Broadway’s Smash Hit Musical Comedy “The Producers” Coming to Mercury Theater Chicago

    Chi, IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

The Producers” 

Book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan, Music and Lyrics by Mel Brooks Directed by L. Walter Stearns April 14 –- June 26  

Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N. Southport Avenue, presents the award winning musical comedy sensation The Producers, from April 14 to June 26, 2016.  It is truly a “boffo” hit, winning a record twelve Tony Awards and wowing capacity crowds night after night. The production will be led by Jeff-Award winners L. Walter Stearns (Director), Eugene Dizon (Musical Director), and Brigitte Ditmars (Choreography).   

Matt Crowle (Leo Bloom), Allison Sill (Ulla) and Bill Larkin (Max Bialystock) in The Producers at Mercury Theater Chicago.   The Producers opens April 14 and continues through June 26.  

© Mercury Theater Chicago, photo by Time Stops Photography

A down-on-his-luck Broadway producer and his mild-mannered accountant come up with a scheme to produce the most notorious flop in history thereby bilking their backers (all “little old ladies”) out of millions of dollars. Only one thing goes awry: the show is a smash hit!  At the core of the insanely funny adventure is the surprising journey of two very different men who become friends. The Producers skewer Broadway traditions and takes no prisoners as it proudly proclaims itself an “equal opportunity offender!”   

The Mel Brooks musical comedy The Producers was first staged in Chicago in 2000 and later opened on Broadway in 2001 to rave reviews.  It is the recipient of the most Tony Awards in Broadway history (12, including Best Musical).  Hailed as one of, if not the funniest Broadway musicals of all time, The Producers spoofs the big, old-fashioned Broadway musical while paying tribute to it at the same time.  The Producers features a riotous mix of eccentric characters and show-stopping songs including “I Wanna Be a Producer,” “When You Got It, Flaunt It,” “Prisoners of Love” and of course “Springtime for Hitler”. 

Written by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan, with music and lyrics by Mel Brooks, The Producers features Jeff-Award winning comedians Bill Larkin as Max Bialystock and Matt Crowle as Leo Bloom with Mel Brooks favorite Allison Sill as the leading lady Ulla.  Rounding out the cast for this hilarious romp will be Harter Clingman (Franz Liebkind), Jason Richards (Roger De Bris), Sawyer Smith (Carmen Ghia) with Joe Capstick, Brian Elliott, Dan Gold, Katie Hunter, Leah Morrow, Melissa Reinertson, Steven Spanopoulos, Ryan Stajmiger, Stephanie Wohar and Tyler Austin Wright. The scenic design is by Jeffrey D. Kimec with costume design by Frances Maggio, lighting design by Nick Belley and sound design by Mike Ross. The production stage manager is Kristi J. Martens with assistance by Daniel J. Hanson.  

The beautifully renovated Mercury Theater Chicago is an intimate jewel box of a theater in the heart of the Southport Corridor, a sophisticated neighborhood of restaurants and boutiques just steps from Wrigley Field. A delightful theater destination, Mercury Theater Chicago takes care of its guests from the moment they arrive with valet service and dining at its adjoining new restaurant Grassroots, neighborhood eatery featuring simple, yet delicious farm to table comfort food, in a warm, inviting atmosphere.   

The performance schedule for The Producers is Wednesdays at 8pm, Thursdays at 3pm and 8pm, Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 3pm and 8pm and Sundays at 3pm.  

Individual tickets range from $30-$65, and are available online at www.MercuryTheaterChicago.com, over the phone at 773.325.1700, or in person at 3745 N. Southport Avenue, Chicago.  

NightBlue Theatre Gets Ambitious with a Kickstarter Campaign and THREE Openings

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we support high quality Chi, IL theatre of all shapes and sizes and we love to review everything from big budget Broadway extravaganzas down to scrappy store front productions. We've enjoyed the high quality, award winning productions NightBlue has mounted in past seasons so we're happy to spread the word about the Kickstarter and their ambitious, exciting plans for 2015/16. Help out if you can, and come out to support Chicago's incomparable live theatre scene. 

HELP OUT: 

NightBlue is looking to raise $8000 through its kickstarter campaign ($4000 for costumes/ $4000 for lights) by August 31.  Any amount you donate is greatly appreciated and will go directly to offset additional spending in both of these areas. Click here to check out their main site for details on Kickstarter donating, purchasing tickets, and full show details.

     

NightBlue is an Illinois 501(c)(3) organization.  As such, your contribution may be deductible up to the full amount. NightBlue Performing Arts Company is a Jeff nominated theater company entering its 9th season in Chicago.  In that short time, we have gained a reputation for doing great productions of big shows in small spaces.  And this fall is no exception, as NightBlue becomes the first non-equity company in over 5 years to take on two full length musicals in repertory. In keeping with our tradition these are no small shows.  The shows are Mel Brooks' The Producers, and

Blake Edwards,Victor/Victoria!  

These shows are a mammoth undertaking, but NightBlue really wants them to shine!  To do that, for the first time, NightBlue is undertaking a kickstarter campaign to help fund some of the costs for the spectacular costuming and lighting needed for these productions.  Its a huge step for us, as we have never come to you, our theater patrons and supporters and asked to help fund a piece of a show, but we need your help to help put the polish on these great pieces!

OPENING:

Mel Brooks' The Producers - Max Bialystock, the one­time king of Broadway producers hungry to strike it rich, and Leo Bloom, an accountant with dreams of someday becoming a theatre producer, discover that they could get richer by producing a flop than a hit and start by finding the worst show, worst director, and worst actors. When their new production, “Springtime for Hitler,” turns out to be a smash success, the plan is thrown off and the partners’ lives are thrown into chaos.

VICTOR/VICTORIA - A down-on-her-luck singer is convinced by a gay impresario to masquerade as a female impersonator, becoming a huge success in Paris nightclubs and attracting the attentions of a Chicago gangster, in the musical version of the 1982 film.

SAVE THE DATES:

Coming Spring of 2016