One Last Time: Lane & Broderick to Return to The Producers?

Michael Riedel reports in today's NY Post that offers have been made to Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick to return to the Broadway production of The Producers -- one last time. The pair would close out the show in June 2007, where it's said to be planned to shutter to make way for Mel Brooks' next production, Young Frankenstein. The Post reports that neither star has yet accepted the offer, which would be expected to net each record salaries. 

The Producers, which opened on April 19, 2001 and is the recipient of the most Tony Awards in theater history (with 12 wins), currently stars Tony Danza as Max Bialystock, Hunter Foster as Leo Bloom, Lee Roy Reams as Roger DeBris, Brad Musgrove as Carmen Ghia, Bill Nolte as Franz Liebkind and Angie Schworer as Ulla.

Based on Brooks' Academy Award-winning 1968 film of the same name, "The Producers is the story of down-on-his-luck theatrical producer, Max Bialystock, and Leo Bloom, a mousy accountant. Together they hatch the ultimate scam: raise more money than you need for a sure-fire Broadway flop and pocket the difference. Their 'sure-fire' theatrical fiasco?. . . None other than the musical Springtime for Hitler," according to press notes.

The musical, which originally starred Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, features a Tony Award-winning book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan, Tony Award-winning music and lyrics by Brooks, and Tony Award-winning direction and choreography by Susan Stroman. The musical also includes Tony Award-winning set design by Robin Wagner, Tony Award-winning costume design by William Ivey Long, Tony Award-winning lighting design by Peter Kaczorowski, and sound design by Steve Kennedy.

An abridged Las Vegas production of The Producers, starring David Hasselhoff and Brad Oscar, will begin January 31st, 2007.

Visit www.producersonbroadway.com for more on The Producers.