The Producers
|
9th - 13th May 2017Director: Andrew Cully
Musical Director: Richard Stockton Choreographer: Jen Jones CastMax Bialystock - James Palmer
Leo Bloom - Lewis Padgett Roger De Bris - John Payne Carmen Ghia - Mathias Kayser Franz Liepkind - Lee Power Ulla - Harriet Langdown Hold Me, Touch Me - Rachel Davison Stormtrooper - Mark Turvill |
Chorus
Jennifer Bye, Lucy Comlay, Andy Cox, Lianne Dempsey, Louise Elliker, Samantha Finch, Claire Gray, Danny Kendrick, Pamela Lee, Richard Lee, Claire Leonard, Bob Noble, Janet Turner, Natalie Vivian & Melanie Wedlock
NODA Review
The musical opened on Broadway in 2001, ran until 2007 and won 12 Tony awards. It had a London run of just over two years in 2004 and as I hadn’t seen it before I found Andrew Culley’s comprehensive synopsis of the show very helpful. With caricatures of homosexuals and Nazis it is undoubtedly offensive to some but if taken with a pinch of salt this politically incorrect musical comedy is just that – a comedy.
The opening number was very good and Jenny’s choreography throughout was inspiring. The routines were innovative and the chorus were clearly well rehearsed. Well done Jenny. The set was fairly simple but it converted efficiently to Max Bialystock’s Office. Furniture and properties were good.
James was excellent as Max Bialystock. He exuded enormous energy and looked as though he enjoyed every minute of playing a producer who decided it would be far more profitable to stage a flop, and then to disappear with the funds raised to stage it. There were many funny moments but I think one of the funniest was his trying to wrestle the file from Bloom – on the floor.
Leo Bloom, the young man wanting to learn from the master was portrayed by Lewis Padgett as unsophisticated and impressionable, until it came to clearing off with both the money and the girl! His character was in complete contrast to the world weary and hard bitten Max. It was apparent that he was losing his voice but he managed to put across the songs well, albeit rather quietly. I wonder if it were not possible to raise the sound level on his mike as that would have helped. The other problem was that the band were too loud – not only in his songs but throughout the show. The audience do need, and expect, to be able to hear the story - they come to hear the singing - and I overheard a number of people making comments to that effect as they left the theatre.
As Ulla, the sexy Swedish secretary, Harriet Langdown was most effective. She was self-assured, acted and sang well and very much looked the part.
I’ve not seen Lee take a comic role before and he did it brilliantly. The scene with the birds was one of the many highlights of the musical and he brought out the comedy pointedly as Franz Liebkind.
Jonathan Payne made a very attractive woman and camped his way wonderfully through the role of Roger De Bris, aided and abetted by his sidekick Carmen Ghia played with equal enthusiasm by Mathias Kayser. Roger’s townhouse and ‘Keep it Gay’ was another memorable scene. The stereotypical characters in the scene were matchless!
As Hold-Me- Touch-Me Rachel Davison convincingly achieved the posture and the gait of an elderly woman - and we were all quite clear as to her feelings for Max! Mark gave a sound performance as the Stormtrooper and his rendition of ‘Springtime with Hitler’ was very good. In the town house scene he was most impressive in his purple tights! – and he can dance too!
The company numbers were commendable in both singing and dancing and the finale of act one using the zimmer frames was incredibly funny. Costumes were super and there were so many of them! The one negative point is that James’ trousers were too long and wrinkled
around his ankles. Make-up and hairstyles were suitable. Director Andrew Culley used every opportunity to bring out the comedy and despite the sensitive subject matters tackled he presented a highly entertaining musical.
Lighting and sound were good and the backstage crew worked quickly and efficiently.
Your programme is nicely presented and easy to negotiate.
Thank you for inviting me to see ‘The Producers’ – it was a show to be remembered.
E. Gloria Smith
N.O.D.A. South East Regional Representative – District 12
The opening number was very good and Jenny’s choreography throughout was inspiring. The routines were innovative and the chorus were clearly well rehearsed. Well done Jenny. The set was fairly simple but it converted efficiently to Max Bialystock’s Office. Furniture and properties were good.
James was excellent as Max Bialystock. He exuded enormous energy and looked as though he enjoyed every minute of playing a producer who decided it would be far more profitable to stage a flop, and then to disappear with the funds raised to stage it. There were many funny moments but I think one of the funniest was his trying to wrestle the file from Bloom – on the floor.
Leo Bloom, the young man wanting to learn from the master was portrayed by Lewis Padgett as unsophisticated and impressionable, until it came to clearing off with both the money and the girl! His character was in complete contrast to the world weary and hard bitten Max. It was apparent that he was losing his voice but he managed to put across the songs well, albeit rather quietly. I wonder if it were not possible to raise the sound level on his mike as that would have helped. The other problem was that the band were too loud – not only in his songs but throughout the show. The audience do need, and expect, to be able to hear the story - they come to hear the singing - and I overheard a number of people making comments to that effect as they left the theatre.
As Ulla, the sexy Swedish secretary, Harriet Langdown was most effective. She was self-assured, acted and sang well and very much looked the part.
I’ve not seen Lee take a comic role before and he did it brilliantly. The scene with the birds was one of the many highlights of the musical and he brought out the comedy pointedly as Franz Liebkind.
Jonathan Payne made a very attractive woman and camped his way wonderfully through the role of Roger De Bris, aided and abetted by his sidekick Carmen Ghia played with equal enthusiasm by Mathias Kayser. Roger’s townhouse and ‘Keep it Gay’ was another memorable scene. The stereotypical characters in the scene were matchless!
As Hold-Me- Touch-Me Rachel Davison convincingly achieved the posture and the gait of an elderly woman - and we were all quite clear as to her feelings for Max! Mark gave a sound performance as the Stormtrooper and his rendition of ‘Springtime with Hitler’ was very good. In the town house scene he was most impressive in his purple tights! – and he can dance too!
The company numbers were commendable in both singing and dancing and the finale of act one using the zimmer frames was incredibly funny. Costumes were super and there were so many of them! The one negative point is that James’ trousers were too long and wrinkled
around his ankles. Make-up and hairstyles were suitable. Director Andrew Culley used every opportunity to bring out the comedy and despite the sensitive subject matters tackled he presented a highly entertaining musical.
Lighting and sound were good and the backstage crew worked quickly and efficiently.
Your programme is nicely presented and easy to negotiate.
Thank you for inviting me to see ‘The Producers’ – it was a show to be remembered.
E. Gloria Smith
N.O.D.A. South East Regional Representative – District 12