Posted on Friday, June 12, 2009
The Broadway musical opens Music Theatre of Wichita's summer season.
BY BOB CURTRIGHT
Wichita Eagle correspondent
Broad, brash and arguably the funniest musical ever written for the Broadway stage, "The Producers" launched Music Theatre of Wichita's 38th season into rip-roaring, riotous comic overdrive on opening night Wednesday.
Mel Brooks' wacky 2001 masterpiece, which holds the all-time Broadway record with 12 Tony Awards, is a fabulously silly valentine to Broadway itself and a past era of vaudeville jokes, double takes, top bananas and beautiful showgirls in gorgeous -- if ridiculous -- costumes.
It's full of high energy and low humor. This often very busy production directed by Mark Madama is earthier than most MTW fare in Yiddish slang and sexual innuendo. It's deliciously naughty rather than raunchy. Still, it's not for everyone.
Guest stars Michael Kostroff and Larry Raben from Los Angeles, who have played opposite each other in these roles before, have a well-honed, comfortable comic chemistry.
Kostroff plays Max Bialystock, the one-time king of Broadway who romances little old ladies to get them to invest in his schlocky shows. Raben plays Leo Bloom, a mousy accountant called in to audit Max's books who discovers that in some circumstances a producer could make more money with a flop than a hit. Suddenly, a scheme is born!
Kostroff is loud, hilariously overdramatic but just short of obnoxious as a bluff to hide Max's tender, put-upon soul.
Raben, sort of a young Jerry Lewis look-alike, often seems like a deer caught in the headlights as he hesitatingly ventures into uncharted criminal and romantic territory.
Besides meshing patter and physical shtick beautifully, they also had separate showcases: Kostroff tossing off a whirlwind recap of the entire show during a reflective moment and Raben showing Fred Astaire flair in a romantic dream sequence. Both also have more melodious singing voices than the roles require -- a plus for us.
James Anest plays a wannabe Nazi playwright whose jaw-dropping "Springtime for Hitler" is chosen by Max and Leo to be their moneymaking flop. He looks and sounds more like a romantic leading man with a powerful, beautiful baritone. But he throws himself into this ridiculous comic role with complete, self-effacing abandon and pulls it off.
Kilty Reidy also throws himself with abandon into the outrageous role of a flamboyant, cross-dressing director who ultimately stands in for his injured star, giving Hitler a sort of Judy Garland turn.
Kimberly Faure and Aaron Umsted from the summer troupe stepped into featured roles as, respectively, Max and Leo's knockout blond Swedish secretary and as the gay director's fawning "common-law assistant."
Faure was spectacular with her powerful soprano, poised dancing and flair for making the most of clingy dresses. Umsted, with carefully postured swish, was hilariously over the top without offending.
There were some opening-night glitches but all dealt with the set (borrowed from the national tour), whichwasn't quite in place at times, and lighting effects.
But choreography by Linda Goodrich was fun and inventive, particularly tap-dancing little old ladies in walkers, and the 23-piece orchestra under direction of Thomas W. Douglas returned us to the full show experience.
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