I was just reading HBO's previews for tonight (Sunday) and listed for the season finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm is Larry David making his opening debut on Broadway as Max Bialystock in The Producers. Guest stars listed include Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft, although I would anticipate others.
As some may know, The Producers has been a running theme on Curb throughout the season, culminating in whatever happens tonight. My guess is that Larry David will develop stage-fright at the last minute and refuse to go on.
Whatever happens, it should be fun!
My perfect day would begin at on the beach in Hana, Maui and end at a Broadway Musical.
Add Susan Stroman to the list of Producers people making an appearance on tonight's show. Nathan et al, but Matthew is conspicuously missing.
Updated On: 3/14/04 at 06:34 PM
wow...I love "curb" but this episode was pretty fair. the only truly funny thing was Richard Kind in back of the guy with the turban. otherwise, disappointing. best episode this season, by far: "the car pool lane."
Loved the twist at the end. Larry David proved the equal of Agatha Christie, who was the master of the plot turn that is accepted so completely that you don't realize it is the twist. In this case, you accepted that Mel Brooks had made an error in judgment that you assumed would pay off. Little did you realize it was all part of a Brooks-and-Bancroft master plan. Brilliant. And of course I adored the virtually shot-by-shot recreation of the "Springtime for Hitler"/LSD sequence from the original movie.
Last week's episode was much funnier. Larry and his wife were renewing their marriage vows and his Rabbi asks if he can invite a survivor. Larry invites one of his father's friends who is a survivor of the holocaust thinking they might like meeting each other. Needless to say, the survivor the Rabbi invited was Colby from "Survivor." Anyway, last week's show was funnier.
"billyweeds" and "tkts" got it! This episode was Brillant!! The idea of recreating the intermission bar scene from the 60's movie with Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft emulating the personas of the original Max and Leo, Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, was something that only the minds of Mel Brooks and Larry David could create. Also, the way the audience responded to Larry forgeting his lines, first by walking out, but then returning as he improvised was a wonderful recreation of the scene in the movie with Dick Shawn as LSD playing Hitler.
Other Cool Moments:
Jerry Seinfeld walking out on Larry David's performance.
Larry David refusing to have sex with Cady Huffman because she had a picture of George Bush in her dressing room.
Larry's cousin, Richard Kind, making a scene during the performance when the man with the Turbin sat in front of him blocking his view.
This was great FUN!!!
My perfect day would begin at on the beach in Hana, Maui and end at a Broadway Musical.
I agree with all posts -- very clever idea, and a bit of a risk for Mel, to let a non-performer like Larry appear in so much of the show (was that his voice doing the opening number?) It wan't a howl a minute, but it paid off the season, and who didn't love Brooks and Bancroft at the bar, in homage to his own film?
Independent of its use on CURB: I do wonder what THE PRODUCERS looked like to those out there who have not seen the show. I thought, minus compelling real performers, it looked rather cheesy -- more like a parody of a b'way show. Which admittedly, in some ways, it is. I'm not sure this clips with the non-musical Larry fudging hiw way along will help sell it. Interestingly enough, this ENTHUSIASM episode supports a lot of the ongoing debate -- looming again, as the star-vacating month of April nears -- that the show isn't all that wonderful without Nathan and Matthew.
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling
Am I the only one who gets a weird felling that maybe in real life David and Schwimmer are to be next on Broadway? They still have not announced who takes over on April 5th.