Am Dram

Amazingly, this is the first time the musical of ‘The Producers’ has been shown in Staffordshire – the nearest it has previously only been shown is in Manchester and Birmingham.

The cast are going to have to fill the shoes of many celebrities including Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Uma Thurman and John Barrowman who played the characters in the recent film adaptation.
Many people will also remember the older Zero Mostel version.

The Producers tells the story of a New York accountant – Leo Bloom – who is “very very very very very very very unhappy” in his job and “wants to be a producer” of a Broadway show. Alongside his client, an unsuccessful theatre producer, Max Bialystock, they hatch what they believe to be the perfect tax scam.
They hire gay drag artist Roger DeBris to produce a musical that they think is sure to be a failure – called “Springtime for Hitler” – in the hope of being able to pocket extra cash when the show flops!

From screen to stage

Tom Pear, who is playing Leo Bloom – one of the main roles – said:  “We are not pressurised about stepping into the shoes of celebrities. Our aim is to make the characters our own. All the celebrities have put their own slant on the roles and we intend to do the same.”

“All the cast are from this area except for Edward Stokes – who plays Carmen”, Tom continues. “He originates from Stoke but now lives in Birmingham. He has to commute to rehearsals. He loves the show so much that he was desperate to be involved.”

“We are really excited about getting the chance to perform this show. We are confident that it will be a success; thanks to the creative team. It will be great to get some positive feedback from local people.”

Tony O’Rourke – who is playing Roger DeBris, and also the Adolf Hitler character in the play within the play - revealed to me that he has no worries about the extravagant costumes he has to wear: "... no, not at all. I played in La Cage Aux Folles the other year!"

Local talent gets the chance to shine

North Staffs Operatic Society is over 100 years old, making it the oldest performing arts society in the area. They used to perform at The Queen’s Theatre in Burslem until the roof fell down during their production of ‘Crazy For You’!
They stage two shows per year – one in the Autumn and one in Spring – and are really excited about performing at The Regent Theatre.

Marketing director Julia O’Rourke said: “It is great to get the chance to perform at a big venue with wonderful facilities. We are also using the set from the UK touring production of The Producers. We always hire our sets and have to get them measured against the stage dimensions at The Regent... to make sure it fits.”

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The Producers runs at The Regent Theatre in Hanley from Tues 3rd to Sat 7th November 2009. For tickets phone 01782 336129. For more information on NSOS visit www.nsosltd.co.uk.