Springtime for Hitler… at Leipzig Opera
NewsThe 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.
The original was hilarious.
‘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.
Perhaps Mr. Ron was referring to the Third Reich original version, not Broadway?
Believe it or not – the Leipziger love it! The laughter in the audience and standong ovations prove it, and it‘s no wonder.
Shhhhhh…don’t tell Bortslap. It will disburb his reality.
I’ve an old aunt living in Leipzig. She went to the production and loved it to bits. It reminded her of the lovely stories of her parents, she said.
Sally
Too soon?
Years ago (2009), at the Admiralspalast in Berlin, they actually used pretzels in the same color scheme at swastikas for their banners.
I hope Roger DeBris’ part made the cut.