"This production, currently touring Israel, is lively and nice, and faithful to the original show that conquered Broadway. The ensemble of actors, dancers and musicians has succeeded, despite a limited budget, to produce a show that is very good. The company has succeeded numerous times to create energetic and quality shows, with the help of talented young actors and musicians.This troupe, unlike fringe theaters that use a playback, presents a live band, directed by Haim Tukachinsky, who gives it energy and freshness. A musical like this is very difficult to produce. This production, in the original language, is a ray of light in the world of theater." Translated from critic Haim Noy, TheMarker.com Read the whole review here.
Choosing a musical based on bad taste and immorality might look audacious on the part of Israel Musicals, but the team obviously understands that Mel Brooks is a winner. His script is not only daring and gregarious, it is brilliant, keeping the audience alert, surprised and laughing. And “The Producers” offers plenty of good, foot-tapping music. Apart from the *somewhat dreary stage set and a few lighting blips, the performance was very well done – hearty, fast-moving, spoken and sung with fine diction and all these with dedication. Kudos to Haim Tukachinsky for his splendid and lively musical direction of the instrumental ensemble and split-second synchronization with what was happening on stage.
What might come as a surprise to all of us is that Mel Brooks looked to himself in creating the two main characters. In his own words, “Max and Leo are me, the ego and id of my personality. Bialystock – tough, scheming, full of ideas, bluster, ambition, wounded pride. And Leo, this magical child.” The show’s printed program mentions friendship as one of the elements of the plot. “Till Him”, sung by Max of Leo, is touching evidence of the power of friendship, perhaps also of Brooks’ acceptance of the two contrasting sides of his own personality. On its site, Israel Musicals talks of its “sacred sense of duty to spread joy and happiness to audiences across Israel”. In my opinion, this theatre company has done just that!
*Ed. note - this has been addressed by the production
"Thank you for putting on such a great show. I know how much work there is to put on such a great show." S. Field
"Your production was fantastic! I've seen The Producers several times in London in the West End, and your German captain was the best i've ever seen... phenomenal! Well done!" N. Gidoomal
"I went to the show and was blown away! The sets were ingenuity put together. The singing and acting were very well done. I was drawn into the story! You could feel that the actors were comfortable in their multiple roles. Ulla was fantastic! And the 2 gay guys were terrific! The old ladies were adorable. Max and Leo, were great! I laughed and sang along and really had a night to remember. It was fun for all! Left with a smile and anticipation of the next Comedy Theater production. Thanks for a wonderful evening!" J. Basch
"I recently had the pleasure of seeing Israel-Theater's production of the Mel Brooks' classic, The Producers. Despite a few scenery glitches, it was an enjoyable evening. The almost three hour show was cleverly cast and at times I got the distinct impression that Leo Bloom was almost imitating the late unforgettable Gene Wilder. Special mention should be made about the performances of Howard Schechter (Max Bialystok) and Shai Amoyal (Leopold Bloom), Comedian David Kilimnick, Meital Segal and Dale David Honor and the magnificent singing voice of Kfir Levy. What made this production particular suited to Israel were the "local touches" which were in true Mel Brooks style. Any review would not be complete without mentioning the wonderful music lead by Haim Tukachinsky. Kudos to Yisrael Lutnick who produced and directed. It certainly took a lot of guts to produce the audacious show in Israel; a play which was once billed as having something to offend everyone." L. Wachsman
"Well done!" J. Goldberg
"We thoroughly enjoyed last night's performance of "The Producers" in Rehovot. The casting was superb, along with the acting, singing and dancing. What a collection of talented people!" A. Grinberg
"We enjoyed The Producers very much. The singing and acting were all excellent. Also good costuming and scenic design, although the sets were a bit "wobbly." The musical's theme is a difficult one to portray; you did it very well." E. Paller
"I had the pleasure last night of 3 hours of musical comedy enjoyment. The time passed quicky, the atmosphere was pleasant and the acting was balanced and well developed. There were smiles on all faces, cast and audience alike. The songs and dances were pleasant to the ear, and the eye was always engaged, despite the one weakness of the play, the scenery." M. Peleg
"We attended 'The Producers' this week. It was an outstanding performance and a fun treat for English speakers. You offer terrific entertainment at reasonable prices. The first-class musical accompaniment and David Kilimnick's outstanding comedic acting made it a 'WOW!' night." S. Kadish
"Thank you so much for this special viewing of the mega-musical, The Producers, in English. [It was] entertaining and comedic, with an excellent and professional cast. The actors, singers and musicians were above and beyond." D. Meirovicz
"I thought the acting of each and every performer was amazing. The costumes were very nice, the sets could be improved. All in all I loved it and laughed till my stomach hurt!!!!" R.Rosenberg
"The show was stupendous. Thank you and Mazal Tov!!!" U. Sagiv
"Just to say that we had an enjoyable evening with lots of laughs. We didn't know what to expect in terms of the quality of acting and singing. So we were pleasantly surprised. The cast were really good." S. Levene
"An audience member said to me that she had seen the Broadway version, and found it offensive. But (our) performance was not so in the least, and very enjoyable." A. Barlinski (our choreographer)
"Congratulations on a magnificent production of The Producers...The casting was perfect. The 3 stars (Bialystock/Bloom/Liebkind) were fabulous....It was a most enjoyable evening. You excelled in directing and producing a most wonderful theatrical event that added much to the Sukkot celebration..." J. Karzen
"We now live in Jerusalem and had the pleasure of seeing you production of The Producers last Wednesday at the matinee. The show was wonderful and we enjoyed it very much. The cast was superb." L. Yuter
" I thought that the actors were quite good. I enjoyed it. Kol ha kavod." F. Moshe
"The first half especially was vibrant joyous and funny.. Very enjoyable. The duet with Bialystock and Bloom was pure gold, the Swedish Ulla was excellent." G. Braunold
© 2017 Israel Musicals. All Rights Reserved | Design by W3layouts