The Producers by Mel Brooks
Woodstock’s Town Hall Theatre
Oct 12, 13, 19, 20 – 7:30 pm
Oct 21 – 2pm
Adults: $26
Students: $18
The former king of Broadway producers, Max Bialystock, is hungry to strike it rich one last time when his meek but Broadway-ambitious accountant, Leo Bloom, discovers that intentionally producing a Broadway flop could be a great get-rich-quick scheme! As Bailystock and Bloom, they seek out the worst show, worst director, and worst actors while overselling to investors. When Springtime for Hitler opens as a hilarious over-the-top gay romp and a smashing success, their scheme unravels and Max and Leo find they are definitely “in too deep.” The Producers received the most Tony Awards in the history of theater and is considered to be one of the funniest shows ever written.
Our Cast:
Abbie Levison, Alexis Taylor-Young, Alison Johannensen, Andy Carpenter, Angelika Zhu, Anya Traudt, Bill McCollum, Cathy Kwiecinski, Christian Coffman, Claes Mattsson, Gabrielle Confer, Laurie Marshall, Larry Fuller, Lia Hammond, Linea Kay, Max Comins, Marlena Farinas, Matt Spittle, Paul Belaski, Peter Mendes, Oceane Charon, Omega Haehnel, Sara Norcross, Shoshanna Geller, Sierra Bystrak, Suzy Malerich, Thaddeus Buttrey
Our Production Team:
Director: Tom Beck
Music Director: Carol Cronce
Choreographer: Claire Shillen
Stage Manager: Mairin Keleher
Costume Design: Holly Levison
Set and Prop Design: Murray Ngoima
Props Manager and ASM: Yael Taylor
Producer: Linda Treash
Tickets are being sold through Pentangle Arts. Follow the ticket link or call 457-3981.
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BarnArts Ventures into New Territory with The Producers
BARNARD, Sept 10, 2018 – BarnArts Center for the Arts enters new territory as it stages Mel Brooks’ The Producers Oct 12-21 with a cast of 27 performers selected from all local talent. This will be BarnArts first large scale musical produced on the stage of Woodstock’s Town Hall Theatre.
The Producers is considered among the funniest musicals every written, and it received more Tony Awards than any other musical in theater history – twelve total including Best Musical and Best Original Score! The musical premiered in 2001 on Broadway staring Nathan Lane and Mathew Broderick, and was followed in 2005 by a movie version with much the same cast. The musical was adapted by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan from the original Mel Brooks creation, a 1967 movie starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder.
In BarnArts production, Woodstock resident Max Comins plays Max Bialystock, the former king of Broadway producers who is hungry to strike it rich one last time. His meek but Broadway-ambitious accountant, Leo Bloom is played by Christian Coffman of West Lebanon. Together Bailystock and Bloom come up with a get-rich-quick scheme of overselling to investors while producing a sure flop. Their plan unravels as the scheduled flop “Springtime for Hitler” becomes a smashing success as a hilarious over-the-top gay romp.
Max Comin starred as Harold Hill in The Music Man, Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, and Lt. Cable in South Pacific, all on the Pentangle Stage, and has been performing locally since he moved to South Woodstock, in 1985, to own, rebuild and manage the Kedron Valley Inn. He created the role of Tony Valentine in the very first production of The Juju Bead Heist written by Charles Egbert.
Christian Coffman recently acted in BarnArts production of It Can’t Happen Here. He has been acting on and off for the past 8 years, including his years as a student at Colby-Sawyer College. He played Colonel Melkett in Black Comedy and Robert Latrice in Ducks and Lovers. This will be his first musical.
Gabrielle Confer plays Ulla, the Swedish bombshell who joins Ballistock and Bloom as a secretary and also as the female lead in “Springtime for Hitler.” Confer graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2017 with her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. In New York City, she performed for The Ride NYC and participated in Mark Morris Dance Group’s work/study program. Most recently, she played Bambi in NCCT’s production of Curtains.
Thaddeus Buttrey plays Roger De Bris, the gay director who hilariously takes over as Hitler after “break a leg” becomes literal on opening night. He is a recent graduate of Kalamazoo College, where he studied Theatre, Music, and Media Studies. He has played Dr. Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show, Jean Val Jean in Les Miserables, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, and Caldwell B. Cladwell in Urinetown.
Claes Mattsson, a resident of Bridgewater, plays Franz the German playwright who is attempting to “clear the Fuhrer’s name” through his seriously-intended play. Mattsson has been involved in the local theater scene for the last 6 years, playing Lazzar Wolfe in Fiddler on the Roof, Reuben in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and the Lion in Wizard of Oz, all on the Pentangle Stage.
The remaining cast of The Producers includes Abbie Levison , Alexis Taylor-Young, Allison Johannenson, Andy Carpenter, Angelika Zhu, Anya Traudt, Bill McCollum, Cathy Kwiecinski, Laurie Marshall, Larry Fuller, Lia Hammond, Linea Kay, Marlena Farinas, Matt Spittle, Paul Baleski, Peter Mendes, Oceane Charon, Omega Haehnel, Sara Norcross, Shoshanna Geller, Sierra Bystrak, and Suzy Malerich.
The Producers creative team of director Tom Beck, musical director Carol Cronce and choreographer Claire Shillen have been working together for four years on BarnArts Summer Youth Theater and individually have much large stage musical experience, including with Pentangle (Beck and Shillen), NCCT (Beck, Cronce & Shillen) and Trumble Hall Troupe (Cronce).
Performances are on Fridays & Saturdays, Oct 12 &13 and 19 & 20 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday Oct 21 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $26 adults and $18 students and are being sold through Pentangle Arts, 457-3981, or can be linked to through barnarts.org. For more info contact BarnArts at 234-1645 or visit the BarnArts website or facebook page.