"The Producers" Rakes in the Laughs at Burlington County Footlighters

by Aimee Ferenze

The Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan sensation, “The Producers”, is a comedic musical following Max Bialystock (a washed up Broadway Producer) and Leo Bloom (an accountant/ wannabe Producer), based off of Brooks’ 1967 film of the same name. The story follows the two producers as they fraudulently oversell a flop Broadway musical with the intent of pocketing the funds for themselves. They buy the rights to the worst musical, hire the worst director, and cast the worst performers to make sure that their show is a failure. They gather funding for the show by Bialystock seducing elderly women in the city, many of whom he does not know the name of. The two, with the help of Ulla (a beautiful Swedish actress turned Secretary), try to fake their accounting books to hide their income from the IRS. On opening night of their show “Springtime For Hitler”, the lead actor playing Adolf Hitler breaks his leg and is replaced by the extremely flamboyant director, Roger De Bris. It is to their great dismay that, because of this casting change, the show is taken as a satirical masterpiece and becomes a huge hit. A rift grows between Bialystock and Bloom as pressure mounts under the risk of jail time for grand larceny. 

At the helm of this production is an almost completely femme-presenting staff; a rare find that I am thrilled to see. Director/Choreographer Lizi Baldwin and Assistant Director/Producer Cat Baldwin lead the group with smart blocking, quick pacing, and clean choreography. Ashlan Petrillo not only serves as Music Director but is also a shining member of the cast, assisting the ensemble in bringing chords together in a precise and balanced way.  Heidi Kleber (Stage Manager/Sound Designer/Light Board/Sound/Projections Operator) proves to wear the most hats as she leads the backstage with vigor. The costume crew (Katie Cwirko, Amanda Cogdell, Valerie Brothers) led by Jen Bloom puts forth a truly insane amount of costumes ranging from Nazi garments to an army of elderly women which is supported by the props team (Amanda Cogdell, Krissy Gannott, Kevin Pavon). Lastly, Jim Frazer (Set/Lighting Designer) proves yet again that he is the king of set design with a folding, multi-level, and projection equipped set. I am continuously amazed by what Frazer does with minimal wing space and no fly system and this show is no exception. My only concern with such a complex set is that a few scene changes took a bit of time to complete and occasionally dragged the energy of the show down. In the performance that I saw, there were continued issues with doors staying closed and curtains being pulled to the correct length. I believe that with time these transitions will become much smoother and, with such an expansive design, there are bound to be a few mistakes along the way. I would also like to acknowledge that this production lost rehearsal time due to illnesses and that this can absolutely be the cause of some slow scene changes. Even with this, I was amazed by how the stage could transform so completely in just a few minutes. 

“The Producers” is overall a satirical success at Burlington County Footlighters, keeping audiences laughing and engaged. This theater seats approximately 90 guests and is using pre-recorded tracks for their accompaniment in this production. While there are no personal microphones in use, the audience had minimal trouble hearing lines and music. There were a few times where the cast separated from the track slightly but they were always able to pick it back up within a few bars. I was repeatedly impressed by the ensemble singing as their chords clicked into place time and time again. 

This cast proves to be a comedic dream across the board. Al Krier (Max Bialystock)’s 

comedic pacing works magnificently within this role. He proves that he isn’t scared to embrace the sleaziness of a character that is known for seducing elderly women for their life savings. He commands the stage with a calm and consistent personality that counters wonderfully with the chaotically frantic Leo Bloom. Matt Becker (Leo Bloom) plays this role with a desperate agility that is nothing short of exasperated. He brings Bloom to life with a magnetic consistency while performing the music with a beautiful vocal range. The two together are a dynamic duo that are simply a “must-see” while you have the chance. 

The second duo that draws my attention is Tim Herman and Nikolas Francesconi, who portray Roger De Bris and Carmen Ghia respectively. Tim Herman’s portrayal of director Roger De Bris, who then in turns plays Adolf Hitler on opening night, is nothing short of perfect. His depiction of a character so well known as a queer icon is larger than life, while his depiction of Hitler within the role is the exact over-the-top caricature the show needs to make sense. Without Herman’s work, the success of “Springtime for Hitler” is a far-fetched fantasy and the rest of the show cannot make sense. I also want to commend Herman’s protective vocal decisions that prove he understands his instrument and can perform to his fullest extent through a long weekend of performances. Meanwhile, Nikolas Francesconi’s depiction of Roger’s assistant and lover Carmen Ghia is a jovial and grounding counterpart to Herman’s performance. While still bringing energy to the stage, Francesconi’s take on Carmen is kind and loving and acts as a complimentary color to the many shades of Roger De Bris. 

Sarah Blake (Ulla) and Mark Rebilas (Franz Liebkind) bring forth complex characters with nuance and grace. Blake portrays Ulla as sweet and simple while hinting that she may be brighter than Bialystock and Bloom believe. She is always staying in character with a smile on her face and a beautiful voice. Rebilas’ depiction of this aggressive loose cannon matches the energy of the other big personalities on stage in both acting and vocal styling. Accents can be so difficult in shows, especially when you are the only one with it in the scene, and these two do everything in their power to stay true to their character. I was impressed by both in their attempts and commend their overall consistency. 

The ensemble proves to be the lifeblood of the show by consistently raising the energy. Notable performers include Michael Aquilino (Kevin/Stormtrooper), Lisa Croce (Hold-Me-Touch-Me), and Dan Evans (Mr. Marks). All three consistently brought their best forward, allowing the story to evolve past just “Max and Leo” and more so into a world that you could delve completely into. Aquilino’s musicality is impressive through a tough melodic line and his commitment to the straight faced humor of the show is impressive. Alex Kieth and Gianna Leonen assist in this as well, playing the usherettes who paint the emotions of each audience that sees a Bialystock production. The rest of Roger’s production staff is played by Yeshua Irizarry (Scott), Zach Martin (Brian), and Jamie Lynne Hill (Shirley Markowitz), all of which “Keep it Gay” in a fabulously entertaining way. The rest of the ensemble is covered by the following, all of which had various moments to shine brightly: Dwayne Bailey, John-Paul Helk, Andrew Bank, Jaden Murray, Kevin Pavon, Krissy Gannotta, Lisa Krier, Maria Leonen, Ashlan Petrillo, Cat Baldwin, Lizi Baldwin, Jen Bloom, and Valerie Brothers. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the show from start to finish. I hope that you’ll come out and support this dynamic cast in their final week of shows this coming weekend (Feb 1-3). Tickets and times can be found at https://tickets.bcfootlighters.com/show/theproducers. Community theater is alive and well in our community and it is because of theaters like Burlington County Footlighters that we can experience quality entertainment in our own backyards.