Shearsmith and English in The Producers
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Brooks’ Producers Posts New Year Closing Notice

As previously tipped (See The Goss, 2 Jun 2006), The Producers will close at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 6 January 2007, making way for the epic stage adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s trilogy The Lord of the Rings, when it transfers to the West End from Toronto (See Today’s Other News).

Mel Brooks’ multi award-winning musical comedy opened in London on 9 November 2004 (previews from 22 October) after its long-running success on Broadway. Based on Brooks' 1968 Oscar-winning film and set in New York in 1959, the plot revolves around washed-up theatre producer Max Bialystock who, with his timid accountant Leo Bloom, cooks up a scheme to make a fortune by presenting a sure-fire flop called "Springtime for Hitler". Corey Englishand The League of Gentlemen’s Reece Shearsmith currently star as Max and Leo (See News, 26 Jan 2006).

Since opening in the West End, The Producers’ many accolades include last year’s sweep of the Best Musical/New Musical at the Olivier, the Evening Standard, the Whatsonstage.com and the Critics’ Circle Awards. The production recouped its £5,500,000 capitalisation in record-breaking time.

On Broadway, The Producers opened in March 2001, starring Nathan Lane (who recreated his role as Max for the London opening) and Matthew Broderick and winning an unprecedented 12 Tony Awards. It has music and lyrics by Brooks, with a book by Brooks and Thomas Meehan, and is directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman with design by Robin Wagner.

- by Caroline Ansdell

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