The Producers (2001 Original Broadway Cast)

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Music reviews of The Producers (2001 Original Broadway Cast)

Music Review: The Greatest Show in Broadway History - - on CD!
Rating: 5 Stars

The Overture is no longer a part of the show, it was cut after realizing it was what made the show too long, so the wonderfully-arranged piece by music man Glen Kelly is preserved here.

"Opening Night" is a quick and peppy number to open the show...making The Producers probably the first on Broadway, at least in a while, to blatantly swear in an opening number.

Nathan Lane, as Max Bialystock, gets his first moment in the spotlight in "The King of Broadway," an up-tempo Fiddler on the Roof-esque number that establishes Brooks from the start as a wonderful composer and masterful lyricist.

The listener then hears Matthew Broderick, as Leo Bloom, sing for the first time, in a classic Broadway style tune with Lane called "We Can Do It."

Matthew's first big song comes with most of the ensemble backing him up in a softshoe and hard swing number called "I Wanna Be A Producer."

The second-shortest song on the album, "In Old Bavaria," a quick but witty Nazi ode to Germany, is sung by Franz Liebkind, played by Brad Oscar (who, incidentally, is currently playing Bialystock on Broadway) and a chorus of pigeons.

The seventh song is Oscar, Lane and Broderick in what is allegedly Hitler's favorite song, "Der Guten Tag Hop-Clop," made even funnier than it is by the recitation of the Siegfried Oath (don't ask...you'll have to buy it!).

Gary Beach as the very gay Roger De Bris and Roger Bart (now playing Bloom on Broadway) as his 'common-law assistant,' Carmen Ghia, then lead most of the cast, with Lane and Broderick, in a waltzy, then uptempo and hilarious showstopper appropriately called "Keep It Gay."

Cady Huffman as the beautiful Ulla then sings a powerful number that likely includes every dynamic level known to mankind, called "When You Got It, Flaunt It."

The Act One Finale, "Along Came Bialy," is Nathan Lane and the entire cast, with most of the ensemble (men and women) as Little Old Ladies.

Act Two begins with Mel Brooks' first ballad, "That Face," sung beautifully by Matthew Broderick and Cady Huffman.

The twelfth song is short, sweet and to the point--and unbelievably funny! The first of three songs that were in the original movie (all of which were added to and changed dramatically), "Haben Sie Gehort Das Deutsche Band?" (Have You Ever Heard The German Band?) is sung by Brad Oscar. This song, incidentally, includes one of my favorite lines in the play: "Polish Polkas, they're stupid und they're rotten!/It Don't Mean a Thing if it ain't got that schweigen reinen schone schutzen schmutzen sauerbraten!"

"Opening Night (Reprise)" is sung by Bryn Dowling and Jennifer Smith, the Usherettes, as Brooks' self-proclaimed 'Opus,' "Springtime For Hitler," draws near.

In "You Never Say 'Good Luck' on Opening Night," Beach, Bart, and Oscar teach Broderick why he shouldn't say "Good Luck" as Lane says "Good Luck" as much as possible. And yes: the cat screech at the end of the number was indeed recorded by Mel Brooks.

The long-awaited showstopper, "Springtime For Hitler," finally arrives. This 8-1/2 minute smash 'show within a show' features Eric Gunhus as the Lead Tenor and Gary Beach as Hitler. Don't even think of expecting the same song you saw in the movie--not only is it a full 5 minutes longer, but Hitler--in a suitably funny fashion--even pays his own tribute to Judy Garland in an "Over The Rainbow"-esque solo section. Mel Brooks also makes another cameo: "Don't be stupid, be a smarty/Come and join the Nazi party."

"Where Did We Go Right?" is Lane and Broderick in another hilarious uptempo number that keeps the listener laughing and laughing: "Oh, we knew we couldn't lose.../Half the audience were Jews!"

"Betrayed" is Nathan Lane's big number. This uptempo rant is Lane at his best, making this '11:00 number' a success every single performance. This song literally stops the show twice: once as he recounts the evening's events (laugh after laugh) and once when he's finished. A fantastic performance by Lane.

"'Til Him" is the most sentimental song in the show, a Lane/Broderick ballad that is very heartfelt and beautiful. Broderick, especially, does very well. As Mel Brooks says: "Suprisingly Good."

"Prisoners of Love" is the show that Bialystock and Bloom put on in Sing Sing, which is then put on on Broadway. "Prisoners of Love" segues directly into "Leo and Max," where Lane and Broderick finish the show marvelously. A fantastic end to an unbelievable show.

After the bows, the cast sings one more song called "Goodbye!" that is the shortest on the album. At 30 seconds, it provides the audience with a few more big laughs: "If you liked our show, tell everyone but/If you think it stinks, keep your big mouth shut!"

Buy this CD. If you are a Broadway fan, a Mel Brooks fan...anything--this show and this album will lighten your day anytime you listen to it.

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