Thursday, November 17, 2005

"The Producers" "Rent" due

My little Broadway heart is all a-pitter-patter in anticipation of upcoming movie musicals of Great White Way hits "The Producers" and "Rent."

"Rent" comes due first - hitting screens Nov. 23. Alas, I'll be elbow-deep in turkey innards and cornbread dressing so I can't sneak out Wednesday night to see it, but it's on my Thanksgiving weekend list (and the list gets longer by the day). I didn't see "Rent" on Broadway; I had to settle for a tour show at Atlanta's Fox Theater on my daughter's 16th birthday (she's 22 now, so you do the math). The film will be a real treat since producers were smart enough to use almost the entire original Broadway cast, including "Wicked" Idina Menzel and her adorable real-life husband Taye Diggs (Yu-um! Pass the spoon, please!). Fortunately, we don't have to wait 525,600 minutes . . .

And boy-oh-boy, we get a big old Christmas present with "The Producers." Let's see, a movie made from a Broadway musical made from a movie . . . well, go figure. Now this one I was lucky enough to see on Broadway - in previews, even - with Nathan Lane, Matthew Broaderick, and the entire original cast. And the big fat cherry on top? Mel Brooks came on stage to do his one recorded line "Don't be stupid, be a smarty, come and join the Nazi Party" during the "Springtime for Hitler" number. The audience went completely wild - woo and hoo! Check out the trailer on Sony's UK site here. Go watch Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, and - natch - the original The Producers with Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel to get in a Mel Brooks-mood.

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