The Producers

From The Top produced another sure fire hit with this Production.  Fast, and full of comedy.1

Max Bialystock is the worst producer on Broadway.  Every show he has produced has closed after one night.  He meets accountant Leo Bloom whose secret ambition is to become a producer, and, by fiddling the books, they work out a scheme to make money.  So, they go about finding the worst script around to turn into a one-night wonder.  They find Franz Leibkind who has written ‘Springtime for Hitler’ and with the help of director Roger De Bris, his assistant Carmen Ghia and Max’s new receptionist Ulla, go ahead with the show.  Max gains the money to stage it from his little old ladies and off we go.

Max Bialystock was brought to life by Dave Crump.  He created such a believable character with great acting and singing.  His partner, Leo Bloom was played by Dan Barnes.  Again, such a great character and performance.  You cannot believe how well Dave and Dan worked together.  We have seen some great double acts over the years but these two must be the next pair.  Crump and Barnes, brilliant.  Ulla was played by Sasha Barnes who sang well.  A great asset to any company.  Simon Baker played Franz Liebkind, he made this role his own.  He was so funny it was untrue.  The ‘Der Gutten Tag Hop-Clop was so funny.  Elliot Beech played Roger De Bris, the director of the show.  Again, a great comedy part.  Watching him in ‘Keep It Gay’, had the audience in stiches.  Playing his assistant, Carmen Ghia was Jonathan Blake.  How he flounced across the stage.  How he managed in some of his shoes I do not know.

These main principals were supported by a great ensemble.  One thing about this company was that you could tell that everyone in the cast were enjoying themselves.

The scenery was ideal for this stage, and the costumes were just right for the production.  Peter Bushby, together with sound engineers DW Technical Services kept the music at just the right level so the audience could hear everything.

Deb Crump did a great job with the production and should be congratulated. 

Well done to everyone involved and thank you so much for the invite.  I would not have missed it.

Paul Douglass, Regional Representative District 09

A visit to From The Top is guaranteed to provide an evening of quality entertainment. Add to that the programme described the show as the best comedy musical, and you have The Producers performed by this wonderful group of people.

I can only agree with Paul’s description of the main characters in this romp of a show. The relationship between Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom must be absolutely spot on for the production to work effectively, and Dave and Dan achieved this perfectly, playing to each other’s strengths. The same can be said of the other principal characters, including Simon Baker in his additional role as the blind violinist.

Vocally, the performances were faultless. Dave’s rendition of “Betrayed” was wonderful — a brilliant reprise of the whole show — while Dan’s performance of “I Want to Be a Producer” was equally impressive.

The set was truly remarkable, particularly the New York skyline and the way it opened to reveal the cupboard housing photographs of the backers, including Hold Me-Touch Me. The posters of previous productions displayed in the office, such as The Queen and Eye and Me and My Grill, were a lovely touch. The hand-puppet pigeons were great fun, as was the “statue” in Roger De Bris’s living room. The safe was an especially impressive piece of construction, doubling cleverly as the jail.

What next from this talented group? Hansel and Gretel arrives in December 2026. With the script written by the super-talented David Crump, it is sure to be a delight.

Andy Brown Regional Councillor NODA West Midlands

 

 

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