The Producers Needs Stars

Last week it was the lowest attended musical, percentagewise.

It seems the producers of The Producers wanted the show to be the star as is the case with many mega musicals. Apparently, the show does not work as well without "stars" and the box office feels it with a resounding thud.

It seems shelling out even $200,000 a week for two stars in
The Producers, will still net the show additional profit and foster all sorts of things that will lead to additional profit in the future.

Hopefully, the producers of The Producers "have seen the light" and will keep their marquee filled with star power. It would be exciting to see a great parade of stars playing Leo and Max as there were the great dames who starred in Hello Dolly! on Broadway.

I think the show will always play best with "balanced star leads" as Max and Leo.

It would certainly be newsworthy and interesting at the box office if, for instance, after Nathan Lane's next departure, Matthew Broderick stayed with the show as Leo and Sarah Jessica Parker joined the cast as Ulla.

However, I suspect that the real driving star part of The Producers is Max Bialystock and that bit of husband and wife casting might throw the show somehow off balance, without a star turn as Bialystock, that is.

I think that in time to come the folks behind The Producers will concentrate their star wattage and money on the actor playing Max.

Who are some folks that can almost assure box office dollars with their name(s) above the title???

Obviously, Jason Alexander and Martin Short

and we would think of Mandy Patinkin as Max I guess.

Who are some men who can fill these star parts and bring with them the marquee value that can put The Producers back to capacity audiences?

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Updated On: 8/29/03 at 10:20 AM

JohnPopa, that was "nuclear physicist time" wasn't it?:)

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if it were perhaps a few years ago I suspect we might be seeing more Mel Brooks film alumni in The Producers

Harvey Korman would have been a great Max.

Eric McCormack as Max???? or Leo??

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tkts,,,,,don't take the night off....go see GYPSY if you have the chance:))

I like the idea of John Goodman as Max:)

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Several people have mentioned John Goodman but last I heard he was nowhere in physical shape to do 8 shows a week. It's questionable he could do one, according to some people who know him.

I saw it with Brad Oscar and Steven Weber and loved it. I don't think it needs "stars" whatsoever. It was good with just good actors.

I saw it with Brad also (on a day when Nathan was a no-show). Oscar was great, but I must admit that the reason I enjoyed his performance was that it seemed he was doing a flawless impersonation of Nathan Lane. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad he did it that way.

Has this been a continuing downward trend? I think this has been alluded to previously, but maybe people are being influenced by the rumor(?) that Lane and Broderick are coming back, and are waiting. Just a thought.

How about Bob Cuccioli doing both roles ? He has had experience playing dual parts. Seriously, the show is good & to say that it stinks without them is being disengenuous . Everybody hypes stars but sometimes subs are just as good. Case in point was Anne Runalfson in Victor Victoria. Saw the Julie Andrews DVD & Runalfson did not miss a beat. I saw the current cast of The Producers & they are just fine. Max is played differently & while I liked Lane this performance was just as good

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What does it say about people when a show with such great reviews(yes Lane & Broderick were good but the show itself got boffo reviews)dies without 2 stars.People are so hung up on stars that the show becomes secondary. When lane was starting out he was in a show called "Merlin". Back than he was a nobody. No idea if the show was good or bad but it did not get the reviews. Lane & Chita Rivera couldn't save it. I wonder how The Producers would have faired with both in it if it got mediocre reviews. The Show is good, the current cast is good ( I have seen it) but because people are so hung up on stars it is not selling out. The only people who will see it now are tourists who may not be in NYC in the 3 months they will be in it next year. New Yorkers will hold back seeing it waiting for the 2 messiahs to come & save it. I saw both Lane/Broderick & Stadlen/Stephenson & enjoyed both sets of performers & the show both times

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Updated On: 8/30/03 at 06:03 PM