The touring company of The Producers, starring Lewis J. Stadlen and Don Stephenson, has opened in Pittsburgh. Being familiar with Mr. Stadlen's formidable comedic abilities, I am even more interested in this than in the announced Los Angeles company which will star Jason Alexander and Martin Short. I'll probably catch them both…and I still have to get back to New York and see Brad Oscar and Steven Weber. So I have a lot of probably-great Max Bialystocks still to see.
Here is a link to an opening night review of the new production. And here's a link to another review, which does not seem to be based on opening night. It is curious to note the report that the show has dropped the "f" word, heard in one number on Broadway and on the cast album. Does someone think that audiences who come to see a show about a Nazi musical and a cross-dressing Hitler are going to be offended by that word? In Pittsburgh? Also, it seems that Lee Roy Reams, who has the showy role of the drag queen Fuhrer, missed opening night. This is of interest because The Producers is, after all, about stars missing their opening night performances and life has already imitated art once with an understudy taking over for the star on a permanent basis. Sure hope Mr. Reams is okay.