The Producers the movie

In a time where the movie musical is becoming ever so popular, The Producers is the best yet. In comparison with its stage counterpart, the two are almost identical. Minus a song here and an eliminated verse there, everything down to the costumes and choreography are mirror images of the stage show. Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick give outstanding performances and shine as only the original Broadway stars can. Will Farrell adds Hollywood star power to the movie musical and does so with flair and perfection. Uma Thurman, while giving a lovely performance and has the character of Ulla pretty much down pat, does not deliver with same the vocal power of her stage comparison. Hunter Foster, the current Leo Bloom, and Broderick play the character strikingly different, but both still bring down the house with uproarious laughter throughout the entirety of the show (and movie). If you loved the stage version, you will not be disappointed with this movie musical since it is practically the same show, just shown through a different artistic medium. Unlike the recent RENT movie, The Producers lends itself to the big screen flawlessly.

The only thing missing was the audience’s applause at the end of the big, flashy, musical numbers. I found myself itching to applaud and could feel the rest of the audience sharing my desire, and once or twice, someone did cave in and start clapping. As much as I enjoyed the movie, I enjoyed the stage version a little bit more just because there is nothing like live theater. But since most of the world might never have the chance to see The Producers on stage, this movie is an excellent substitute.