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Eric Eichenberger (left), Erin Henderson and Jeff Jenkins in The Producers.
Photo courtesy SLT
Until last Sunday, my only experience with The Producers had been the movie that came out a few years ago, which left me somewhat flat and wondering whawt all the hubbub was about. Yes, it was much the same cast—with a few notable, controversial exceptions (I’m looking at you, Will Farrell and Uma Thurman)—as the smash Broadway production, but it lacked a certain pizzaz on the silver screen. Even I could tell that much.
Good news for Springfield theater fans: Springfield Little Theatre’s rendition of The Producers has pizzaz and then some. Artistic director Beth Domann (who also directs the show) couldn’t have picked a better musical to kick off SLT’s 75th season. It’s a “name” show that features local stage “names”, it’s true. But even more than that it’s a celebration of everything that’s right about theater—and with SLT’s ongoing ramping up of its annual fare.
Make no mistake: The Producers is solid PG-13 comedy. No one uses the F-word, but most of the other swears make an appearance at some point, as well as a couple of well-timed middle fingers. It’s raunchy without being crude, though, and the actors are all professional enough to toe the line.
And who are the actors? Most notably, Jeff Jenkins (playing Max Bialystock) and Eric Eichenberger (Leo Bloom) in the title roles. Jenkins you know, and anyone who knows Jeff Jenkins knows this is a role he was born to play. He is both more masculine and more suspicious than Nathan Lane—who played Max on Broadway and in the film; both are good qualities in the role. While I won’t say Jenkins is better than Lane, I certainly can’t imagine anyone else locally playing Max. And who knew he was such a singer? At one point Jenkins's voice began to break on the last note of “Betrayed", a solo toward the end that reprises literally the entire musical. Instead of crapping out, Jenkins dropped his voice instead into an angry growl and finished the song with gusto.
The cast of The Producers |
Eichenberger plays Leo Bloom, the straight man to Max's (old)womanizer. He is nothing short of a revelation. Eichenberger is a music teacher in Joplin with a deep acting resume, though he doesn’t appear in Springfield all that often. He’s funny, his timing is spot on, he’s likeable… and the voice. Eichenberger could play this role in pretty much any city he chose.
The supporting cast fills the stage with energy. The main characters are played by Jimmy Wilson (Franz—a nearly incomprehensible post-WWII Nazi who is one part Himmler and one part Augustus Gloop) , Erin Henderson (Ula—Swedish-accented actor/assistant Ula with legs juuuuust…. abouuuuuuut….. to therrrrrrrrrrrrre) and the indispensible Mark Gideon, who plays flamboyant director-cum-singing-Hilter Roger DeBris. Gideon gets the biggest laughs at the show’s climax (“Heil MYSELF!”) and earns them.
Particular props go to the show’s supporting staff. SLT choreographer Lorianne Dunn is a marvel. She managed to take a cast that isn’t enormous and make it seem Broadway-size through use of constant motion. There’s not a single scene where dancing old ladies (spare a sec to watch Stephanie Judkins, who plays the old lady in the front center during the jury scene… seriously), morose accountants or schnitzel-adorned showgirls (those costumes, wowowweewow!) aren’t doing some complicated dance or another. My favorite number: “Keep it Gay.” I won’t ruin it by describing it… just be sure you aren’t in the bathroom for this one.
INDIAN IN LOINCLOTH!
[Excuse me!]
Finally, the set. SLT insiders tell us they’ve never used so much of Landers’ rigging or flyers. It’s certainly a full house. Sets are designed on the backs of sets, and Domann uses asides—sometimes simply closing the curtains behind one conversation or another—to get set changes done while the action continues. Quite brilliant.
The set did present the only problem I saw during my particular show (on the Sunday afternoon of opening weekend… go at night if you don’t want to be with the retirement home groups; “Keep it Gay” will get bigger laughs in prime time). There were a couple of moments when I was just sure the faux-theater backdrop was going to fall forward, and there was a curiously locked door of central importance to the plot (taken care of with some deft ad libbing by Jenkins). Yet, all things considered, with that many moving parts a little extra motion, or lack of motion, as it were, is probably to be expected.
See The Producers, if you can still get a ticket. It will delight you, it might offend you, it will certainly have you talking and laughing. With this kind of start for Landers Theatre’s 100th birthday, I feel confident it can stand for 100 more.
The Producers is performed at 7:30 p.m. Thursday–Saturday, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, now through October 11. Tickets are $15-$25. Go to springfieldlittletheatre.org for more.
Matt Lemmon, editor
Posted on Friday, October 2, 2009 | Permalink
