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#29: The Producers with RVA's Max Bialystock, Jason Marks – Chasing Phantom
Send us Fan MailThere are ongoing conversations about how the most successful shows on Broadway have a certain "mid-brow" appeal. Sophisticated high-brow "arty" shows by folks like Sondheim are adored by some but don't get as many butts in seats. And that "low-brow" shows like, say, "The SpongeBob SquarePants Musical" can draw some folks but that people don't usually want to spend a lot of money to see a Saturday morning cartoon on stage.Some shows have been able to finesse that dichotomy by dressing up "low-brow" humor in fancy clothes and also by being extremely funny. "The Book of Mormon" is the longest-running example but, before that, there was "The Producers." It's a LOT of very broad humor but it's also men in tuxedos and women in ball gowns."The Producers" holds a special place in Broadway history because of winning the most Tony Awards handed out on one night to a production (12). A successful revival of the show just closed in London. All of this makes it a fantastic show to talk about in the second episode of the season.And Jason Marks is a fantastic person to talk to about this show, having played the bombastic Max Bialystock twice in professional productions and also having a composer's wisdom when it comes to breaking down the appeal of the show.Here is a link to the "Vanity Fair" article about the troubled development of the original movie "The Producers."As always, please check out ChasingPhantom.net for more information and links to pertinent video clips.