When I was a student, every spring my high school chorus teacher would select a musical for us to watch for our final exam. One year she chose a 2005 film called THE PRODUCERS, and my life forever changed after watching that zany musical film. The whole classroom was in stitches with its comedy, bobbing our heads along to the catchy tunes. There were shouts of “KEY CHANGE!” during class the following fall during rehearsals whenever our selected songs included a key change. It was a fantastic and magical time, and I have forever clung to these fond memories surrounding that film.
When it was announced that Takahiro Hamada and Tomohiro Kamiyama of WEST. were cast as Max Bialystock and Leopold “Leo” Bloom, there was no doubt in my mind that I needed to attend the Japanese production of THE PRODUCERS. I wanted to relive a nostalgic time of my youth while supporting a production that was near and dear to my heart.
THE PRODUCERS takes place in 1959 New York during opening night for the newest production by theatrical producer Max Bialystock, played by Hamada, who produced a musical version of Hamlet called Funny Boy. As the musical ends, the patrons rush out onto the streets declaring it to be the worst musical that they have ever seen. To the homeless population hanging around the theater and to those passing by, Bialystock reminds everyone that, before he became a producer, he was once the King of Broadway in the song of the same name.
It’s this song where we get our first glimpse into the type of person Bialystock is, and Hamada does a fantastic job bringing us into the world of what kind of person his character is. Bialystock is cocky and sees himself as this eternal reigning dignitary who is still clinging to his glory days. All those that are forced to listen to him almost have this edge to their expressions where they are close to rolling their eyes at his grandiose stories, but it’s the way that Hamada acts that makes the audience distrust him from the very start.
It isn’t until Leo Bloom, played by Kamiyama, comes to Bialystock’s office the next day to audit his books that the audience truly sees how despicable of a human being Bialystock is. The set is dressed in a way that we, the audience, can tell Bialystock has fallen on hard times and is currently living in his office. But it is only when one of his elderly “investors” comes to drop off a check and engage in a sexual roleplay that the layers of Bialystock are peeled back more and more. The elderly women he entertains are financing his failing musicals but they are also how he pays for his daily expenses.
Bloom, in comparison, is the complete foil to Bialystock. A mousy and timid accountant, Bloom is the kind of character that easily collapses into a nervous wreck and gives into pressure despite his strong moral compass. This can be seen when, upon spotting an accounting error in Bialystock’s books and asks for a minute of Bialystock’s time, Bloom pulls out his blue blanket to calm himself down upon being repeatedly pressured to finish explaining the error within the time limit. This panic only increases tenfold upon his blanket being touched by Bialystock.
It is only through Kamiyama’s own acting that we are able to see this stark contrast between our two leads. His movements during this particular scene are erratic in his panic and his over the top expressions are the perfect foil to Hamada’s more relaxed and deadpan ones as he does everything in his power to calm Bloom down. Kamiyama also has a sweetness and purity to his acting that reflects the almost naïve way that Bloom sees the world.
Despite all of this, the catalyst for the main plot of the show comes from Bloom! While Kamiyama’s character is smudging a $2,000 discrepancy in Bialystock’s accounting books, he remarks that a producer could profit more from a musical that flops compared to one that becomes a smash hit. Seeing dollar signs floating in the air around them, Hamada’s character cooks up a scheme to find the worst musical ever, hire the worst director in New York on top of raising 2 million dollars in investment in order to make the musical close after only one night. When the musical has closed, the pair will run off to Rio with their money. All of this is proposed in the catchy song We Can Do It which ends with Bloom saying he can’t engage in such nefarious deeds and runs back to his accounting job.
In our initial introduction to Bloom, we see him as this bright and wondrous character who is the epitome of the phrase “a soft cinnamon roll,” but it isn’t until we see him in his day job at his accounting firm that makes the audience ponder how he can be this way. In this particular scene, it begins with Bloom’s fellow accountants singing about how unhappy they are, Bloom joining in before he bursts out into the song I Wanna Be a Producer.
For as long as he could remember, Bloom had wanted to be a producer on Broadway, and he so desperately wants to follow in Bialystock’s footsteps. There is a twinkle of hope in his eyes despite the dreary environment he is in, and Kamiyama’s acting shines in this number as it evolves into a full song and dance number complete with chorus girls dressed in extravagant outfits. There is a careful way Kamiyama displays Bloom slowly becoming convinced by Bialystock’s words until he quits his job to follow his dreams.
The way that Hamada and Kamiyama display the growing bond of Bialystock and Bloom is truly incredible from the very beginning of their interactions through their search to succeed in their nefarious plot to make a million dollars each. From their first meeting, where Bloom knew exactly who Bialystock was despite those that came before him being unaware of his Broadway history, to their search for the perfect horrid musical, these two characters establish a fast connection that bonds them together. They are both working towards a common goal, but, at the same time, they are a pair that balance each other’s faults and raise each other’s good points up.
For example, when meeting with Franz Liebkind, played by Yuji Kishi, who is the author of their selected worst musical, Springtime for Hitler, Bialystock jumps right into negotiations with Liebkind. He makes outlandish promises, dragging Bloom along every curve, while Bloom’s moral compass makes him hesitate or try to outright deny Liebkind’s demands for fear of death. Meanwhile, when trying to sign on director Roger De Bris, played by Niiro Shinya, to direct Springtime for Hitler, Bloom’s sensitivity intrigues De Bris while Bialystock’s promise of a Tony play towards De Bris’s long standing dream. It’s through both of these facets of their personalities that De Bris agrees to direct Springtime for Hitler.
There is a delicate balance between these two characters as to who they are as people on top of how they are portrayed. Without the right actor in the roles, the over the top and outlandish personalities of both characters would fall flat on stage. Both Bialystock and Bloom have a bit of cartoonish edge to them, an almost sense of disbelief that either could exist in the real world, but it is through Hamada and Kamiyama’s performances that this disbelief can be suspended during the course of the musical. They breathe life into the words in their scripts to make the audience believe these two characters are as real as the person sitting next to them in the theater.
It’s this humanity that they bring to these larger than life characters that is truly spectacular to watch, but Hamada and Kamiyama also show off the lustful side of human nature in their roles. When the pair return to their office after securing De Bris as their director, they are soon met by Ulla Inga Hansen Benson Yansen Tallen Hallen Svaden Swason, a Swedish actress played by Orin, who heard they are producing a musical and want to audition. Despite not being ready to cast, Bialystock convinces Bloom to allow her to audition. Ulla shows off all of her assets in her self-written song If You’ve Got It, Flaunt It, with the producer pair not so subtly staring at her the whole time. Without a role to cast her in at that time, they offer her a job as their secretary until they have a role for her.
Many of THE PRODUCERS’ musical numbers are smaller scale, not needing a huge song and dance performance to get across the power of its’ performances. First act songs like We Can Do It and Der Guten Tag Hop Clop, as well as the second act songs That Face, You Never Say ‘Good Luck’ on Opening Night, and Where Did We Go Right? are focused on the singing with small dance numbers that keep the audience engaged. There’s also comedy injected into these performances that keep the audience laughing all the way through them.
It isn’t to say that THE PRODUCERS can’t do a large song and dance number befitting a Broadway production. The musical shows off these kinds of performances in songs like one of the last first act songs Along Came Bialy, where Bialystock is raising the $2 million from elderly New York women. Where the production really hits its stride for large scale performances is in the song Springtime for Hitler, and it shows off exactly the talent the entire cast has.
The beginning of the song showcases the Nazi era of German history, full of symbolism and written lyrics that are meant to honor a dark time in World History. It is only halfway through the performance that this changes. Originally in this musical within a musical, the character of Liebkind was meant to play the titular character of Hitler, but he had fallen and broken his leg minutes before the curtain rose. De Bris steps in his stead, and the song turns into more of a satire of one of the worst men in history due to De Bris’ flamboyant portrayal of the character. This, in turn, leads the musical Springtime for Hitler to be a hit instead of the flop Bialystock and Bloom intended it to be.
The end of the musical holds several gems of character growth and portrayal that showed off the absolute talent of Kamiyama and Hamada. Despite the things he has done to achieve his goal of being a Broadway producer, when Springtime for Hitler succeeds, Bloom goes into the safe of the pair’s office to get the accounting books to bring them to the police. He continues to be the moral center, and Kamiyama’s acting is perfect in this scene. His dejection and hopelessness pull at the heartstrings, and you cannot help but want to give him a hug for everything that he has been through. But there is still a part of him that has been influenced by Bialystock, and he is easily convinced by Ulla to run off to Rio with the $2 million.
Hamada on the other hand shines in his comedy during the late act two song Betrayed. Bialystock, from his prison cell, receives a postcard from Bloom and Ulla from Rio as he awaits his trial, and he pours his heart out in the betrayal he feels. There is a bit of comedy thrown into the song with Bialystock giving a quick rundown of the contents of the musical up until this point, including bits of each song, but the performance comes to a standstill halfway. Hamada stops the performance to eat as well as show off the pamphlet before launching back into the remaining part of the song. The entire thing is pure comedic gold!
But that is the kind of musical THE PRODUCERS is. It’s a hilarious comedy that is easy to sit back and enjoy without needing to think too hard about or consider the implications of the actions of our main characters. We know from the very beginning the kind of people we are dealing with, but, at the same time, we are secretly rooting for their plans to succeed. The way that not only Hamada but Kamiyama immerse themselves into these two very different characters makes it easy to enjoy what is being presented on stage. Their bond as actors as well as members of WEST. make the perfect combination, and I couldn’t imagine any other combination to make Bialystock and Bloom come to life.
THE PRODUCERS is a nostalgic piece of media for me. It reminds me of a simpler time before adult worries took over and getting to relive a part of that time of my life was a wonderful experience. From beginning to end, the entire cast put on a show full of life and humor that had the entire audience laughing at the jokes throughout the entire show. Hamada and Kamiyama were the shining stars of the musical, and I cannot express my gratitude to them for bringing life to one of my favorite musical movies. I cannot wait to see what kind of roles both of them will take on in their next stage endeavor!
THE PRODUCERS is being performed at the Tokyu Theater Orb from November 8th to December 6th.
Don’t forget to follow Kamiyama on his Instagram account as well as follow Hamada on his Instagram as well!