, which is still one of the best "good times" movies I've seen.
-Nellie McKay on the 2006 Broadway production of The Threepenny Opera, in which she played Polly Peachum
#4re: Thanks to Mel Brooks
Posted: 11/23/08 at 10:29pm
Huh?
Movies both popular and not so popular have been turned in Broadway musicals for DECADES before THE PRODUCERS.
Mel Brooks opened no doors. He simple walked through one.
#5re: Thanks to Mel Brooks
Posted: 11/23/08 at 10:29pmTurning popular movies into musicals is a trend you choose to celebrate?
-best12bars
"Sorry I am a Theatre major not a English Major"
-skibumb5290
#6re: Thanks to Mel Brooks
Posted: 11/23/08 at 10:33pm
By the way.. the original THE PRODUCERS movie (certainly one of my all time favorite comedies) is considered a "cult" film as far as popularity is concerned.
Nothing close to the wildly successful Brooks films the 70's.
mc1227
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/29/07
#7re: Thanks to Mel Brooks
Posted: 11/23/08 at 10:33pmI'm not celebrating it, but without it, where would Broadway have been the past several years? What I was trying to say is that Brooks brought life back to musical theatre with "The Producers" and Broadway, up to just recently, has seen a very successful (financially at least) past 7 years. That success started with his "Producers".
FindingNamo
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
#8re: Thanks to Mel Brooks
Posted: 11/23/08 at 10:35pmThe Lion King?
#9re: Thanks to Mel Brooks
Posted: 11/23/08 at 10:38pmI thank Mel Brooks for truly defining the word "karma". That's about it.
mc1227
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/29/07
#10re: Thanks to Mel Brooks
Posted: 11/23/08 at 10:40pmEven though Lion King itself was successful, it wasn't until "The Producers" success that Broadway as a whole began a resurgence. With it's achievements, it opened many purse strings that made subsequent productions (including Wicked) possible.
#11re: Thanks to Mel Brooks
Posted: 11/23/08 at 10:40pm
I don't buy the premise that Mel Brooks single-handedly changed, saved or creatively directed the course of Broadway over the last 8 years.
He had a hit show during a time a city and country needed to laugh. Period.
There have been equally successful and even more so successful shows since then that bare NO linkage to THE PRODUCERS.
If he is to be thanked, it for making the city laugh a little during darks days after 9-11.
#12re: Thanks to Mel Brooks
Posted: 11/23/08 at 10:41pmThe thread title made it seem like this thread was going to be filled with sarcasm.
"Leave Walt Disney Theatricals new sparkling production of The Little Mermaid on Broadway alone!!!"
lakezurich will be played by Paul Groves in the BWW musical
#13re: Thanks to Mel Brooks
Posted: 11/23/08 at 10:41pmWithout Brooks maybe more of us could afford tickets...
TulitaPepsi
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/13/04
#14re: Thanks to Mel Brooks
Posted: 11/23/08 at 10:43pm
I thought this thread was going to be about overpriced "Premium" seating.
Yeah - thanks for that, Mel!
#15re: Thanks to Mel Brooks
Posted: 11/23/08 at 10:44pm
mc1227, please explain how Stephen Schwartz owes his production of WICKED solely to Mel Brooks?
#15re: Thanks to Mel Brooks
Posted: 11/23/08 at 10:44pmand here's me thinking it was Phantom which did it.
mc1227
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/29/07
#17re: Thanks to Mel Brooks
Posted: 11/23/08 at 10:46pm
"mc1227, please explain how Stephen Schwartz owes his production of WICKED solely to Mel Brooks? "
Where did I post that? I wrote that due to the success of The Producers, funds for productions like Wicked became available. That was not the case shortly before The Producers success.
Re: Ticket prices
No one ever forced anyone to buy premium seats. They were for the fat cats. The same fat cats who have since lost their jobs and cannot attend theatre anymore. Believe it or not, the student priced tickets do not fund these shows. Without the prices, we don't get the shows which is why so many shows are closing right now.
Dollypop
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#18re: Thanks to Mel Brooks
Posted: 11/23/08 at 10:52pm
If we're talking about movies that served as the inspiration for Broadway musicals we can go back to FANNY, which was based on not one but THREE films, commonly referred to as "The Pagnol Trilogy"
DESTRY also comes to mind, based on the very popular movie "Desstry Rides Again". It was about as popular as the YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN musical.
I'm sure there were others.
To say that Mel Brooks re-vitalized Broadway is laughable.
#19re: Thanks to Mel Brooks
Posted: 11/23/08 at 10:53pm
I am just gonna list a few films turned Broadway shows that were on Broadway during the 90s (and I won't count the Disney animated movies):
Footloose
Big
The Full Monty
Sunset Boulevard
Grand Hotel
Before you post something please THINK first or at least do some research. Then WE won't have to tell you that you are wrong... :)
Updated On: 11/23/08 at 10:53 PM
#20re: Thanks to Mel Brooks
Posted: 11/23/08 at 10:57pm
"With it's achievements, it opened many purse strings that made subsequent productions (including Wicked) possible."
So... are you saying WITHOUT the success of THE PRODUCERS.. WICKED wouldn't have found funding?
How many of THE PRODUCERS investors invested in WICKED?
Also... how many of the investors of WICKED ...DID NOT.. invest in THE PRODUCERS but invested in previously successful shows?
WishingOnlyWounds2
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/25/08
#21re: Thanks to Mel Brooks
Posted: 11/23/08 at 10:59pm
Beauty and The Beast and The Lion King
Movies... were (and one still is) BIG!
#22re: Thanks to Mel Brooks
Posted: 11/23/08 at 11:01pmYeah, and there's going to be an ANNIE revival next year too, right, hun?
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
#23re: Thanks to Mel Brooks
Posted: 11/23/08 at 11:02pm
Even Sondheim has adapted films for the stage:
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC
PASSION
mc1227
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/29/07
#24re: Thanks to Mel Brooks
Posted: 11/23/08 at 11:02pmBecause, after all, that's all this board wants to do anyway is to research shows that had NO impact on anything. You missed the entire point of the post which was to thank someone from his creativity and bringing musical theatre to a resurgance. I doubt that Big and Footloose or any of the others even made a dent Broadway history. Although I shouldn't say that since I didn't do the proper research on it. I just speak from memory. Broadway was struggling big time in the late 90's. I guess shows like Big and Footloose just didn't cut it.
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