By J.R. Jamison—
MUNCIE, IN—There are few things theatre people love more than theatre itself. Except, perhaps, making fun of it.
That spirit takes center stage on September 25th when Muncie Civic Theatre opens Mel Brooks’ The Producers, the outrageous comedy about a washed-up Broadway producer, his nervous accountant, and their intentionally terrible musical featuring Hitler.
Directed by Dr. Michael O’Hara, professor of theatre at Ball State University, the production embraces Brooks’ famously boundary-pushing humor rather than attempting to soften it for a modern audience.
But beneath all of its absurdity, O’Hara sees something considerably more tender.
At its heart, he says, The Producers is about two people who find friendship in one another despite being, in many ways, ill-equipped for it.
“They’re both broken people,” O’Hara said of the main leads, Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom. “They keep on getting it wrong, but it turns on a sweet recognition of their own frailties.”
That friendship is central to David Taylor Little’s portrayal of Max Bialystock, a role Little has wanted to play for 25 years.
Little, an associate teaching professor of theatre directing at Ball State, first saw the pre-Broadway production of The Producers in Chicago and has long loved the original film starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder. Now, after years of directing and writing, he is stepping back into the spotlight as one of musical theatre’s most unapologetically larger-than-life characters.
“I’m a creature of the theatre, and Max Bialystock is also a creature of the theatre,” Little said. “I feel like on some level, I just kind of already get him.”
There is a certain delicious irony in Little’s casting. In everyday life, he describes himself as an introverted rule follower. Max Bialystock, meanwhile, is a con artist who gleefully bends the rules. That contrast is part of the fun for him, he says.
But for Little, The Producers is also a love letter to the theatre itself and the people who make it.
“This is really a story about friendship and chosen family,” he said.
Beyond the Broadway satire and heart-tugging underlying messages, audiences can expect a visually distinctive production as well. O’Hara’s creative team is using furniture alongside projections by projection artist Naomi Bennett, creating a flexible world with a few hilarious surprises inspired by past Muncie Civic productions.
Ultimately, O’Hara says he believes the production’s comedy has a unique ability to make difficult subjects manageable.
“Laughter is the one thing that can bring us together,” he said.
Little also hopes audiences leave with much of the same feeling.
“I hope people have a really good time and laugh,” he said. “But I also hope people walk away with sort of an understanding or a reminder of why friends are important.”
The Producers is intended for mature audiences and opens September 25th on the Mainstage at Muncie Civic Theatre, running through October 11th. Tickets are on sale now at the theatre box office at (765) 288-PLAY or online at www.munciecivic.org. The show is made possible through support by Alive Wellness Studios; Normandy Flower Shop; and Stallings Wealth Management.
About Muncie Civic Theatre
Founded in 1931, the mission of Muncie Civic Theatre is to enrich the whole community through theatre performance, education, and outreach. Located in the historic Boyce Block in the heart of Downtown Muncie, Indiana, Muncie Civic Theatre offers two stages (Mainstage and the Casazza Family Studio Theatre) that bring to life 18 productions per year alongside thriving developmental programs for youth. More at www.munciecivic.org.
The post At Muncie Civic, Mel Brooks’ The Producers Finds the Funny and the Friendship in Theatre appeared first on Muncie Journal.
