Review: THE PRODUCERS Marks the Return of Musical Spectacle to Greenville Theatre

If you're like me, you are more than ready for the return of big stage musicals. There's something about the giant spectacle of a huge cast and crew putting their formidable talents together to create live theatre magic that is simply unreproducible on a TV screen.

Greenville Theatre explodes back into that space with their impressive staging of THE PRODUCERS, the Mel Brooks musical that won a record 12 Tony Awards in its original Broadway run. Max Quinlan unleashes the full resources of the theatre in his first directorial effort as Greenville Theatre's new Producing Artistic Director. Based on this show's audience reaction alone, Greenville Theatre is in good hands.

On the surface, THE PRODUCERS tells the story of blustery Broadway producer Max Bialystock (Neel Patrick Edwards) and meek accountant Leo Bloom (Carter Allen) who team up for a can't lose scheme: raise more money than they need to create the deliberately worst show they can, then keep the excess cash. But all that is just the undergarment holding up a nonstop series of double entendres, hip thrusts, sexual innuendos, butt slaps, and hilariously over-the-top musical numbers. In other words, it is the ultimate expression of the humor of Mel Brooks. If you like his movies, you're going to love THE PRODUCERS.

The cast is uniformly top notch, fully embracing the over the top absurdity of the piece. Neel Patrick Edwards infuses his Max Bialystock with every last drop of energy he can possibly muster. And then amps it up. But the character needs more than just high spirits, as Bialystock is the quintessential jaded Broadway producer. Combining this cynicism with sparkling personality and crisp comic timing, Edwards makes the most of this showstopping role.

As Bloom, Carter Allen is outwardly bland yet tightly wound - the perfect combination to maximize the comic potential of his character's outbursts. His sudden fits of anxiety and desperate reliance on his childhood blankie caused the audience to roar. But beyond just scoring laughs with his heightened body language, Allen brings a winning charm to such moments as the sweetly earnest number "That Face." That song pairs him with Jamie Ann Walters as Swedish sex bomb Ulla, who also impresses in her introductory number, "If You Got it, Flaunt It."

This is not a show about subtly and layers, but Jon Kilpatrick manages to bring a few shades to his role as Roger DeBris, the flamboyant director of the musical Bialystock and Bloom pick for their scheme: "Springtime for Hitler." For such a deliberately campy character, Kilpatrick actually portrays some genuine human notes, as Roger shows his occasional doubts - even though most of those doubts are really just for show. Mitch Smith makes a great foil for Kilpatrick as Carmen Ghia. And Evan Harris wins a lot of laughter as Springtime for Hitler's eccentric author, Franz Liebkind.

What really sells the evening, though, is the sheer overwhelming spectacle. The sets. The costumes. The amazing dancers. Director Max Quinlan orchestrates an exceptionally well designed production. From Scenic Designer Suzanne McCalla's beautifully realized sets and backdrops to Thomas Brooks' astonishing variety of costumes to Kimberlee Ferreira's impressive choreography, this is Greenville's oldest theatre firing on all cylinders, pulling out all the stops, and, well, whatever other cliché you want to add. Onstage and off, this is one talented ensemble.

You may not walk out of the theatre humming any of the songs and the whole thing might last a little bit longer than you'd like, but if you haven't found some laughs in this madcap mélange of deliberately offensive entertainment, you may just be beyond hope.

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THE PRODUCERS at Greenville Theatre runs September 14, 16, 21, 23 (Tuesday and Thursday) at 7:30pm, September 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25 (Friday and Saturday) at 8pm, and September 12, 19, 26 (Sunday) at 3pm.

Ticket prices are Adults $40, Seniors $38, and Juniors $30. Student rush tickets are
also available for $20, beginning one hour prior to curtain.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please call the Box Office at 864-233-6238
or visit the GT website at www.greenvilletheatre.org.

Photo credit: Wallace Krebs Photography

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