The Producers rocks SoCal

This is a must see play. The only people who should not go and watch this uproariously funny Canyon Theatre Guild production of the Mel Brooks’ classic, the Producers, would be those who recently had surgery and still have stitches. Such people will break them with uncontrollable laughter and for only those folks that will lead to pain. For everyone else it will be a wee bit over two of the funniest hours in their lives.

The story centers on the life of Max Bialystock played magnificently by Joe Miele, a younger and taller west coast version of Joel Grey. Max is a burned out has been of a Broadway producer down on his luck and looking for a solution to his financial woes with no regard for ethics. His solution comes from an unwitting young accountant, Leopold Bloom played with panache by David Kenny. Leo casually observes that one can make a great deal of money from a theatrical flop. This gets the con man in Max excited and soon a plot is hatched where Max and his new still green partner Leo set about to make the worst play ever to hit Broadway.

After a tireless search Max and Leo find the worst script ever written, “Springtime for Hilter” and the story unfolds. Along the way the audience is treated to hilarious, belly splitting humor with a total disregard for any propriety. The outrageously sexy aspiring actress Ulla, played by the abundantly talented actress Carole Catanzaro adds another sub plot that only heightens the hilarity as every man learns why 11 o’clock is a very special time of day never again to be ignored.

In the end Max and Leo face a monstrous calamity when the play disastrously becomes a huge success despite their best efforts to sabotage it. Having oversold the project by 1000% their only hope was to have a gigantic failure. Indeed for these two coconspirators failure was their only option. But, of course, the play can not and does not end there.

The entire production just runs amuck with comedy. A few unforgettable tidbits include the spectacle of a very gay Adolph Hitler, a parody on the Village People, a bizarre allusion to Ray Charles and a nicely choreographed piece with a bunch of old ladies with walkers or as I immediately thought of them, the Burbank marching band. But at the outer edges of hilariously weird is a character played by an actor that is an ethnically ambiguous man wearing little more than a colorful satin version of a Depends and pasties. Oh yeah, and dread locks.

True the run away star of the show was Joe Miele as Max but he is ably supported by a large and clearly gifted cast with a generous display of singing and dancing skills to keep the show lively and fun. Every single cast member plays a valuable role and in fact often many valuable roles through out the performance. Directing credit goes to Leslie Berra and a huge support and technical staff each of whom makes a significant contribution to the run away success of this production. In the end all I can say is that this Canyon Theatre Guild production of the Mel Brooks’ classic, The Producers is exhilarating, deeply entertaining, and outrageous and belly splitting hilarious, so go and see it now.

The Producers runs from now through July 3, 2010 at the Canyon Theatre Guild playhouse, 24242 Main Street, Old Town Newhall, California. Show times and ticket information can be had by visiting their website at www.canyontheatre.org or by calling them at 661-799-2702.

You may contact Ron Irwin by email to: burbankstars@gmail.com

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