Brooks would be proud of Marriott's 'Producers'

Staging the post-Broadway, regional premiere of "The Producers" means shouldering quite a burden. Fortunately, Marriott Theatre has actors Ross Lehman and Guy Adkins and director/choreographer Marc Robin to do the heavy lifting. This big, brassy block-buster -- Mel Brooks' affectionate sendup and celebration of Broadway adapted from his 1968 film -- premiered six years ago at Chicago's Cadillac Palace. It transferred to Broadway, where it earned a record 12 Tony Awards and embedded itself in popular culture before closing earlier this year. While scaled back, Robin's bouncy re-imagining retains the silliness and sassiness of the original, as well as its spectacle. It's classic Robin: tap-centered, very physical and grounded in showmanship. The signature visuals remain: sparkling, Rockettes-style dance numbers; a chorus of over-sexed, walker-toting, tap-dancing old ladies; and showgirls draped in pretzels and thuringers gliding across stage while Nazis parade in classic Busby Berkeley/Florence Ziegfeld style in the hilarious "Springtime for Hitler." The story centers on wily Max Bialystock (Lehman in a pristinely timed performance), a down-on-his-luck Broadway impresario who launches a get-rich-quick scheme with nerdy accountant Leo Bloom (an endearing Guy Adkins with puppy dog eyes and a lopsided grin). The pair decides to produce a sure-fire flop and run off with investors' money. They hire the flamboyant and inept director Roger DeBris (Bernie Yvon in a near show-stealing turn) to stage the musical "Springtime for Hitler" by deranged Nazi sympathizer and pigeon keeper Franz Liebkind (Michael Aaron Lindner). Along for the ride are George Keating's sinuous and sibilant Carmen Ghia, Roger's assistant, and Angela Feeney's Ulla, the Swedish bombshell Max and Leo hire. Ingeniously staged on Thomas M. Ryan's set (with levels that rise and descend to make the stage seem bigger than it is), it's a cheeky, shtick-filled show with humorous lyrics and a pleasantly unremarkable score.It's not perfect. The show runs long and the second act sags following the signature "Springtime." But Marriott's "Producers" succeeds on its giddy good humor and the chemistry of its leads, Lehman and Adkins, a couple of fine actors who would make any producer proud. "The Producers"3 1/2 starsout of fourLocation: Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire Times: 1 and 8 p.m. Wednesdays; 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 5 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 5 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 2Running time: About 2#189; hours, including intermissionTickets: $55 Wednesday and Thursday (with dinner); $45 Friday to Sunday (show only); $32 to $43 extra for dinner Box office: (847) 634-0200 or www.marriotttheatre.comRating: For teens and older