‘The Producers’ delivers strong performances, lots of laughs, and a welcome return to the stage for one Manchester native
As musical comedies go, “The Producers” has what audiences seek most – the lighthearted laughs, and that’s what the ensemble cast of “The Producers” delivered during the show’s opening weekend at the Palace Theatre.
MANCHESTER, NH – As musical comedies go, “The Producers” has what audiences seek most – the lighthearted laughs, and that’s what the ensemble cast of “The Producers” delivered during the show’s opening weekend at the Palace Theatre.
Lead actor William Hartery as Max Bialystock, a floundering Broadway producer, took charge of the stage in his portrayal of a character delivered originally by Zero Mostel in the 1967 movie version, and later on Broadway by Nathan Lane. Hartery, a Manchester native, brought his own big personality and precise comic timing to the role, which was nicely balanced by Jason Long as Leo Bloom, the meek accountant (played originally by Gene Wilder in the film version, and by Matthew Broderick on Broadway).
This show was also a triumphant return to the stage for Hartery who, like so many other professional actors, lost their livelihoods when COVID shut down Broadway.
Said Hartery via Facebook just before opening night Friday, “The words grateful and excited do not do justice for the feelings in my heart about opening this show tonight, and returning to the stage for the first time in almost three years, and for it to be in my favorite role, at my hometown theater, The Palace Theatre, in Manchester, NH, where I’ve performed for nearly 30 years. I shall never again take for granted any single moment spent doing what I love most in the whole wide world.”
The madcap comedy, written by Mel Brooks, follows the antics of Max and Leo who realize they could cash-in big by producing a guaranteed Broadway flop, so they hatch a plan to seek out the worst director they know to mount the worst show they can find and land on “Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp with Adolf and Eva at Berchtesgaden,” a sincere tribute to Hitler written by a kooky Nazi named Franz Liebkind (played with gusto by Palace favorite Stuart Harmon).
Bialystock raises the excessive $2 million budget from his usual investors – old ladies easily wooed by the charming scoundrel – and the plan is set in motion to produce a show that will close after opening night, leaving Max and Leo with enough cash to head to Rio. With the help of their newly-hired assistant Ulla, a Swedish sex kitten (played by Katie Ann Harvey) the pair are confident that the plan is bullet-proof.
The twist? Of course, the outrageously offensive musical turns out to be a smash hit.
Act 1 provides a colorful set-up for the campy ode to Hitler that is unleashed in Act 2, a way-over-the-top production directed by the flighty and flamboyant Roger Debris (played by Marc Willis) and his “common-law assistant,” (Carmen Ghia, played by Kenneth Quiricone.)
After the rave reviews come in and Max and Leo turn on one another, an unexpected visit by Leibkind seeking to off them both for turning the fuhrer into a laughing stock results in a scuffle and a visit from police – who discover the cooked books, leading to Max’s arrest. Meanwhile, Leo and Ulla run off with the money, leaving Max to face the music.
After a few more twists and turns, the show concludes with Max and Leo back in action, bringing the entire story full circle to a real show biz happy ending.
With the live Palace pit band pulling out all the musical stops, and the full-stage LED video screen to invigorate the set, “The Producers” is both musically and visually satisfying – delivering an unexpected story of a couple of con men with a passion for the theatre who find friendship and redemption.
“The Producers” is now showing at the Palace Theatre through May 15. Tickets are available at palacetheatre.org or by calling the Palace Theatre box office at 603-668-5588.
