Almost 25 years later, Visalia’s ‘The Producers’ still feels relevant — and can still tickle the funny bone

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Q: There was a time when “The Producers” was such a cultural mainstay (first movie, smash Broadway show, second movie) that probably the only person in the country who didn’t know the plot and concept was some hermit with no running water in Talkeetna, Alaska. But now a few years have passed. Do you run into folks who have no idea what you’re talking about when you bring up “Springtime for Hitler”?

A: I do meet a lot of people who don’t know the plot and certainly haven’t enjoyed the spectacle that is “Springtime for Hitler.” Even in mounting this show, I’ve had the pleasure of watching some of my own cast, crew, and production team’s reactions to that number. As a huge fan of the show, it doesn’t shock me as much as it’s meant to so having the opportunity to witness the impact of Mel Brooks’ genius is a real treat! And then to follow that up with audience reactions ranging from pure delight (from fans of the show) to shock and awe (from the newbies) has been so fun. I’m thrilled to bring this show to the Central Valley and introduce so many people to “The Producers.”

Q: For those people who don’t know who Mel Brooks is (gasp), give us a brief rundown on the musical.

A: “Gasp” is right! They have some catching up to do. “The Producers” is a musical based on the 1967 comedy film, which only features one musical number. In the early 2000s, Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan brought it to Broadway with the flash and glitz of the golden age and a big contemporary Broadway sound.

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It tells the story of Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom, a washed-up Broadway producer and a timid accountant, respectively. They hatch a scheme to put on the biggest flop in Broadway history after raising more money than needed to produce the show and escaping with the extra money – a creative accounting theory thought up by Bloom and capitalized upon by Bialystock. In search of the worst show ever written, they find “Springtime for Hitler,” written by a deranged (and somewhat lovable) neo-Nazi and hire the worst director on Broadway. As you can imagine, it quickly goes off the rails, and the fate of the show is ultimately not up to Max and Leo. It’s truly a laugh-out-loud comedy with amazing musical numbers that keep the show moving. Mel Brooks is truly a comedy genius who effortlessly tackles prejudice and hatred with his wit.

Q: Put on your financial planner hat for a moment. Which of the following would be the absolute worst investment: 1) A Trump meme crypto coin; 2) a Venezuelan oil well; or 3) a Broadway musical?

A: Anything Trump-related is a bad investment. Financially, morally, and logically. There is no worse investment than in fascism and bigotry.

Q: Let’s say you needed for some reason — I don’t know why, perhaps aliens come to Earth and threaten to destroy Detroit if you don’t answer this question — to come up with the second worst idea ever for a Broadway musical. Any thoughts?

A: I’ve never been to Detroit but I’m sure it’s lovely. If the aliens are that interested in destroying Detroit based on my answer, I’d have to really give it some thought! I’ve also been working on this show for the last three months which is basically a cautionary tale about how your best efforts at failure might not work out in your favor – so I’m not sure I could save Detroit with my idea for a flop. But when I think of something, I’ll follow up.

Q: Bringing a big show like this to a fairly small stage can be tough. What was the biggest challenge of staging “The Producers” in Visalia?

A: The scene changes! For those familiar with the show, it takes place in several locations. I first partnered with my good friend, and Visalia Player herself, Christa Reiber. Christa has appeared in several Ice House shows and is an extremely talented watercolorist. She’s created 10 original watercolor paintings for this production which make up our backdrops that “fly” in and out digitally. And to tie it all together, our amazing crew is constantly moving and shifting several set pieces (with more casters than you can count) around the stage and backstage. The wings are stuffed with set pieces, there are set pieces hanging on tracks from the ceiling, and some disguised to blend in on-stage while not being used. Every movement is choreographed because these scene changes happen over the course of only a few seconds or even during a number. This style of show, which doesn’t rely on a unit set, hasn’t been done at the Ice House in several years so it was a fun challenge to tackle.

Q: What is your all-time favorite line or lyric from the show?

A: Oh man, this is such a tough question to answer. I love every word of this show. I’ve quoted “Yes, Prince Myshkin, what can we do for you?” just about once a week for the last 20 years. Most of our pets’ middle names are (jokingly) “Elizabeth”. But a line that gets one of the biggest laughs in our show is Franz yelling “you made a fool out of Hitler!” and Roger and Carmen snapping back in unison, “He didn’t need our help!”.Hearing the audience laugh at that brings me so much joy and it’s become one of my favorite moments in the entire show thanks to this cast’s execution and our audience’s reactions.

Q: Whenever I see someone using a walker, I flash back to the Little Old Ladies scene. Is there anything iconic from the show that triggers a flashback for you?

A: Pigeons. I will never look at a pigeon and not think of The Producers. I’ve felt this way for 20 years (since I saw the film adaptation in 2005) and it will always make me chuckle. During the rehearsal process, I found myself getting into a trend of photographing the pigeons I saw around town — as a sort of out-of-context “Producers” photo series. But that just means my phone is now filled with random pictures of pigeons…

Q: Tell us about your Max and Leo. What kind of chemistry do they bring to the stage?

A: Our principals, Evan Huckabay (Max) and Joey Anderson (Leo), have incredible chemistry on stage. The good thing about working in a small town is that most people know each other and that certainly helps add to their chemistry. We’ve had many patrons come to see the show and recognize both Evan and Joey from their past theater experience in the Valley. With this being such a large show, we’ve been relying on our understudies to take on several performances. Max’s understudy is Tegan Huckabay, Evan’s wife, and Leo’s understudy is Antony Lotenero. All four of these amazing actors have excellent chemistry so no matter what combination of talent you see on a given night, the show is always spectacular. I’m so lucky to have four actors so committed to these large roles – they’ve made Max and Leo come to life on stage with their own unique perspectives, timing, and takes on their characters.

Q: Getting serious: Did you ever worry that any part of “The Producers” wouldn’t age well, given the current wacko-calamitous state of international relations?

A: What I find most interesting is that the very few things that didn’t age well aren’t in reference to the state of our nation or international relations. In fact, I feel the message of “The Producers” only becomes more relevant as we get deeper into this mess. As I was working out my blocking, I would listen to “Springtime for Hitler” repeatedly, and each time, I’d find a new connection — he sings “everything I do, I do for you”, “it ain’t no mystery, if it’s politics or history, the thing you gotta know is: everything is showbiz”, “there’s no greater dictator in the land.” Add some word salad to that and they’re basically quotes from Trump himself! It’s too perfect — which is what makes it so important and somewhat sad.

We’re mounting this production in 2025 that originally opened on Broadway in 2001, based on a film released in 1967, which was a story about events taking place in 1959 in reference to events that started in 1939. And it’s only becoming more relevant! Our concerns weren’t so much about what wouldn’t age well but more about what sort of negative reactions we could potentially be dealing with. I’m extremely pleased to say that we’ve had overwhelmingly positive reactions so far — a great sign for the political stance in this region of California.

Q: With a cast of 25 and crew of 12, you’ve brought a lot of people the joy of working in live theater. Why do you think that is so important?

A: That’s what community theater is all about — coming together to experience the joy of live theater as a hobby. It’s one of the most time-consuming, exhausting, and sometimes unrewarding hobbies, but we all show up to that stage for the love of it — or at least in search of some passion within it. It brings me great joy that close to 40 other people want to join me in that pursuit, for their own personal reasons, and continue to show up! No one is paid, no one is getting famous from this production — we’re just there to share this experience together and with the community. We need that more than ever right now, and I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to work with so many talented people. Phae and I are fairly new to the Valley (we moved here within the last five years from Orlando, FL) and we often discuss how amazing it is to be surrounded by so much talent in the Central Valley. There’s magic in a dark room filled with an eager audience watching a group of talented individuals tell an entire story in one shot. We’re drawn to it as humans — we always have been — and it means a lot to me to participate in even a small fraction of this art form.

Q: What is one thing that you think Mel Brooks would appreciate about this Visalia production?

A: I would hope that Mel Brooks would be proud of this production for many reasons. The cast and production team fully embraced Mel’s sense of humor — often calling upon his other work, the same way he does with himself. And most importantly, I think he would be proud of the representation and stance this show takes. My wife, Phae, is Jewish, and it was extremely important to us that our production handled Mel’s work with care. Any production dealing with Jewish characters, themes, plots, etc. should have a member of the Jewish community on the production team — for cultural references, understanding, and respect for the community. At this time in history, it’s extremely important to give voice to marginalized communities and use our platforms for good, which is why this message is so strong and important to us. Mel was not afraid to take on his enemies and speak out in his own way. I hope he would be proud of us for doing the same through his work.

Q: Anything else you’d like to say?

A: Thank you for featuring us on your website. I do hope you’ll have a chance to come see the show, we are very proud of it and would like to share it with as many people as possible. And to your readers, thank you for supporting local community theater and helping us bring joy to the Ice House stage. The production team, cast, crew, and the Visalia Players are very grateful for all the support we receive from the community.