The Producers A Mel Brooks Musical Comedy
February 6, 2019 – March 17, 2019
Under the right circumstances, a producer could make more money with a flop than he could with a hit. And so begins one of the most hilarious cons in musical theatre history.
Music and Lyrics by Mel Brooks
Book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan
A New Mel Brooks Musical
Under the right circumstances, a producer could make more money with a flop than he could with a hit. And so begins one of the most hilarious cons in musical theatre history. Max Bialystock used to be the king of Broadway, but after producing one too many flops, he’s now just a has-been forced into seducing little old ladies for money. After an off the cuff comment from his accountant Leo Bloom, dollar signs go off over his head (as well as “beautiful girls wearing nothing but pearls”). With the reluctant help from Bloom, Max goes in search of the worst musical ever. Will it be a flop? It better, or they might find themselves in prison.
The Producers is an uproariously funny musical with hilarious songs that will have you grinning from ear to ear throughout. Nobody does comedy like Mel Brooks, and nobody does shows like the Paramount. Don’t miss it.
Did you know?
- You may remember the movie with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, but did you know the original movie dated back to 1967 and starred Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder?
- The challenge with this show is how to keep pace with the madness of this story, which is the true definition of a farce: “a comic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay and typically including crude characterization and ludicrously improbable situations.”
- This show is really big and will look spectacular. Moving from the office to the street, to the stage, you’ll feel like you’re in the hustle and bustle of Broadway New York right on the Paramount stage.
Opening Night
Behind the Scenes
Meet the Team
Jessica Palkovic
Ensemble
Jessica is so excited to be teaching at The Paramount School! Jessi grew up in Peoria, IL, where her love for theatre and dance all began. Jessi studied dance with The Peoria Ballet and The Rock School for Dance Education. She also competed in the Youth American Grand Prix, an international ballet competition, in 2010 and 2011. Jessi received her collegiate musical theatre training at The Chicago College of Performing Arts and Western Illinois University. Paramount theatre credits: Cabaret(Texas, u/s Sally), The Wizard of Oz (Ensemble, u/s Dorothy) and The Producers (Ensemble). When Jessi isn’t singing and dancing, she enjoys hunting for donuts with her husband, Bobby, and cuddling with their cat, Leche. Jessi is represented by Gray Talent Group.
Blake Hammond *
Max Bialystock
making Paramount Theatre debut
Jake Morrissy *
Leo Bloom
previously in The Secret of My Success, The Producers, Elf, The Little Mermaid and Mamma Mia!
Sean Blake *
Roger DeBris
making Paramount Theatre debut
Elyse Collier *
Ulla
making Paramount Theatre debut
Adam Fane *
Carmen Ghia
previously in Into the Woods, The Sound of Music, The Producers, The Little Mermaid, Mamma Mia, Hairspray and Mary Poppins
Ron E. Rains *
Franz Liebkind
previously in The Producers, Cabaret and Beauty and the Beast
Miranda Borkan
Ensemble
making Paramount Theatre debut
Matt Casey *
Ensemble, Jack Lepidus, u/s Leo Bloom
previously in Elf
Jenna Coker-Jones *
Ensemble, Lick-me Bite-me
previously in Legally Blonde
Bethany Christine Elkin
Ensemble
making Paramount Theatre debut
Erica Evans *
Ensemble
previously in Oklahoma!
Allyson Graves *
Ensemble, u/s Ulla
previously in The Wizard of Oz, Elf, The Little Mermaid, Mamma Mia!, West Side Story, Hairspray, Oklahoma! and Mary Poppins
Kaitlin Jempson
Ensemble, Swing
making Paramount Theatre debut
Christopher Kelley *
Ensemble, Guard
previously in Cinderella, Kinky Boots, Beauty and the Beast, Newsies, The Producers and The Wizard of Oz
Bernell Lassai III
Ensemble, Accountant Soloist, O’Houlihan
previously in Beauty and the Beast and The Producers
Ivory Leonard IV
Ensemble, Swing
previously in Newsies and The Producers
Eben K. Logan *
Ensemble
making Paramount Theatre debut
Nathan Mittleman *
Ensemble, Lead Storm Trooper
previously in 42nd Street
Jessica Palkovic
Ensemble
previously in The Wizard of Oz and Cabaret
Brandon Pisano
Ensemble, Kevin, Donald Dinsmore, Trustee
making Paramount Theatre debut
Sara Reinecke *
Ensemble, Usherette #2, Hold-me Touch-me, Shirley
previously in Kinky Boots, Beauty and the Beast, The Producers, Legally Blonde, Elf, and Mamma Mia!
Jason Richards *
Ensemble, Bryan, Jason Green, Sergeant, Judge u/s Max Bialystock, u/s Franz Liebkind
previously in Cinderella, The Producers and A Christmas Story
Elena Rios *
Ensemble
previously in Elf and West Side Story
Haley Jane Schafer *
Ensemble, Usherette #1
previously in The Secret of My Success, Newsies, The Producers, Elf, The Little Mermaid and Mamma Mia!
Sawyer Smith *
Ensemble, Blind Soloist, Scott, Dance Captain, u/s Roger DeBris, u/s Carmen Ghia
previously in Cats, Rent and A Chorus Line
Anthony Sullivan Jr. *
Ensemble
previously in The Producers, The Wizard of Oz, Legally Blonde, The Little Mermaid and West Side Story
Marco Tzunux
Ensemble, O’Riley, Foreman of Jury
making Paramount Theatre debut
J Tyler Whitmer *
Ensemble
previously in The Producers, The Wizard of Oz, Legally Blonde, Cabaret, Elf, The Little Mermaid, Oklahoma! and Miss Saigon
Artistic Team
Jim Corti ‡
Director
Paramount Theatre’s Artistic Director and 8-time Jeff Award winner
Brenda Didier
Choreographer
Tom Vendafreddo
Music Director and Conductor
William Boles †
Scenic Designer
Jordan Ross
Costume Designer
Jesse Klug †
Lighting Designer
Mike Tutaj †
Projection Designer
Adam Rosenthal
Sound Designer
Katie Cordts
Wig, Hair & Makeup Designer
Ethan Deppe
Electronic Music Designer
Jaq Seifert
Fight & Firearm Choreographer
Susan Gosdick
Dialect Coach
Jinni Pike *
Stage Manager
Nora Mally *
Assistant Stage Manager
Trent Stork
Associate Director
Tiffany Krause
Associate Choreographer
Kory Danielson
Assistant Music Director & Associate Conductor
* indicates member of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA)
† indicates member of United Scenic Artists (USA)
‡ indicates member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC)
Written by Jim Corti, Artistic Director and Director of The Producers
The Producers opened on Broadway in 2001 making box office history, and it holds the record for winning the most Tony Awards ever, at 12! (Take that, Hamilton!) Mel Brooks, with the late, great, Thomas Meehan, adapted the musical’s book from his 1967 directorial film debut of the same name, which scored him an Academy Award. Brooks also wrote the show’s tunes and lyrics, drawing on his experience playing in the Catskills (Borscht Belt, Jewish Alps, Sour Cream Sierras) as a drummer, pianist, and stand-up comedian. In the early 50s, Mel was writing sketch comedy for Cid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows (NBC’s forerunner to SNL). Young “Melvin” served as a World War II Army corporal, defusing German land mines and fighting in the Battle of the Bulge. He soldiered into his subsequent career developing an arsenal of retaliation against anti-Semitism through his frenzied, ferocious brand of humor as an equal opportunity offender, citing, “The only weapon I’ve got is comedy.”
Brooks’ wartime experience resonates in The Producers as he clown dunks protagonists, Max and Leo, into a pressure cooker of stress and distress, eliciting a fictional Broadway show circa 1959, satirically bankrupt of any political correctness and unapologetic for any amoral crassitude. “I was never crazy about Hitler… If you stand on a soapbox and trade rhetoric with a dictator, you never win… That’s what they do so well: they seduce people. But if you ridicule them, bring them down with laughter, they can’t win. You show how crazy they are.” – A reigning, creative force of nature at 92, Brooks muses on the goofily ironic, romantic optimism at the core of his stories (The Producers, The Twelve Chairs, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein),
“It seems that I write about love stories between two men. Most stories are kind of money or love. The world’s riches or the human heart’s riches. I always go for the human riches.”
paramount theatre leads with 16 jeff award nominations
AND THE NOMINEES ARE…
Production – Musical – Large
Performer In A Principal Role – Musical
Blake Hammond (Max Bialystock) – The Producers
Jake Morrissy (Leo Bloom) – The Producers
Director – Musical – Large
Jim Corti – The Producers
Amber Mak – The Wizard of Oz
Scenic Design – Large
William Boles – The Producers
Kevin Depinet and Christopher Rhoton – The Wizard of Oz
Costume Design – Large
Theresa Ham – The Wizard of Oz
Jordan Ross – The Producers
Sound Design – Large
Adam Rosenthal – The Wizard of Oz
Lighting Design – Large
Greg Hofmann – The Wizard of Oz
Jesse Klug – The Producers
Choreography
Brenda Didier – The Producers
Music Direction
Tom Vendafreddo – The Producers
Projection Design
Kevan Loney – The Wizard of Oz
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