January 8-14, 2004

artpicks

The Producers

theater

When I saw this show in New York with its original cast, I laughed all the way home. That 2001 production won every prize known to man (OK, OK, not the Nobel), including 12 Tonys, 11 Drama Desks, eight Outer Critic Circle Awards, plus a bunch of others. The show, written by the hilarious Mel Brooks and choreographed by the clever Susan Stroman, tells the tale of Max Bialystock (played by Bob Amaral in this touring production), a producer whose latest show, Funny Boy: A New Musical of Hamlet, closes when the critics pan it. He persuades Leo Bloom (Andy Taylor), a timid accountant, to help him create a money-making scam: produce a flop. The plan backfires when Springtime for Hitler with its "hotsy-totsy Nazis" is a satirical smash, and the two have to cope with success. It's very funny, very witty and that rare thing: a guaranteed good time in the theater -- assuming the touring company lives up to the material.

The Producers, Jan. 14-Feb. 8, $43.25-$81.25, Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St., 215-336-1234.

—Toby Zinman

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