“Just getting to know the people, getting to see how much work is being put under the construction of this production … that’s really beautiful to see.”īrito, Randall and Hatley all expressed their admiration for the team of volunteers that helped make the production a reality. “It’s really nice to be able to see a theatre outside of Harper Joy because it’s all the experience with, like, theatre I have,” Brito said. Whitman junior Lud de Brito, who has worked with Harper Joy Theatre on many previous occasions as an actress and assistant stage manager, worked with the Little Theatre for the first time for “The Producers,” working on graphics for the play’s projection system. ” Ulla dancing during her “Audition.” Ulla played by Elena Janis, Leo Bloom played by Isaiah Stodola Photo by John Anthony. “The interaction of the crowd is just more powerful because you get that response back … you just kind of get that constant energy throughout the show, which I think makes it a little more gratifying. “Musical theatre’s always my favorite,” Randall said. That said, Randall, who also works at the Whitman College bookstore, was eager to portray the role, being a fan of the 2005 film and a singer since childhood. “The character itself has an immense amount of lines, and a tremendous amount of music … the challenge is definitely just the content, and the amount of it.” “I would say this one was more stressful for me,” Randall said. Robert Randall, who portrays Max Bialystock, moved into the spotlight once again after having directed a number of recent productions, including November’s “Noises Off.” The play was also an interesting experience for its cast and crew, many of whom took on roles different from what they were accustomed to. Probably about half our scenes are with projection, so we move from one space to the other as smoothly and as quickly as possible.” “Everything comes off the stage, everything goes on the stage, all of the major setpieces except for furniture are on wheels and rotate and roll in, roll out. “I believe in cinematic theatre,” Hatley said. (Left to right) Daniel Rose, Alex Leeper, Abigail Wissink, Chanel Finnie, Robert Randall, Stacie Trego, Marieke Hess, Daegan Acevedo, Rande Moss, Olivia Courser, Shannon Pierce. Hatley explained some of the solutions to the play’s complicated nature. However, “The Producers” is not an easy play to transfer from Broadway to community theatre, with many complicated scene transitions and set changes as the story progresses from Leo’s office, to a rooftop, to a stage-within-a-stage. “I’ve just been delighted, it’s just a dream come true to be able to do this particular musical.” “It’s one of my favorite musicals, I love Mel Brooks I’m not sure if there’s anything better than a Mel Brooks musical,” Hatley said. The irreverence and outrageous humor of the play was a major attraction for the Little Theatre production’s director, Brian Hatley. The musical was later adapted into a 2005 film, which starred the Broadway show’s two leads, Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick. Trouble arises, however, when the play becomes a hit, the audience having mistaken it for a satire. The result is “Springtime for Hitler,” a poor-taste celebration of Nazis. The play details the misadventures of Leo Bloom, a sheepish accountant and Max Bialystock, a struggling Broadway producer, who devise a scheme to make money off a flop production by producing the worst play in history for a sum they can’t hope to make back. 11.īased on the Oscar-winning 1968 film of the same name, “The Producers,” adapted for the stage by the film’s writer/director Mel Brooks, originally opened on Broadway in 2001 and won 12 Tony Awards, a record it still holds. It may be a musical about the worst musical ever produced, but the cast and crew of “The Producers” were all too excited to join the Little Theatre’s production of the famous Broadway show.
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