The Producers

photo: Paul Kolnik

It seems right that the most-Tony'd-ever musical is going out with John Treacy Egan and Hunter Foster in the leads: not only are they an ideal team, they can also probably each claim to have played these roles on Broadway (Max and Leo, respectively) at least nearly as often than anyone else during the show's six year run. (Egan also put in time as Franz and as Roger DeBris: is that some kind of a first, three principal roles in the same production?) Besides a believable rapport that gives the show warmth, and drum-tight comic timing that keeps the show firing away at a machine-gun clip, the Egan-Foster pairing offers the pleasure of what is probably the best-sung Producers that's ever been. After Tony Danza's brief stint it's great to see the show once again working on all levels in its last weeks; too bad the critics were dispatched some weeks ago to see that bit of stunt casting, when it wasn't.