The Producers Soundtrack tracklisting (King of Broadway Cut) — Page 2

I should've been more clear. Not every Renthead is expecting that, but I know what some are expecting. Then we will hear bitching about how it wasn't faithful.

Is it bad luck to mention that I'm hoping for certain cast members to get Oscar nominations? If it's bad luck, I won't mention it.

Lane was not iffy about taking the role until Betrayed was written. Betrayed was, in fact, a replacement song written to give the show an 11th hr number...like Rose's Turn...because Lane felt that the original song was too meager and sad. He had long ago accepted the role when he actually got this number. And he would have NO say in what Universal left in or took out. He isn't Tom Cruise.

As for the movie working without King of Broadway, the preview reports seem very positive without it but if you think about what musical numbers are SUPPOSED to do in theater...they are supposed to explain something or someone. The song 'King of Broadway' is purposely positioned at the point where the audience has left the theater in disgust and it is meant to be the exposition for Max...to explain who he is and how he has fallen from the heights to the depths. By taking it out...you see the people leave the theater, you see Max standing there and have no idea who he is and then you cut to the office and you have to figure out who Leo AND Max are all at the same time. It doesn't fit the musical convention very well...but it was cut merely for length...so we all have to live with it. Movie studios after all know more than any one else including people who produce musicals every day. Oh well...it is what it is. I am happy to hear that audiences seem to like it anyway, but I still think the movie would have gotten off to a better and faster start with the song left right where it was. But movies rarely make it to the screen unchanged. Ask any author who has had their book purchased for a screenplay. It is often unrecognizable by the time it makes it to the screen.

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I hope by now most Rentheads have been to the blog and realize things have been changed and are mature enough to accept this.

Perhaps therein lies the rub.

But KING OF BROADWAY isn't any old song...we'll see

It seems like King Of Broadyway was shot but cut out...at least we may see it on the DVD version.

On the Lion King DVD you can watch the movie with Morning Report included or in its original form. It would be nice if they set up the DVD like that as well. I would like to see it placed back in.

I was fortunate to attend a screening of a rough cut of the movie last week and it was wonderful. Nathan Lane might just get a oscar nomination.

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Yes, the stage show does run 2 and 50, but they had already cut 'where did we go right' and some other small scenes and the running time in previews I believe was 2 and 10...which is nothing these days. That's my only point. As we've discussed before, we knew the studio would change things. I was only expressing an opinion held by a number of industry people that this PARTICULAR song has important exposition that should not be lost. Having it on the special DVD version does nothing for the theater audiences that don't know this show and are seeing it for the first time. My only point!

As for whether the line 'never say good luck on opening night' is in the song...actually Leo does sing that. "now, I'll never say good luck on opening night" and the rest of the group begin the line 'never, never, never say...' and are interrupted by the sound effect of the cat being thrown through the door by Max so they never actually say 'good luck' they just skip to the line 'on opening night' at the close. If they changed the title it might have been to make it clearer to people who don't know the show biz superstition, but it does seem strange that they would change it.

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Updated On: 10/17/05 at 05:36 PM

technically they're not new songs. just unproduced. the producers book talks about the "You'll Find Your Happiness in Rio" scene costing 1 million dollars alone in projections of Nathan's face on inanimate objects and was decided to instead of spend the money to cut it.

Emotions over losing the song aside, I think cutting "King of Broadway" is just plain stupid on Stroman's part. It is now a musical without a character song for the leading actor. "King of Broadway" good or not sets up the audience's introduction to max bialystock, gives you an idea of how he is critically recieved, the level that his "close friends" have fallen to, and demonstrates the complete and utter desperateness of this man to have ANY semblance of respect again. Without it, what are we to pity? Why should anyone care a smidge about this man once we see him in his office? I mean, at least keep in the bit about tomachevsky teaching him on his death bed "who do you have to f--- to get a break in this town?!" Without it, i can only imagine the shift from opening night to max's office will be noticable jarring. If its a good film, people will sit through it for 2 1/2 hours. People sat through Godfather II for three and a half. Give your audience some credit is what I say. Stupid stupid stupid.

Maybe there's some strange wisdom in cutting it that we're not understanding..

probably not though..

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Hopefully "There's Nothing Like A Show on Broadway" will persuade movie goers to go see the show live. although without a national tour I'd imagine that would be pretty tough for a lot of them to do...

Wait a minute. "Betrayed" contains a bit of "King of Broadway," so if you're going to cut "King of Broadway," you'll have to cut "Betrayed" as well. Don't you think?

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