December 13, 2005

Dynamic Trio

By Barbara & Scott Siegel, TheaterMania

Broadway's power couple, Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, could become Hollywood's next dynamic duo if the film version of The Producers -- which opens in limited release on Friday -- has the same kind of success the show had on the Great White Way. So what's the secret to the pair's chemistry?

"It's the sex. And we never go to bed angry," joked Lane when we spoke with him recently. Hearing that, Broderick smiled and expanded on the joke when he was asked if his wife, Sarah Jessica Parker, was jealous of his success with Lane. "She likes me to have my other life. My dark, gay showbiz life."

Lane and Broderick, as well as director Susan Stroman, were shocked that they got to work on the film at all. "We were recording the original cast album with Mel Brooks," said Stroman, "and, during a break, Mel jumped up and said, 'We're making this into a movie and you're going to direct. And Nathan and Matthew, you're going to star in it.' " Added Lane: "It's unusual for the person who originated the part on stage to do it on film, so I was very grateful and thrilled to be able to do that because it's a great part -- and great parts are hard to come by."

Ater the success of the musical on Broadway, Brooks asked Stroman: "If we were to make this show into a movie, what movie would you want to make it like?" She reportedly answered, "Singin' in the Rain" -- which was just wanted he wanted to hear. Brooks told her: "To me, that's a classic of what we call a head-to-toe musical where you see the dancers -- not just quick cuts to faces or eyes or ears, but you see a beautiful body in motion."

Broderick said he learned a lot from Brooks: "He was very specific about jokes. 'Don't take that pause,' or 'Do take that pause.' If he has an idea, he'll be very straightforward about it." How straightforward? According to Broderick, "He once said to me, 'If I give you advice about comedy, it's true. I'm Mel Brooks.' " Although Broderick had starred in musicals before, he was still a bit nervous about his singing and dancing abilities. "Since I didn't start [dancing] as a kid, I can't really tap properly," he admits. "There's a lot I can't do! Not to give myself a pat on the back, but I work very hard. I tired out the people teaching me because I'm very slow to get steps, but I'm relentless. I love dance. I'm ashamed to say it, for some reason, but I do." As for his singing, he conceded, "It doesn't come all that easily to me, but I can keep a tune pretty well, which is sort of all you need. The rest you can learn."

Putting their musical performances on film was a challenging experience for these stars, but at least they got to do it. So did Gary Beach and Roger Bart as Roger De Bris and his "common-law assistant," Carmen Ghia. But Brad Oscar and Cady Huffman weren't as fortunate; their stage roles of Franz Liebkind and Ulla went to Will Ferrell and Uma Thurman in the film. Stroman explained that Hollywood simply demanded there be more movie stars in the film. "Brad and Cady had to understand that this was no reflection on their talent," said the director. "This is the business of show. I would work with them in a second in other mediums."

Stroman reported that Thurman and Ferrell fit in easily with the rest of the cast. "Uma and Will have that fearless quality that musical theater performers have," she said. "They're excited about learning. Uma went into vocal coaching and dancing. I was lucky that she had done those martial arts movies [Kill Bill I & II]; she knew how to learn movement, and that's half the battle. She took to the dancing quite naturally." Stroman assured us that nobody was doubled in the film, particularly not Thurman. "She does it all, even a split -- although we had two people on each side of her!" Broderick also had high praise for his co-star, saying: "I love Uma. I think she's terrific in the movie."

After having done The Producers on stage for so long, it wasn't until Lane and Broderick saw the movie that they actually could witness their own performances. While both said that they hate watching themselves on film, audiences are going to feel far differently.