Some readers emailed that they really enjoyed the You Tube here a few weeks ago that showed a key show-stopper from Mel Brooks’ Musical “The Producers” and asked for another.
So here is a key scene: where producer Max (Nathan Lane) seeks to sign up the very worst director to direct the pro-Hitler play “Springtime for Hitler” to ensure that it’ll flop. He goes to infamous director Roger Debris, played by Tony-winner Gary Beach, has some trouble with him — but finally convinces him. This song was one of the numbers critics most loved. Note an approving Brooks as he watches what they’re doing to his lyrics and music:
NOTE: The film version of this was a bit of a misfire, with the first 15 minutes until the second song filled with grimaces and mis-timed dialogue, but then it emerges as a fun film. Here’s the Amazon link to the Grammy-award-winning original cast album (the one that contains the performance featured above):
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.