![\"Tony](\"https:\/\/sduptownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tony-Houck.jpg\")
<\/a>Set in 1959 in New York City, a once-celebrated Broadway producer Max Bialystock (John Massey) realizes he can make a lot of money if he helps finance a disastrous theatrical event. With the help of his new assistant, Leo Bloom (University Heights resident Bryan Banville), they decide to invest in a surefire bomb, \u201cSpringtime for Hitler.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even with his occasionally frightening neurotic behavior, Leo is the closest thing to a sane character in the outrageously satirical story. Banville wants audiences to connect with the sympathetic former accountant.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce Leo sings \u2018I Wanna be a Producer,\u2019 viewers see the whole tale through Leo\u2019s eyes,\u201d Banville said. \u201cIt can be hard to keep the role three-dimensional in the over-the-top reality.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the idiosyncratic men that Leo meets is the assistant\/lover of the eccentric director Roger DeBris (Russell Garrett), Carmen Ghia (Normal Heights resident Luke Harvey Jacobs). While the roles of the couple were minor in the film, their parts were expanded for the stage version.<\/p>\n Jacobs said the expanded characters reflect modern society.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the motion picture, they were written to be made fun of in a loving way,\u201d Jacobs said. \u201cAs it shifted into the 2001 staging, there became more of a publicly open gay presence in the arts. The task that Garrett and I have is to flesh out our roles, which is really fun.\u201d<\/p>\n North Park resident Tony Houck plays several roles throughout the wild plot.<\/p>\n \u201cThe people I play are outrageous,\u201d he said. \u201cBecause there is such an outrageous world, you can have a tap dancing Nazi come onstage and it\u2019s totally fine.\u201d<\/p>\n A physically demanding character that Houck portrays is one of the raunchy old women dancing in the big musical number, \u201cAlong Came Bialy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone, including people that are 6-feet-4, have to be hunched over,\u201d he said. \u201cThis happens while we\u2019re doing kicks, flips and tap-dancing with a walker. That for me has been pretty tricky.\u201d<\/p>\n Almost all of Brooks\u2019 big screen adventures include at least one musical number. If he were to convert one for the stage, Houck and Jacobs have their own picks for his next singing and dancing hit. Houck chose \u201cBlazing Saddles\u201d and \u201cSilent Movie.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018Blazing Saddles\u2019 already has the Madeline Khan number, \u2018Tired,\u2019 which I\u2019ve sung in drag,\u201d he said. \u201cThat would be hilarious. \u2018Silent Movie\u2019 would be interesting if Twyla Tharp choreographed the piece.\u201d<\/p>\n Jacobs\u2019 pick was the filmed love letter to Alfred Hitchcock.<\/p>\n \u201cI would love to see \u2018High Anxiety: the Musical,\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Although musical fans most likely will have a great time at \u201cThe Producers,\u201d people that don\u2019t typically go to theater might get a lot out of the wild night.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a show that you can bring the guys to,\u201d Houck said. \u201cIt\u2019s a good gateway musical.\u201d<\/p>\n The main thing about \u201cThe Producers\u201d that Jacobs loves is that the plot is an unabashed laugh riot from start to finish.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>