Customer Reviews

Recording "The Producers" - A Musical Romp with Mel Brooks

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Originally shown on PBS, this is a documentary of the recording of "The Producers" cast album. "The Producers," the hit Broadway show that made a sweep at the Tony's, and continues to do so at the box office, has a lot of funny people involved - Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, and Mel Brooks - and this movie captures them in some candid moment. Fortunately, the editors are not the MTV music video-type; we get to see whole songs being recorded, which is often not the case in these behind-the-scenes videos. Many songs are included, as well as interviews with Mel Brooks, who talks about how the show came about, the plot, and the cast members. One can see what a warm person Brooks is. And for those who cannot afford tickets to the Broadway show, or have to wait for months for availability, this is the next best thing. This video contains footage of Broderick doing a Marlon Brando impression, Susan Stroman praising the cast members, and more. We also get to see Lane getting a little nervous in the recording studio - at one point, he complains of not being able to hear himself, and gets snippy (or is he just being funny?) with a woman working the equipment. An extremely enlightening look at the hectic recording (Mr. Brooks keeps remarking, astonished, "I can't believe we only get one day" - every hour of overtime means thousands of more dollars) of a cast album.

Since I won't be going to New York anytime soon, my chances of seeing The Producers on Broadway is zero. So I was delighted to get this DVD, a documentary and behind-the-scenes look at the recording of the cast album for The Producers. It contains nearly all the songs from The Producers and excerpts of Brooks, Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick in some candid (and funny) moments.
If you believe (as I do) that watching musical actors and actresses rehearse their songs is enlightening, intriguing and fascinating, you won't be disappointed by this. Of course, if you originally saw this on PBS and recorded it, you may feel you don't need another copy. But I found the sound quality of this DVD to be far superior to the typical home recording quality (and I missed it on PBS anyway). Also, be assured that the WHOLE songs are recorded here, not brief little excerpts. What fun it was to watch this one!

SIMPLY SUPER!

Yes, this program aired on PBS, but it didn't have those precious extra minutes that are just as hilarious as the 85 minutes that make up the "centerpiece" of this DVD/video.

The wonderful thing about "Recording The 'Producers' - A Musical Romp with Mel Brooks," is instead of the usual stuff you get with backstage documentaries, here you get the cast and crew occasionally "turning to the camera," ad-libbing stuff that seems as "live" as the show itself. In several spots, they make jokes about the documentary itself, while at other times, they are oblivious to the camera while concentrating on what they're doing.

Yet after watching about an hour and 40 minutes of engrossing material (with the extra footage), this DVD/video, like the actual stage show itself (which runs about three hours including intermission), you still want more.

Perhaps my only gripe is you never see the players "on stage." Well this is, after all, a documentary about the recording of a cast album. But what you do see provides enough voltage that it makes you want to borrow a fortune to fly to New York and to pay whatever it takes to get a seat to see a show that will run forever -- but sadly -- not with this original award-winning cast. (...)

Best of all, what you get here that YOU DON'T GET in New York, is Mel Brooks, talking to the camera, explaining with tremendous charm and humor, EVERYTHING about how the show came to be, its plot, its songs and all of the elements the audience can't see unless they're sitting in the St. James Theater. He tells you everything in chronological order, even acting out the parts and dubbing in his one line into the cast album ("don't be dumb, be a smarty, come and join the Nazi party!").

This is critically important because most people outside of New York, which means most of America, still have NO CLUE about this, the greatest musical in Broadway history. When Amazon buyers see this video/DVD, they'll understand WHY "The Producers" DESERVES all of its hype. You can't OVERSELL it!

Every song is a show-stopper, a throwback to melodies and riffs that feel like a "greatest hits" package of the best musicals ever made. And the lyrics are so irreverent that you can only imagine your pleasure doubling if you could see the visuals that are associated with each song. Heck, the DANCING AND COSTUMES you don't see are the other half of the fun!

(...)Mel says out loud, "you know what we're doing would make a great movie." That is, as a musical on film with costumes and the whole nine yards! And then he says Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick and the whole cast would be in it! There's a shot of Nathan and Matt grinning sheepishly, for they know what we also know: Yeah Mel, and pigs will fall from the sky.

By the time a Hollywood version of this musical is released, Mel will be past 90 and the cast will be too old for their roles. And everyone knows movies aren't allowed to compete with Broadway. (...)

I would have liked to see snippets of the actual show on stage. We know Mel has a video of the entire show, complete with audience applause and cutaways and close-ups. And I'm more sad that we'll never get to see it. We'll get stuck with the filmed version by Hollywood, that is, if we live that long.

So what to do?

Well, if you can't get to New York, if you don't want to settle for the traveling touring company that will probably make its way through America about five years from now, if you don't want to spend $$$ for a center orchestra seat at the St. James Theatre from a scalper, but you still want to capture what it was like, with this inaugural cast, to turn "The Producers" from a three-star 1967 film into a five-star 2001 stage musical, then BUY this! (...)

For all of you who have seen this broadway show (I included in this group), you should need no reason to get this DVD. For those of you who have yet to see the show you can still enjoy this terrific "Musical Romp." The DVD has a fun tour of the show hosted by none other than the great Mel Brooks (Blazzing Saddles, Spaceballs, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, The Producers, etc). You will also see songs from this Broadway hit sung by famous stars Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick. In between the songs you'll see the cast making jokes and enjoying themselves which is also very entertaining. The benefit of the DVD is a long reel of cut scenes from the DVD; trust me, you'll want those cut scenes. However, for those of who own a program from the show have seen most of the pictures in the digital photo album.

I just saw the road company of The Producers several weeks ago in Pittsburgh. What a fantastic, hilarious musical! I didn't think it would be the same without Lane and Broderick but I was wrong.

Still, if you want to see the original and didn't make it to Broadway to see these two good actors, this DVD fits the bill.

The DVD is a fascinating behind the scenes look at the recording of a cast album - in this case from one of the funniest musicals ever. Mel adds to the fun with his stories and description of the action. Of course, seeing the play, costumes and sets are even better (there are a number of stills from the play to see on the DVD) but listening to the music makes up for it.

The best songs are the hit "Springtime for Hitler" and "Heil Myself," but all are very good.

If you can see the play - go! But if you can't - or if you did and want to relive a great experience - get this DVD. It will do until they, hopefully, put the play on film. What a great companion that would be to the Mostel/Wilder film version!

So you're not in the St. James Theatre in New York watching this madcap musical unfold before your eyes. But it's the next best thing to being there. This documentary of the making of a cast album is entertaining and amusing throughout.
There is a lot of commentary by Mel Brooks who sets up the intro for each musical number that is recorded. However, there is added commentary by Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Susan Stroman and the other creative members of the show.
I saw the show in New York 4 months ago and it lives up to its hype. This DVD can be enjoyed by anyone who loves a big old fashioned Broadway musical.
While I like Mel Brooks, I felt he tended to talk too much and everything he said was met with gales of laughter by cast and crew. It was slightly annoying because some of the things he said were not THAT funny.
There is a bonus extra that has no music but comments from Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick and others in the show.
I highly recommend this to musical theatre afficionados. You won't be disappointed.

This is a documentary about the making of the soundtrack. As long as you know that, then you are in for a treat. There are no costumes, very little dialogue and no dance numbers. Mel Brooks is a delight to listen to in this.

You have basically two options. Get in a cab. Go to the airport. Pop for a round-trip ticket. Fret over the still-lax security. Get off the plane in New York. Hop a cab into the city. Get scalped for a ticket or two at $400-$600 each. OR pop for one of these incredibly bargain-priced dvds. Make the smart choice and you'll be treated to glorious sound and dazzling pictures of Nathan, Matt, Mel and the gang from the TOP TONY AWARD-Winning show of all time! You'll hear the low-down about how this comic masterpiece came to pass. You'll be a fly on the wall as the songs and comedy routines are conceptualized and produced. And you'll have an amazing experience you'll want to repeat time and time again. Get copies for your friends. They'll love you for it. Feel like a big-shot on Broadway, with a line on an unlimited number of tickets to the hottest show in America!! It's like owning points in the production... and even better than having a back-stage pass!!

This is a 'selected' view of the recording session for the cast album narrated by Mel Brooks. It's fun to see how the various cast members gear up and put on their character's persona to get the songs across. Know that not all the songs from the show are included.

But, for those not fortunate enough to see the New York cast, this is a glimpse of what the show must have felt like. It is truly a romp.

As an aside, (Mel are you reading this?) what I WISH Mel had * also * filmed was auditions, out of town rehearsals, trimming & cutting the show, getting ready for opening night, and the reading of the first reviews. That would have been a happy addition to this.

Having seen "The Producers" with Nathan Lane I can attest he was great and the production deserved every Tony. I hope this is someday (SOON!!) filmed with the original cast. Until that day, this video is a good way to enjoy it since it is musically complete and the performers act in front of the microphones as if they were onstage.

My only quibble is the idiot video director apparently never heard of "medium shots" (or flunked that part of video class) which are seldom used because they unfortunately LOVE closeups - especially in interviews - making the DVD soon feel claustrophobic as faces fill your tv screen with no space around them. If this can be remastered, it should be.

Even so, grab it and enjoy a fun evening.