DELAND, Fla. — The iconic stage show The Producers has made its way to Central Florida. Here’s what you need to know about the musical and how the local cast pulled it off:
- The Producers has won more Tony Awards than any other show of any kind, holding 12 total.
- The 2005 film starred Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick. The role of “Max” (Lane) is played by Athens Theatre director Trevor Southworth.
- Southworth had to learn his lines in one week. The actor originally cast as the lead fell ill, and a sudden replacement was needed.
"I had one night where I did not sleep at all, because the lines kept going over and over, and through my head, through my head, through my head,” Southworth said.
- Mel Brooks’ humor is indeed tongue-in-cheek.
"The big number in Act II is “Springtime for Hitler,” Southworth told Spectrum News. "Mel Brooks once said that he continues to make fun of Hitler… He wants to make it as ridiculous and silly as humanly possible."
- The Producers is at the Athens Theatre in DeLand Thursdays through Sundays until August 11.