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Lane, Broderick's "Producers" Encore?
Could it be springtime again for fans of The Producers?
Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick are in talks to reprise the roles they made famous, Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom, respectively, in the Broadway production of Mel Brooks' Tony-winning smash musical.
"The discussions are ongoing. No deals have been signed and no dates have been set," a rep for the show confirms.
The producers of The Producers would certainly be glad to have the original stars back, given that the production's box-office fortunes have declined since the stars departed and were replaced by lesser-known actors.
Should Lane and Broderick agree to an encore, word along the Great White Way has the duo beginning a three-month run most likely on New Year's Eve.
Such a return engagement would also be good timing because ticket sales are usually sluggish from January to March due to the winter weather. Having Lane and Broderick on the marquee would virtually guarantee sell-outs by recreating the on-stage chemistry that helped the show wow reviewers and audiences and set a Tony record by winning 12 trophies.
To give an idea on the kind of impact Lane and Broderick had, The Producers's weekly gross after its opening in April 2001 regularly surpassed $1 million a week--even after producers raised the ceiling on ticket prices from $100 a pop to upwards of $480 for "inner-circle" VIP seats. (The jacked-up price was to help counter scalpers.)
But once the two stars moved on to film and TV projects a year later, the show lost a little of its blockbuster luster--just last week, The Producers was playing to roughly 85 percent capacity, pulling in roughly $925,000 at the box office.
Much of its drop in attendance had to do with a couple of missteps in the casting department. Initially replacing the irrepressible Lane--who beat out Broderick for a Best Actor-Musical Tony Award--was Henry Goodman, a well-respected British actor.
His less antic take on Bialystock opposite ex-Wings star Steven Webber (who, critics said, just barely passed muster himself as the hapless accountant Bloom) wasn't to Brooks and choreographer Susan Stroman's liking. Goodman eventually got the hook and was replaced by Lane's understudy, Brad Oscar, who was a big improvement in the zinger department, but still no Lane.
Brooks, meanwhile, went on to do a Los Angeles run of The Producers with A-listers Jason Alexander and Martin Short in the lead roles, leaving the Broadway production to fend with Lewis Stadlen as Bialystock and Don Stephenson as Bloom.
A premature report in Wednesday's New York Post that claimed the Lane-Broderick reunion was a done deal sent scads of would-be ticket buyers to the St. James Theater box office in the morning.
But to their chagrin, tickets for The Producers are only on sale up through December 28, and the throng quickly dispersed.
"The Producers always sold tickets in three-month blocks, so when and if a deal is reached, that will most likely coincide with the on-sale ticket dates," the show rep explains.
There is a potential hitch. Lane had been set to star in a Boston staging of the comedy Butley, which is slated to run at the Huntington Theater from January 2 though February 1, 2004, according to the theater's Website. According to reports, Lane's participation in that production is now up in the air, with final decision expected in the coming days.
But if all goes according to plan, a decision regarding Lane and Broderick and the on-sale date for tickets will be announced within the next few weeks.
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