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End of Broadway road for The Producers

23/04/2007

Mel Brooks' widely acclaimed musical The Producers has been performed for the final time on New York's Broadway.

The show, which won a record 12 Tony awards when it was first performed in 2001, came to an end in a matinee performance at St James Theatre yesterday.

Another Brooks show, Young Frankenstein, is believed to be earmarked to take its place at the theatre after its six-year run.

Performed in front of a select audience of fans and journalists, the show closed with John Treacy Egan and Hunter Foster playing the lead roles of Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom.

Brooks himself took to the stage for the final curtain call to express his thanks to all involved in the play's phenomenal success.

"It has been the best experience for me since the second world war…and with just about as much noise," he said.

"We have had six years of frolic and joy, and you have been such an incredibly good audience to really cap it off and give us such a rich, final performance. I love everybody on stage, backstage and out front."

Nathan Lane originally starred as Max while Matthew Broderick took on the role of Leo to great critical acclaim.

The show has gone on to be performed worldwide and is currently on at the Palace Theatre in Manchester starring comedians Peter Kay and Joe Pasquale before a UK-wide tour.

Originally based on Brooks' 1968 film of the same name, The Producers centres on producers Max and Leo's attempts to make money out of a down-at-heel Broadway show about Hitler.

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