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Mel Brooks' 'The Producers' comes to Kalamazoo

Nov. 15, 2004

KALAMAZOO--"Mel Brooks has put the comedy back into musical comedy," says USA Today, "'The Producers' is the funniest, most fearlessly irreverent thing ever seen on stage!"

Tony Award winner "The Producers, the new Mel Brooks musical" comes to Miller Auditorium at Western Michigan University for eight performances Tuesday, Nov. 30, through Sunday, Dec. 5.

Based on Brooks' Academy Award-winning 1968 film of the same name, "The Producers is the story of down-on-his-luck theatrical producer Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom, a mousy accountant. Together they hatch the ultimate scam: raise more money than needed for a sure-fire Broadway flop and pocket the difference. Their "sure-fire" theatrical fiasco? A gala musical titled "Springtime for Hitler."

"The Producers" has a Tony Award-winning book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan, Tony Award-winning music and lyrics by Mel Brooks, and is directed and choreographed by five-time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman.

Mel Brooks, director, producer, writer and actor, began his distinguished career in 1951 during television's Golden Age as a writer for Sid Caesar on "Your Show of Shows." In 1955 and 1957, Brooks received Emmy Award nominations (with others) for best comedy writing for "Caesars Hour" and in 1956, he was nominated (with others) for best writing for a variety or situation comedy.

After writing and directing his first feature film, "The Producers," in 1968, which earned Brooks an Academy Award for the best original screenplay, he went on to create a remarkable string of hit comedies, including "The Twelve Chairs," "Blazing Saddles," and "Young Frankenstein," among others

Tickets range range from $25 to $60 and are available by calling (269) 387-2300 or (800) 228-9858, online at www.millerauditorium.com, or by visiting the Miller Auditorium Ticket Office or the Epic Center Box Office in downtown Kalamazoo.

"The Producers" at Miller Auditorium is sponsored by WWMT TV3, WRKR 107.7 FM and Lake Michigan Mailers.

Media contact: Tracey Lawie, 269 387-2309, tracey.lawie@wmich.edu

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