Bialystock's the Boss?
Ok, that just sounds weird. Almost as weird as the thought of Tony Danza playing the role of Max Bialystock in the Producers. As one columnist said, "I wish that was a joke, but it's not."
I get it, he's a song-and-dance man. I wish I could say confidently that he's a good actor, but with only Who's the Boss as reference, who knows? Having seen the Broadway production more than once (with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick) :) , I just wonder how the audience will react -- particularly to a skinny Max. Many of the jokes are funnier because Max is a bit... zaftig. But if Susan Stroman thinks he can do it, then I wish him well. After all, Matthew Broderick's first run was really a direct channeling of Gene Wilder's Leo Bloom in the (original) movie. It took him a while to make the role his own. So good luck, Tony. (oops, I mean, "Break a leg!")
While we're on the subject, Uma Thurman as Ulla in the new movie? AWFUL. I will say that Will Ferrel was good as Franz Liebkind. It was his sort of role.
...and now I'm going to have Springtime for Hitler in my head for days!!
Update: MZ pointed me to another article about The Producers -- Apparently David Hasselhoff is going to play Roger DeBris in the London production. I'm not nearly as bothered by this as I am by the Tony Danza thing... I think "the Hoff" could do a great job as a flamboyantly gay director -- he's totally willing to poke fun at his macho-man image. And if he did a Christmas 'panto' in London, he's gotta have great legs, because they are known for putting famous male actors in drag for those things! (see my panto post from 2005.)
I get it, he's a song-and-dance man. I wish I could say confidently that he's a good actor, but with only Who's the Boss as reference, who knows? Having seen the Broadway production more than once (with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick) :) , I just wonder how the audience will react -- particularly to a skinny Max. Many of the jokes are funnier because Max is a bit... zaftig. But if Susan Stroman thinks he can do it, then I wish him well. After all, Matthew Broderick's first run was really a direct channeling of Gene Wilder's Leo Bloom in the (original) movie. It took him a while to make the role his own. So good luck, Tony. (oops, I mean, "Break a leg!")
While we're on the subject, Uma Thurman as Ulla in the new movie? AWFUL. I will say that Will Ferrel was good as Franz Liebkind. It was his sort of role.
...and now I'm going to have Springtime for Hitler in my head for days!!
Update: MZ pointed me to another article about The Producers -- Apparently David Hasselhoff is going to play Roger DeBris in the London production. I'm not nearly as bothered by this as I am by the Tony Danza thing... I think "the Hoff" could do a great job as a flamboyantly gay director -- he's totally willing to poke fun at his macho-man image. And if he did a Christmas 'panto' in London, he's gotta have great legs, because they are known for putting famous male actors in drag for those things! (see my panto post from 2005.)
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