“The Producers”
Mercury Theatre
3745 N. Southport Avenue
Chicago, Illinois
Reviewed by Richard Allen Eisenhardt
The Mercury Theatre on Southport Avenue is offering audiences the hilarious Mel Brooks’ musical “The Producers.” It has a book by Brooks and Thomas Meehan with music and lyrics by Brooks, a man who has a lot of chutzpah. The show is being directed by the theatre’s artistic director L. Walter Stearns and choreographed by Brigette Ditmars. The production is under the musical direction of Eugene Dizon.
When the show opened on Broadway it played 2,502 performances and won twelve Tony awards. I never saw the movie on which it is based but I wonder if “Blazing Saddles” will be his next major hit. He did a production of “Young Frankenstein.” Getting back to the “Producers,” Max Bialystock is played by Bill Larkin and Leo Bloom is in the hands of Matt Crowle. Max is a producer who wants to stage a big flop of a show as the IRS is hot for his money. Leo is a stagestruck accountant who joins forces to produce the worst musical ever.
Horter Clingman plays Franz Liekind, the Nazi playwright for the show that turns into a major hit. Jason Richards is the show’s gay director Roger DeBris and you’ll laugh yourself silly with Sawyer Smith as Carmen Gia as she swishes away. The beautiful Allison Sill is Ulla and they found a sexy actress who can sing and dance up a storm and has the body of a Marilyn Monroe. Some of the songs you’ll hear are “Keep it Gay,” “I Wanna Be a Producer,” “King of Old Broadway,” and “Springtime for Hitler.”
When the old ladies in wheelchairs who invest in the show do their number “Along Came Bialy,” you will roll in the aisle with laughter. “The Producers,” runs through June 26th but I have a feeling it will be extended several times. For reservations – show times – show days use their website which is www.mercurytheatrechicago.com or call the box office at 773-325-1700. The show is fast paced at two hours and forty minutes. Tickets are $30 to $65.
-Four Stars-
About eisenchic773
Richard Eisenhardt fell in love with all aspects of show business when at the age of five he was taken to see a live performance of Ice Follies and Ice Capades as well as Ringling Brothers Circus and an Olson and Johnson revue at the Selwyn Theatre.
He served in the military and spent time at Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo. - Ft. Lee, Va. and Korea. In Korea he sang with the Korean Floor Show and was soloist in church. He met President and Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson when he was stationed at Ft. Lee, Va. Sportswise he is an avid hockey fan and to this day belongs to the Standby Club, a booster club for the Chicago Blackhkawks. Richard had season tickets for over twenty years and saw the Chicago team win the Stanley Cup in 1961.
Richard Eisenhardt and Jane PowellHis first major play was "South Pacific" that starred Janet Blair and Richard Eastham at the age of fifteen. His favorite performers are Jane Powell, Mitzi Gaynor and Debbie Reynolds. For years he has had season theatre tickets and was a member of the "Saints." He appeared on stage in "Guys and Dolls" and "The Hot Drunkard." He sang in high school variety shows and at his graduation and was church soloist. He also presented a Jeff Award to Chicago's Regional Theatre. In 1976 he put together his own publication called "Theatre 76" to encourage people to support regional theatre and make them aware of what Chicago Theatres offered them.
During the Viet Nam conflict he went with a group to visit the wounded Viet Nam vets at Great Lakes, Ill., on a weekly basis. When servicemen were able to get weekend passes and their wounds were healed he arranged to take two or three to restaurants, sports events and theatre in Chicago. He also arranged for them to meet hockey players and the stars in the shows. He loves to travel having vacationed in Europe, Canada, Mexico, Hawaii, Japan, as well as on a cruise ship to Bermuda and seeing cities in the United States. He likes being single and resides with his boxer dog "Noel." Over the years he has had seven dogs but not at one time.
He feels a big part of the theatre community even though he doesn't perform any longer. Many of his friends are the Reegers, the Muellers, Renee Matthews, and the list goes on. His reviews have appeared in Streetwise, Our Village Newspaper, and on-line. He has also been on the radio and done TV. Richard says "There is nothing like live theatre. Go see a play - long may it live!"
Chicago Reviews by Eisenhardt 