| As a major Broadway colleague said after seeing the show: " The problem is that they hired everyone to give the performance they gave in their last show". After the mega success of HE PRODUCERS, Mel Brooks discussed musicalizing both YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN and BLAZING SADDLES. Unlike THE PRODUCERS, which already had the bones of a musical comedy, neither YF nor BS really did. The material (the book) wasn't very good. No one stood out in the cast, especially - even though mujch talent was on the stage. It's also true that Broks jetissoned many of the Broadway savvy folk who worked on YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN. He felt he knew all the answers after THR PRODUCERS. Although THE NIGHT THEY RAIDED MINSKY'S died out of town, director Mike Ockrent was half of a great team with Stroman. He died at 53 at the end of 1999. I know from colleagues that he and STro were both involved in the early development of THE PRODUCERS. Keep in mind that, as a director, the only Broadway hit that Stroman has had was CONTACT - which was a dance only show. |
