The Producers, new stage version. Who played "Hitler" in Springtime for Hitler?

Cafe Society
#1

(If you haven’t seen the play or movie, it’s probably best if you just move along. It won’t make any sense to you).

The Producers is one of my favorite movies. The last time I watched it on TCM, the narrator came on afterwards and said that in the live theater production that was recently performed on Broadway, the character L.S.D. had been omitted as being too rooted in the 1960’s.

I can see their point in a way. The “L.S.D.” character, who played Hitler in the play-within-the-play in the movie, is certainly very much a product of the Sixties, when the original movie was made. At the same time, I’m a little disappointed. Even if the character, as a “hippie” was outmoded, is there an underlying characterization of being cool, avant-garde, and countercultural which is timeless? I think they should have exploited that.

But anyway, who did play Hitler in Springtime for Hitler?

#2

If you mean, who’s playing Hitler in the current Broadway musical version of “The Producers,” it’s Gary Beach. I haven’t seen the show, but from what I’ve read, he plays der Fuhrer as a campy drag queen, rather than as a hippie.

#3

Thanks, Astorian. It sounds like they used the campy character who directs the play in the movie.

#4

oh man, that cant be true. dick shawn is the funniest person in that movie, and thats going some.

where’s my goebbels? where’s my little joey?

#5

Actually, they did.

(spoilers to follow)

The playwright, Franz Liebkind, wins the part of Hitler after his rousing audition of Haben Sie Gehort das Deutshe Band?, but then breaks his leg on opening night, so the director, Roger de Bris fills in for him.

And history is made.

#6

As Essvee said, it was the delightful Dick Shawn. He was also great in It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

#7

And the actor who played Franz Liebkind (Brad Oscar) will be taking over the role of Max Bialystock after they fired the replacement for Nathan Lane. He was Lane’s understudy and has done the role a lot while NL was having throat problems. Looks like they’ll be casting a new Liebkind.

Roger De Bris is played by Gary Beach.