ABSTRACT
A lover of Broadway, Brooks won the 1969 Academy Award for his screenplay of The Producers. Given The Producers playful and adult themes it was important to enlist the right director and choreographer. The Producers set a box office record with a single-day sale of over three million dollars, a record it would later break when Lane and Broderick returned to the show in 2003. The Producers swept the 2001 Tonys, taking home twelve awards, including best musical. The show broke the record previously held for thirty-four years by Hello Dolly, which won 10 Tony awards. Perhaps The Producers’ greatest contribution to the world of musical theatre was that it once again brought raucous laughter back to Broadway. It’s unapologetic sense of humor inspired musicals for years to come. The Producers’ irreverent sense of humor inspired theatre writers and composers for years to come, ushering in a new age of American musical comedy.
