Get ready to laugh. The absurd comedy from Mel Brooks The Producers is hitting the stage in Kelowna.
“It is a show about a very bad producer and an accountant who wants to be a producer and through a series of events they put on the worst show ever made,” said Chad Abrahamson who plays Leopold Bloom.
The well-known story has been adapted for the screen and stage multiple times first, as a movie in 1967, then a play on Broadway from 2001 to 2007 and hitting the silver screen again in 2005.
Now it’s made its way to the Okanagan for a three-week run at the Kelowna Actors Studio where one of the theatre company’s owners, Randy Leslie takes the stage at the dastardly ‘Max Bialystock’.
“Biyalistock is a washed-up has-been producer who has never done a successful show so he gets together with ‘Leo Bloom’ to have the biggest, bad show in history because they are going to make more money with a flop than a hit,” said Leslie.
Leslie is the lighting designer and costume designer for the production.
“It’s just amazing to be back on stage and to be working with a very talented group of people, there’s a lot of tap dancing,” said Leslie.
Bringing some spice to one of the best stories told about one of the worst plays ever made is Joanne Ryan who dances into the role of ‘Ulla’.
“It really is a bucket list role for me,” said Ryan. “When I saw it with my mom in New York over 20 years ago it was just one of those roles, I love the roles that are silly and caricature-y.”
The Producers will be at the Kelowna Actors Studio May 29 to June 16 and tickets are still available at www.kelownaactorsstudio.com