The Garland Summer Musicals recently began its 35th season with “The Producers,” one of the funniest and most popular productions to ever grace Broadway. The book was written by legendary comic genius Mel Brooks, along with Thomas Meehan, and was based on a movie Brooks wrote in 1968.
GSM’s production is directed by the extremely talented Michael Serrecchia and produced by Patty Granville. The sets, designed by Rodney Dobbs, are beautiful as is the work of the master carpenter Joseph Murdock. Megan Kelly Bates serves as choreographer. Jeff Crouse is the music director/conductor.
This winner of numerous awards is filled with irreverent humor in which no group is left untouched. The politically incorrect humor about various ethnic, religious and political groups, as well as members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community is too outrageous and over the top to be offensive and provides a constant stream of laughs for the audience.
The show is about has-been Broadway producer Max Bialystock and nerdy accountant Leo Bloom and their effort to make money by producing a Broadway flop. The problem is that no matter how hard they work to make their show, “Springtime for Hitler,” fail, it becomes a smash hit, hailed as a satiric masterpiece.
Some of the sources of humor are quite unlikely, such as a hilarious group of oversexed little old ladies with names like “Lick Me Bite Me and “Hold Me Touch Me.” These ladies are the financial backers of Bialystock’s productions.
The name of the character chosen to direct the flop is Roger DeBris (played by Michael A. Robinson) whose first onstage appearance is in a sparkly evening gown and he later dons a bright red wig. Debris’ “common law assistant” is Carmen Ghia, brilliantly portrayed by Peter Dicesare. The flamboyance of the Carmen Ghia character is hilariously depicted by Dicesare and the character is also involved in a classic “walk this way” bit that the audience loves.
Randy Pearlman and Art Kedzierski are outstanding in their respective roles as Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom. They work well together and their timing is perfect.
Devin Berg’s portrayal of Ulla, the sexy Swedish actress and love interest of Leo Bloom is wonderfully entertaining. Ulla has several memorable lines. Her answer, when asked by a judge if she is really Bloom’s wife, is “He wouldn’t do it unless we got married.” Bloom, wishing her well in the show, tells Ulla about the audience, “Roll ‘em in the aisles.” Her reply is “Okie-
dokie. I will try to. But there’s just so many of them.”
Steven Miller is very funny in the role of ex-Nazi Franz Liebkind, the writer of “Springtime for Hitler.”
There is also a talented ensemble that performs memorable song and dance numbers including a couple of tap routines . A favorite ensemble moment is when they perform as the Little Old Ladies with metal walkers.
The only regret one has upon leaving the theater is not knowing how many great jokes were missed because of the laughter for the joke before it.
Remaining performance dates and times are: June 23-24 at 8 p.m., June 18 and June 25 at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets, priced from $27-33, are available at GarlandArtsBoxOffice.com, 972-205-2790 or in person at the Granville Arts Center Box Office, 300 N. Fifth St. in downtown Garland, open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and two hours before each performance.