A Producers Two-Fer

Well it's two for the price of one today with both the 2005 film of Mel Brook's The Producers and a documentary about the recording of the cast album for the stage show in 2001. Both DVDs arrived in my mailbox on the same day and it seemed logical to pair them in an entry.

The documentary taped during the recording of the cast album is mostly delightful. Perhaps I got a bit tired of Mel Brooks during it, but it's really his story to tell, so one must be forgiving. He's earned at least that much. I was struck by how intensely everyone was concentrating during the process. There was little hardy-har-haring, even from notorious Nathan Lane. I supposed the cost of producing an album and the pressure of getting it done in one day doesn't allow for much down time. We really only see the takes that are the final ones, I suspect, and that was a bit annoying, too. I wanted to see at least one big caflooey moment, assuming there was one.

The film version was made almost four years later and the first thing that I noticed was how much Nathan Lane's voice had aged, or more accurately how much his voice had worn out. Watching the process of recording the cast album made me appreciate the strain he was placing on his voice; by the time he's gotten to the film, the strain of eight shows a week for however long he performed the role shows--or rather sounds.

The film does not really capture the inspired lunacy of this show. And while Uma Thurman and Will Ferrell don't embarrass themselves totally by taking on the roles of Ula and Franz Liebkind, having just watched the recording session with Cady Huffman and Brad Oscar, it's difficult not to feel slightly on their behalf.

I still kick myself for not trying to see the out-of-town tryout for The Producers, which happened in Chicago. I rarely get swept into the latest zeitgeist of shows, or movies, or whatever, so I usually miss a lot. But this was ol' fashioned musical comedy at it's most inspired.

I'm too much of an old bitty. Hence my love of John Raitt and Alfred Drake. Perhaps I should move to Little Old Lady Land.

The Producers: The Movie Musical
Recording The Producers: A Musical Romp with Mel Brooks
Music and Lyrics by Mel Brooks
Book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan
Directed on the stage and on film by Susan Stroman
Cast in both film and album: Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Gary Beach, Roger Bart
Additional film cast: Uma Thurman, Will Ferrell
Additional album cast: Cady Huffman, Brad Oscar

Music Man 2003 television production on DVD

If my goal for this Year is to see if I can be re-inspired by musical theater, then Music Man should be the perfect show to set my juices running again. And for the most part this 2003 television production works its magic on me. The production is well-filmed with high production values and manages to retain the presentational style of a stage production without being trapped by static camera positions.

I've never seen this show live and I need to, because I think that a lot of the charm of Harold Hill needs to work its way across the footlights. Matthew Broderick is good, but doesn't quite capture the somewhat slimy side of the character for me. Hill needs a bit of the sexy scoundrel. Or maybe that's just what would work on this sadder by wiser girl.

Kristin Chenoweth makes her third appearance in my Year (which is only six weeks old). Sorry, I'm trying to vary composer and lyricist teams and eras of the productions as much as I can, but am sometimes stymied by what I have, what's available, and what's delivered to me by Netflix.

Anyway, Marian is oddly dressed to me. Is that a dig, that my comment about Ms. Chenoweth's performance refers to her costumes, which she probably had little to do with other than wearing? Marian's costumes are very ornate with lots of dangley things and metal pieces and a large variety of patterns in single garments. Has Marian succeeded so well at holding her dreams at bay, only to let her wild side show in her clothing?

Music Man
Music, lyrics and book by Meredith Willson
2003 Television production by the Walt Disney Company
Cast: Matthew Broderick, Kristin Chenowith, Molly Shannon, Debra Monk, Victor Garber