Historical Context

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Broadway Musicals

The irrepressible Mel Brooks chose the year 1959 as the backdrop for his rollicking musical, The Producers. The 1950s are often hailed as the golden era of Broadway, a time when musicals were woven into the very fabric of American culture. They delivered the melodies that dominated radio airwaves, just as rock and roll began its seismic rise. Timeless productions from this flourishing decade, such as Guys and Dolls, Kiss Me Kate, My Fair Lady, The King and I, and West Side Story, continue to delight audiences with frequent revivals well into the 21st century.

These works were crafted by legendary composers like Cole Porter, Leonard Bernstein, and the iconic duo of Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Rogers and Hammerstein revolutionized the Broadway musical landscape with their groundbreaking 1943 production Oklahoma!. Before this, musicals often paused their narratives for songs; however, Oklahoma! seamlessly wove lyrics into the very heart of its storyline. As society grew more attuned to media, the classic Broadway musical began to be regarded as overly sentimental and cloyingly sweet.

The Changing Tides of Broadway

By century's end, the Broadway musical had transformed into a dazzling spectacle, favoring grandiosity over narrative depth or memorable melodies. Productions evolved into colossal showcases, featuring intricate, costly sets, breathtaking light displays, and lavish costumes that captivated audiences. Yet, these shows often seemed to stray from the traditional path, merging music and movement without fully embracing the spirit of the classic musical.

Audiences flocked to these awe-inspiring productions, each boasting a novel feat or technological marvel. However, the actors' performances, once the heartbeat of any show, gradually waned in significance. Investors poured vast sums into staging elaborate spectacles like The Phantom of the Opera, Sunset Boulevard, Miss Saigon, and Kiss of the Spiderwoman. The financial injection from entertainment giants, such as Disney, infused new life into Broadway after its lean years in the 1980s. Disney's theatrical ventures began with Beauty and the Beast in 1994, followed by the purchase of the New Amsterdam Theatre to host The Lion King, a twelve million dollar hit that reaffirmed the notion that Broadway's future lay in grander productions.

A Return to Simplicity

With the debut of The Producers, Broadway witnessed a nostalgic nod to the simple charm of earlier song-and-dance productions. Brooks's score harkens back to the catchy tunes and vibrant themes of 1950s musicals, showcasing a performance that thrives with minimal sets and devoid of costly special effects. This landmark production turned the tide, proving that a musical could achieve phenomenal success based on its spirited characters, captivating tunes, and stellar performances.

A new era seemed to dawn, as musicals like Urinetown and Avenue Q charmed audiences not with opulence but with clever wit and engaging storytelling, reminding us that sometimes, less truly is more.

Literary Style

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Motivating Idea

The captivating storyline of a production like The Producers springs organically from its ingenious core concept. Once Brooks embraced the notion of a producer scheming to amass wealth by deliberately orchestrating a theatrical flop, a series of inevitable events unfurled. The narrative needed to portray the protagonist's prior struggles and failures; it had to reveal the character who plants the seed of inspiration in Bialystock’s mind. Subsequently, a parade of intriguing, offbeat personas had to be introduced to ensure the assembly of a disastrously awful play, along with investors ripe for deception. What follows is an absurdly dreadful play-within-a-play, the play's unexpected triumph, and the unforeseen fallout from this success.

In adherence to this fundamental framework, Brooks weaves in plot elements that enhance the story’s allure for a broad audience. The subplot featuring a romantic entanglement between...

(This entire section contains 394 words.)

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Bloom and Ulla infuses the tale with a touch of humanity. Furthermore, Brooks juxtaposes the emotional crescendo of the "Springtime for Hitler" spectacle with a series of elements that soften this tale of greed and fraud. Bloom’s return from Rio to redeem Bialystock underscores the enduring power of friendship; their imprisonment reaffirms society's condemnation of deceit; and their improbable release and subsequent success as producers reward audiences with the joy of seeing beloved characters achieve happiness.

Stereotype

Typically, an author’s reliance on stereotypes might suggest a lack of creativity or an aversion to crafting unique character traits. However, in The Producers, the abundance and overt offensiveness of Brooks’s stereotypes serve a distinct purpose. Rather than diminishing the author, they prompt audiences—who recognize that no writer could truly be that tone-deaf—to scrutinize the stereotypes themselves. Brooks’s array of "gay" jests about Roger De Bris, Carmen Ghia, and their entourage are less about mocking the gay community and more about critiquing the very nature of gay jokes. The image of a black accountant singing in a manner reminiscent of a slave does not perpetuate a racial stereotype but rather highlights its absurdity. Moreover, the portrayal of Ulla as a simplistic sex symbol unravels when she performs "When You’ve Got It, Flaunt It," revealing her self-awareness and mastery over her destiny. Brooks’s stereotypes are palatable because they are employed not out of ignorance but to jolt audiences accustomed to subtler depictions, encouraging them to engage in critical reflection.

Media Adaptations

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• When The Producers first graced the silver screen in 1968, it met with only lukewarm reception. However, over the years, this cinematic tale has blossomed into a beloved cult sensation. With Zero Mostel breathing life into Bialystock and Gene Wilder embodying Bloom, the film has etched itself into history. Fans can now treasure it anew with a special edition DVD brought to you by MGM/UA.

• The electrifying essence of The Producers lives on its Broadway stage, immortalized in the original cast album. Recorded in 2001, this vibrant collection features the talents of Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Brad Oscar, and Cady Huffmann. Sony Classical proudly offers this auditory gem for all to enjoy.

Recording ‘‘The Producers’’: A Musical Romp with Mel Brooks captures the magic behind the scenes as the Broadway cast album comes to life. This engaging DVD documentary, released by Sony Classical in 2001, invites viewers into the studio where the legendary Brooks and the original ensemble shape their unforgettable soundscape.

Bibliography and Further Reading

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SOURCES

Brantley, Ben, ‘‘A Scam That’ll Knock ’Em Dead,’’ in the New York Times, April 20, 2001, Sec. E, Pt. 1, Col. 1, p. 1. Brooks, Mel, and Tom Meehan, The Producers, Hyperion, 2001, p. 24.

Seavor, Jim, ‘‘At Large—Tasteless Is Transformed by a True Sense of Glee,’’ in Providence Journal-Bulletin, September 30, 2001, Arts Sec., p. J-01.

Weiss, Hedy, Review of The Producers, in the Chicago Sun- Times, February 19, 2001, Features Section, p. 37.

FURTHER READING

Flinn, Denny Martin, Musical! A Grand Tour, Schirmer Books, 1997. Examining the history and different styles of stage musicals, Flinn ends his survey with the 1995–96 season, in despair that the era of Broadway musicals was over (a situation that The Producers was instrumental in changing).

Hofler, Robert, ‘‘Broadway Tuner Has the Reich Stuff,’’ in Variety, April 16, 2001, p. 1. Hofler’s article, from the show-business trade paper Variety, examines the coming sensation of The Producers weeks before it even reached Broadway.

Holtzman, William, Seesaw: A Dual Biography of Anne Bancroft and Mel Brooks, Doubleday, 1979. Not much has been written at length about Brooks’s life, but this book, covering his early years with his wife, gives a good sense of the private man.

Jones, John Bush, Our Musicals, Ourselves: A Social History of the American Musical Theatre, Brandeis University Press, 2003. This book is exhaustive in its understanding of the ways in which musical theater reflects society.

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