By Jessica Kennedy.
Which show won 12 Tony Awards, setting the record for the most wins in history? The same musical that is one of a select few to win a Tony Award in every category it was nominated for in 2001? That’s right! The Producers, directed by Evan Pappas, is now playing at the Argyle Theatre in Babylon Village from March 14th- April 20th. So grab a ticket, take a seat, and enjoy one of the most laugh out loud shows around!
This awarding-winning show is a musical adaptation of Mel Brooks’ 1967 film of the same name, and was written by Brooks and Thomas Meehan. After over 2,500 Broadway performances since 2001, this show is still entertaining audiences with its satirical wit, hyperbolic characters, and a plot director Evan Pappas calls both “deliriously funny and subversive.” The show opens as Max Bialystock (Jason Simon), a conniving and washed up producer, is witnessing his latest show Funny Boy- an ill-fated comedy about Hamlet– flop tremendously. Things look bleak when a timorous accountant named Leo Bloom (Richard LaFleur) finds a discrepancy in his books, and inadvertently stumbles on the conclusion that more money can be made on a failing show than a thriving one (that is, if you disregard ethics, morals, the law, and your own conscience, of course). Desperate and greedy, Bialystock convinces the meek and neurotic PA to partner up with him, and they set a hair-brained scheme in motion. They have it all planned out! Step 1: Find the worst play ever written. Step 2: Hire the worst director in town. Step 3: Raise two million dollars (i.e. swindle a lot of little old ladies). Step 4: Hire the worst actors in New York. Step 5: Watch the show flop and run off with the extra cash! However, when Swedish actress Ulla (Gina Milo) shows up flaunting her stuff, and then the audience hails their flop as a masterpiece, they find themselves in way over their heads!
The comedy of this show makes heavy use of extravagant characters and caricatures, along with slapstick style humor and satire. Simon and LaFleur are a match made in heaven, making the audience erupt in full-bellied laughs from their very first interaction! Simon’s take on Bialystock as an arrogant, raucous deviant sets the tone for the absurdity of the situations the characters find themselves in. Add in LaFleur brilliantly portraying Bloom as he compulsively sniffs his “blue blanket” and squeaks whenever he gets too stirred up, and they make a perfect Laurel and Hardy-esque pair. Talent abounds on the stage, with Gina Milo stunning as Ulla with performances of, “If You Got It, Flaunt it” and “That Face.” John Salvatore and Jon J. Peterson are another magical combination as Roger Debris and Carmen Ghia- their exaggerated portrayals are flamboyant and fantastic in songs like, “Keep It Gay.” Cody Marcukaitis also wows as Franz Liebkind, and has the audience rolling with his deliciously scandalous rendition of the easily angered and emotionally unhinged loyalist playwright. The set and costumes (thanks to the talents of Justin West and Heather Stanley) are outrageously awesome, as they add drama and comedy of their own to the scenes. From singing pigeons to showgirls with pretzels on their hips, the show is as visually stimulating (and hilarious), as it is an impressive showcase of talent from some remarkable performers!
The Producers marks the close of the newly reopened Argyle Theatre’s inaugural season. So come be a part of Long Island’s burgeoning live theater community, and check out a show that has had audiences laughing for over 40 years!