New Bern Civic Theatre putting on version of one of best comedy movies ever made
The original movie in 1967 was a huge flop. Then out of nowhere, it gains traction and became a cult classic, described as one of the best comedy movies ever made. Now, you can see it performed in downtown New Bern.
The New Bern Civic Theatre is putting on its own version of the 1960s classic "The Producers." A hilarious satire of the business side of Hollywood, "The Producers" is one of director Mel Brooks' finest, as well as funniest films, featuring standout performances by Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel.
Opening on Nov. 4, NBCT said in a newsletter the show was a hit and if you need a good laugh, you won't want to miss this one.
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Picture this: a lusty gaggle of elderly women, a sultry Swedish secretary and tap-dancing Nazis. Directed by Keith Boyd, a real estate appraiser by trade and long-time NBCT volunteer, Boyd explained in a press release the idea to perform the movie began in 2019.
Like many projects and passions, COVID-19 reared its ugly head, the release stated. The show was originally slated for November 2020. The theater closed for several months and then opened up to limited seating with social distancing before completely opening late last year.
Boyd said he had a vision of a completely packed theater and he knows this show has the potential to sell out every performance.
“I am a firm believer of ‘right place at the right time,’” Boyd said. “We are doing the show at the right time with the right people. I can’t imagine what the show would've been in 2019, but no one will believe what it could be in 2022.”
Boyd has been a regular volunteer with the NBCT since 2006 and said this show has one of the largest casts he has ever worked with, featuring almost 40 people.
“This show has a lot of dimensions in terms of characters, dancers, and locations that we are trying to convey on our humble stage,” he said.
“The Producers” debuted on Broadway in 2001 and won a record-breaking 12 Tony Awards. It was later adapted into a movie in 2005 featuring much of the original Broadway cast, including Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick.
Two fraudsters attempt to manufacture a guaranteed theatrical flop by greenlighting the most offensive show they could get their greedy hands on: a light-hearted musical glorifying Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. It has to fail. But will it?
“It’s one of the funniest shows and movies ever made,” Boyd said. “Sincerely, I watch the original movie like five times a year.”
Broadway and Local Angles
The cast was given an intimate look into the show by an original Broadway cast member last month.
Eric Gunhus visited his parents in New Bern on Oct. 5 and took time out of his busy schedule to advise the local cast.
Gunhus was in "The Producers" on Broadway, most notably the lead stormtrooper in the provocative number “Springtime for Hitler.”
Gunhus, who personally worked with Brooks, said the Jewish director wrote the movies and show to use comedy as a weapon against fascism and Nazism.
“Hitler was a brilliant orator,” Gunhus said. “You couldn’t go head-to-head with Hitler and win. The only way to beat Hitler was to reduce him to a joke. You make him a clown, and then you’ve won. And that’s why he wrote Producers.”
Aaron Davenport is a New Bern native who plays Max Bialystock, one of the show’s main characters. Davenport is a musician and songwriter, as well as a repairman and he is no stranger to community theater. He said there’s something special about this show in particular.
“Everybody seems goal-oriented and everybody is moving at 100 mph just putting in their work,” Davenport said. “My biggest regret about this is that I won’t be able to see it from the audience.”
"The Producers" runs on weekends from Nov. 4-19. Tickets are on sale now at newberncivictheatre.org, or they can be purchased at the box office at 414 Pollock St. Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Sun Journal: New Bern Civic Theater's 'The Producers' currently playing downtown
