You know, I've never seen the original film. As much as I enjoy the work of Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder, particularly Young Frankenstein, I never got around to seeing the original version of The Producers. Of course I was familiar with the plot, but never knew the details.
On top of that, I never got to see the Broadway version of it either. Despite the great word surrounding it, and the duo of Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, I did not make the relatively short trek to Broadway. So, when I learned of the effort to bring the stage musical to the big screen, I decided this would be my introduction the world of Bialystock and Bloom.
I did see it on the big screen, and thoroughly enjoyed it, although I felt it was a bit to the long side. There were some wonderful songs, great dancing, spectacular set pieces, and some fun, if over the top performances.
For those of you who are even less familiar with the film/play than I am, let give you a brief look at the plot. Max Bialystock (Nathan Lane) is a Broadway producer who has fallen on bad times. His plays are bombs and he romances little old ladies out of their pensions to finance them. Along comes Leopold Bloom (Matthew Broderick), a mousy little accountant who surmises that it is theoretically possible to make more money with a flop than with a hit (put into real world practice by German director Uwe Boll).
The idea intrigues Bialystock who convinces Bloom to join him in the scheme. They seek out a surefire bomb, discovering Springtime for Hitler, then a crack director and production team, and finally the money. They have all their ingredients for a money making disaster; all they need to do is put on the worst show in the world. That gives you a brief idea of what it's about. It's fairly straightforward, the fun comes from performances.
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