When one thinks of Mel Brooks, creator of the films "Spaceballs," and "Blazing Saddles," subtly and quiet laughs don't generally come to mind. Instead, the genius behind those comedy cult classics tends to lean towards over-the-top bawdy humor. Brooks crosses every racial, sexist and religious line in his movies and musicals. He embraces taboos and has brought audiences to their knees with belly laughs for decades. His film "The Producers" was turned into a Broadway smash hit and is now being presented for the first time, by an independent theatre, in Indianapolis.
Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre has the show on its stage until Sept. 28. It stars the duo, Eddie Curry and Doug Stark, two actors more frequently found behind the scenes than on the stage in recent years. Stark is the owner of Beef & Boards and Curry is a real life producer and director at the theatre. The pair's easy friendship on stage comes from two decades of collaboration in various shows.
Curry's turn as the timid accountant Leo Bloom who blossoms into a Broadway producers is delightful. He is nervous and always on the edge of a hysteric breakdown.
"The Producers" is a hilarious look at two producers who try to con their way into a couple million dollars by putting on a flop. After finding a horrible play, "Springtime for Hitler," they meet the playwright, a crazed Nazi played to insane perfection by Jeff Stockberger. They then sign Broadway's worse director, an emotional queen who wants to make the show a little more "gay." Curt Dale Clark, is the director Roger DeBris, and his delicious turn as the effeminate Adolf Hitler is sure to keep the crowds rolling in the aisles.
With a sure fire failure in the bag, the producers think they're set for life, but as audience members will discover, things are never that simple. The show is a riot, but it is full of adult humor.
Don't Miss the Show
Performances: The show runs until Sept. 28. Doors open for evening performances at 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The buffet is served at 6:30 and the show begins at 8 p.m. One Sundays the buffet is served at 5:30 and the show begins at 7 p.m.
For Weekday matinees doors open at 11:30 a.m. and the buffet is served from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The show begins at 1 p.m. For Sunday matinees doors open at 12 p.m. and the buffet is served from 12:15 to 1 p.m. The show begins at 1:30 p.m. For Sunday evenings doors open at 5 p.m. and the buffet is served at 5:30 and the show begins at 7 p.m.
Tickets: To purchase tickets call (317) 872-9664 between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Prices range from $33 to $55 and include the show, tax, coffee, tea and the buffet.
*Photo Courtesy of Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre
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