Springtime for Hitler… at Leipzig Opera

Springtime for Hitler… at Leipzig Opera

News

norman lebrecht

December 20, 2023

The Juedische Allgemeine reviews a new operatic production of Mel Brooks’ The Producers:

… the director adds a few subtle contemporary punchlines to the original year of events, 1959. If a bird’s shit is covered up with a swastika armband or an applicant appears in a pair of crutches during the casting for the lead role, the audience has no trouble recognizing who is being referred to and – with all due respect – being taken for a ride.

It’s a firework of slapstick and perfect dance numbers, but above all of punchlines and innuendos. The Great Dictator’s globe flies through the room, or a Hitler actor makes fun of the Hitler salute with “Heil mir ihr”…

Read on hier.

Comments

  • Mr. Ron says:

    The original was hilarious.

    • John Borstlap says:

      ‘The Producers’ was really only funny for anglo-saxon audiences. For continentals it was not funny at all, and it is not difficult to understand why. I doubt whether the Leipzigers would really much appreciate such subject.

  • Tiredofitall says:

    Too soon?

  • Ich bin Ereignis says:

    Years ago (2009), at the Admiralspalast in Berlin, they actually used pretzels in the same color scheme at swastikas for their banners.

  • CRwang says:

    I hope Roger DeBris’ part made the cut.

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