The Producers
Went to watch The Producers last Monday with Hui. We'd heard good reviews from JFK and Ho Fung and co when they went there two years ago. Now with the production touring UK I decided this was the time to catch it.
*major spoilers ahead* (or maybe not)
The Producers is about a down-and-out Broadway producer who hatches a plan to make money by raising money for a lousy production and ensuring that the flop closes as soon as it opens so that he can escape with the money. He teams up with a feeble accountant who unwittingly planted those seeds in his mind in the first place. With their sound business plan they seek out the lousiest, most floppable musical they could find, which was 'Springtime for Hitler', and the worst director, played by Peter Kay the standup comedian (he shares the role with someone else but I watched the performance with him inside), to help commission the musical. Unfortunately, the show opens to rave reviews, despite half the audience being Jewish!
So as the producer Max Bialystock ("once the biggest name in Broadway - thirteen letters!") tries to abscond with the money, the police chance on his accounts books - especially the one titled 'Not to be seen by the IRS'. He gets thrown in jail, whereupon begins the funniest part of the musical. The entire plot is played out while he wallows in his misery - including the intermission, complete with imaginary ice cream - "two pounds fifty!?".
His pal who escaped to Rio (de Janeiro) with their Swedish leading lady (easily the actress with the biggest name once again) decides to come back and get him because it was Max who inspired him to do something with his life.
They both get thrown in jail.
A few minor incidents happen before they get out of jail and go on to a successful career producing more musicals...
The only thing good about Peter Kay was the part when the uber-gay choreographer is introduced, complete with a teddy bear on his sleeve, at which point Peter exclaims, "Hello xxx (his name)!" And then "Hello Muhammed!"^ Otherwise he was what we would expect from an actor - solid performance still.
Overall this was definitely another enjoyable musical, but nothing comes close to Les Miserables. Not even those singing chickens (with the swastika armbands).
^ A recent case in the news involved a British teacher allowing her primary school English students in Sudan to name their teddy bear "Muhammed". She was sentenced to 15 days in jail
amid protests that she got off too lightly. Two British Muslim peers flew to Sudan to secure her release. They succeeded.
*major spoilers ahead* (or maybe not)
The Producers is about a down-and-out Broadway producer who hatches a plan to make money by raising money for a lousy production and ensuring that the flop closes as soon as it opens so that he can escape with the money. He teams up with a feeble accountant who unwittingly planted those seeds in his mind in the first place. With their sound business plan they seek out the lousiest, most floppable musical they could find, which was 'Springtime for Hitler', and the worst director, played by Peter Kay the standup comedian (he shares the role with someone else but I watched the performance with him inside), to help commission the musical. Unfortunately, the show opens to rave reviews, despite half the audience being Jewish!
So as the producer Max Bialystock ("once the biggest name in Broadway - thirteen letters!") tries to abscond with the money, the police chance on his accounts books - especially the one titled 'Not to be seen by the IRS'. He gets thrown in jail, whereupon begins the funniest part of the musical. The entire plot is played out while he wallows in his misery - including the intermission, complete with imaginary ice cream - "two pounds fifty!?".
His pal who escaped to Rio (de Janeiro) with their Swedish leading lady (easily the actress with the biggest name once again) decides to come back and get him because it was Max who inspired him to do something with his life.
They both get thrown in jail.
A few minor incidents happen before they get out of jail and go on to a successful career producing more musicals...
The only thing good about Peter Kay was the part when the uber-gay choreographer is introduced, complete with a teddy bear on his sleeve, at which point Peter exclaims, "Hello xxx (his name)!" And then "Hello Muhammed!"^ Otherwise he was what we would expect from an actor - solid performance still.
Overall this was definitely another enjoyable musical, but nothing comes close to Les Miserables. Not even those singing chickens (with the swastika armbands).
^ A recent case in the news involved a British teacher allowing her primary school English students in Sudan to name their teddy bear "Muhammed". She was sentenced to 15 days in jail
amid protests that she got off too lightly. Two British Muslim peers flew to Sudan to secure her release. They succeeded.
posted by cheez~ at
10:51 pm
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