The Producers
by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan
Directed by Ashleigh Barbeau and Riley Lucas
Music Direction by Jim Martinez
Vision Statement
Our vision can be summed up by this simple phrase: “Keep it happy, keep it snappy, keep it gay!” Just kidding… sort of. With everything going on in the world, we think Corvallis needs a chance to sit back and LAUGH! Comedy is one of our biggest passions. By directing "The Producers," we hope to entertain, of course, but also spark important conversations about history, tolerance, and the power of comedy to challenge prejudices. If people are laughing, people are listening.
Casting: We’re looking to cast around 30 people. We are committed to gender inclusion and open to gender-blind casting. We welcome and encourage actors of any gender presentation to audition for any role. While we are unable to change any pronouns in the script, we believe that talent and passion for the role are what truly matters in regards to casting. Along with the leads and supporting roles, there are several featured roles in this show that allow ensemble members to have speaking lines, solos, or duets – roles like Bialystock’s hoard of old ladies, ushers/usherettes of the theater, Roger’s entourage of flamboyant stage crew, our dashing solo Stormtrooper, etc. This show has a robust ensemble with a ton to do! In addition, all choreography can be adjusted to any mobility requirements.
Okay, let’s talk about the elephant in the room: The “flop” musical put on by Bialystock and Bloom: “Springtime for H*tler,” and its playwright, supporting character Franz Liebkind. We’re very mindful of the sensitive nature of this subject. Mel Brooks uses satire to highlight the stupidity of the Nazi party — to ridicule and diminish the power of hateful ideologies by turning them into dancing buffoons. Our goal is to show how ridiculous bigotry is. This production will be handled with care and sensitivity. We are more than happy to have open dialog with anybody who expresses concerns before or during the process, and encourage audiences to come in with an open mind. We hope to create a space for conversation about tolerance and the importance of learning from history, all while respecting the satirical spirit of the play. In costuming the Nazi characters, we plan to go the Charlie Chaplin route – no actual Nazi symbols, just look-alikes like black X’s on a red armband or something similar.
“The Producers” is a visual spectacle, so creativity, versatility, and collaboration is key. Our vision for the set is to utilize previously built set pieces to be fashioned into rotating flats. We will also have the orchestra on stage, possibly in a “sky pit”. This not only allows for efficient sound balancing, it also adds a layer of visual interest.
This beloved classic is a raucous comedy with a heart. As we saw with Spamalot, Corvallis audiences love to laugh. “The Producers” promises a night of entertainment, hilarious satire, dazzling musical numbers, and some good ol’ raunchy fun.