As Dr. Randy Wheeler prepares to describe Mel Brooks’ “The Producers,” Peach State Summer Theatre Production Stage Manager Cristin Downs announces, “OK, let’s get this monster of a show going.”

With just minutes ticking away to a full dress rehearsal, Wheeler smiles and says, “That’s exactly what this show is. A monster.”

“The Producers” was a monster musical hit on Broadway. It is a live musical adaptation of Mel Brooks’ non-musical 1960s comedy of the same name starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder. The premise is a scam: Two men produce a show designed to fail so they can collect the insurance money. Brooks adapted the Broadway musical version to star Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick. This adaptation became a live phenomenon earlier this decade, and the musical was later re-adapted into a film version of the live show.

Local producers hope “The Producers” will be a monster hit for Peach State, too. Yet, when Downs and Wheeler refer to this show being a monster, for now, they’re referring to its sheer scope.

Some examples:

l “The Producers” features every member of the PSST! cast and crew in a non-stop whirlwind of performance, costume changes, scene changes, and more.

l It’s not unusual for supporting cast members to play several roles as part of a show’s ensemble. Some “Producers” cast members play so many different supporting characters, they need their

fingers and a couple minutes running start to count just how many characters they play in the show.

— This many different characters means plenty of costume and wig changes backstage. One actor has three costume changes during one song, Wheeler says.

— Earlier this week, the cast and crew spent 10 hours rehearsing nothing but scene changes and costume changes. Ten hours so that during the performances, these changes would seem seamless, snap, snap, snap, a smooth-running show in a matter of two and a half hours.

Pacing is one of the many tricks behind “The Producers.” It’s a farce with gigantic production numbers.

“For the most part, ‘The Producers’ is a big, traditional Broadway comedy-musical,” Wheeler says. “The music is hummable. The characters are fun. But it’s all channeled through the mad mind of Mel Brooks.”

“The Producers” is fueled by non-stop gags that roll into show-stopping production numbers. This means dancing also fuels “The Producers.” One dance number after another. Dr. Wheeler’s wife, Jacque Wheeler, who is also PSST!’s artistic director, is the show’s choreographer. Dr. Wheeler says, “With the amount of dancing, this show is as much Jacque’s as it is mine. Now, I understand why the Broadway show’s original choreographer was also its director.”

Yet, with all of its production numbers and the all-hands-on-deck necessity of the ensemble cast, “The Producers” remains very much a star vehicle. The spotlight is shared by John Allen Biles and Johnny Machesko playing the scheming Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom, two characters who are on stage almost every minute of this show’s running time.

“Max,” Randy Wheeler says, “is one of the most challenging roles in musical theatre.”

Max’s “Betrayed” is a big “11 o’clock” number which Nathan Lane insisted Mel Brooks provide for the character. Brooks delivered a song that is comparable to Mama Rose’s show-stopping number in “Gypsy,” Wheeler says.

“The Producers” also has one of the most challenging bits, well a big production number actually, in musical theatre: “Springtime for Hitler.” Yes, the show within the show of “The Producers” is a musical about Adolf Hitler, not exactly a comedic figure, but Wheeler found direction while watching an interview with Mel Brooks.

You can’t have a dictator talk his way into being funny. Talk is what demagogues and dictators do and do well. You have to make them look funny and that’s how you make them funny.

“The Producers”: A monster of a show that can make a monster look ridiculous.



THE CAST: Adrienne Brown, Carla Regina Olivar, John Allen Biles (Actors Equity Association), Johnny Machesko, Annie Freres, Jonathan David Willis, Marc Cornes, Caleb Spivey, Nick Mason, Luke Newsome, Sam Rueff, Julia VanderVeen, Stephanie Williams, Angela Kang, Antony Russell, Shelby Nichols, Jonathan Awori, Katie Barnett, Lana Grube, Adriana Gissendanner, Ellen Kahn, Joshua Walker, Katie Whalley.



DIRECTION, PRODUCTION: Randy Wheeler, director; Jacque Wheeler, choreographer; Cristin Downs, production stage manager; Martha H. Cooper, costume coordinator; Joe Brashier, music director; Michael Elliott, vocal director; James M. Helms, technical director; Jimm Halliday, costume designer; Catherine Girardi & Keith Kirkland, lighting designers; Jason Courson, set designer.



ORCHESTRA: Liz Brashier, keyboards; D.J. Creech, trumpet; Trent Harper, bass; Tim Hilgert, trombone; Allison C. Lingenfelter, rehearsal accompanist; Robert McCoy, reeds; Curtis Moody, percussion; Renee Terns, keyboards.





SHOWTIME

Peach State Summer Theatre presents Mel Brooks’ “The Producers.”

When: 7:30 p.m., June 26, 27, 30, July 2; 3 p.m., July 5; 7:30 p.m., July 7, 9, 10; 3 p.m., July 12; 7:30 p.m., July 14, 16, 18.

Where: Sawyer Theatre, Valdosta State University Fine Arts Building, corner of Oak and Brookwood.

Tickets: $25, adult; $20, seniors, students; $18, groups of 10 or more.

Reservations, more information: Tickets are now available online; visit the Web site www.valdosta.edu/psst; or call 259-7770.

The Valdosta Daily Times is proud corporate sponsor of Peach State Summer Theatre!





CUTLINES



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Dean Poling/The Valdosta Daily Times

Neurotic German playwright Franz Liebkind (Marc Cornes) is furious with producers (John Allen Biles, Johnny Machesko), director Roger De Bris (Nick Mason), and director’s assistant (Caleb Spivey) when they turn his musical, ‘Springtime for Hitler,’ into a ludicrous farce in Peach State’s production of Mel Brooks’ ‘The Producers’ opening this weekend.



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Dean Poling/The Valdosta Daily Times

The partnership of Max Bialystock (John Allen Biles) and Leo Bloom (Johnny Machesko) gets off to a rough start in Peach State’s production of Mel Brooks’ ‘The Producers’ opening this weekend.



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Dean Poling/The Valdosta Daily Times

The voluptuous Ulla (Julia VanderVeen) auditions for Max (John Allen Biles) and Leo (Johnny Machesko) as their new secretary/receptionist in Peach State’s production of Mel Brooks’ ‘The Producers’ opening this weekend.



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Dean Poling/The Valdosta Daily Times

Max (John Allen Biles) tries unsuccessfully to convince Leo (Johnny Machesko) to join him in a shady scheme to make money by producing a Broadway flop in Peach State’s production of Mel Brooks’ ‘The Producers’ opening this weekend.



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Dean Poling/The Valdosta Daily Times

Max (Johnny Allen Biles) regales the denizens of the Broadway district with tales of former days of glory in Peach State’s production of Mel Brooks’ ‘The Producers’ opening this weekend.



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Dean Poling/The Valdosta Daily Times

Leo and Max (John Allen Biles, Johnny Machesko) celebrate their newfound success as Broadway producers in Peach State’s production of Mel Brooks’ ‘The Producers’ opening this weekend.



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Dean Poling/The Valdosta Daily Times

First Nighters and Usherettes at the opening night of Max’s new musical leave the theatre in shock in Peach State’s production of Mel Brooks’ ‘The Producers’ opening this weekend.