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Wednesday, January 30, 2002

By Christopher Rawson, Post-Gazette Drama Critic

The things you hear at Sardi's. Monday, I learned that Pittsburgh may be the first city to see the national tour of "The Producers," the blockbuster musical by Mel Brooks that swept the Tony Awards last spring and has been selling selected seats for $480 on Broadway.

It was Thomas Meehan who told me about Pittsburgh's coup, and he should know, since he and Brooks co-authored the book. He said he looks forward to coming here to help launch the tour in September and that "The Producers" will play here for three weeks before moving on -- Cincinnati is second. No casting is final, but there probably won't be any big names: "The Producers" is a big enough hit to tour on the show's reputation alone, and, as Meehan said, its star is really Brooks, who is expected to be here for the launch, as well.

"The Producers" would presumably be the opening attraction for the 2002-03 Broadway Series, giving it back-to-back bonanzas, since the current series will end with "Mamma Mia" (Aug. 27-Sept. 8). But the Cultural Trust, speaking for the Broadway Series, confirmed nothing, saying only that "no contracts have been signed or dates set." So perhaps we'd better still keep our fingers crossed.

I was talking to Meehan at the party after the annual Theatre Hall of Fame induction (full story, Page E-20). He's a multiply talented writer, best known as the book writer for "Annie," but also a longtime New Yorker writer who back in 1962 wrote the classic comic piece, "Yma Dream," in which he imagines a party where he gets to introduce famous people named Yma, Una, Eva, Abba, Ugo, Uta, Ida, Aga, Ilya, Oona, Ira, Ina and more. (Can you fill in the last names?)

Pride of lions

In my revue of "The Lion in Winter" starring Bingo O'Malley and Helena Ruoti (through Saturday), I spoke of the play's "echoes of theatrical forebears," so I thought I'd check who those were. On Broadway, where it ran a disappointing three months, the leads were Robert Preston and Rosemary Harris. The 1968 movie, of course, had Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn. A recent Broadway revival had Laurence Fishburne and Stockard Channing.

As to Pittsburgh, I've come up with Walter Slezak and Margaret Phillips, Soldiers & Sailors Memorial, 1968 (Broadway tour); Earl Boen and Martha Schlamme, Pittsburgh Playhouse, 1972; Ray Laine and Nancy Chesney, Playhouse, 1982; Gene Kail and Audrey Castracane, McKeesport Little Theater, 1992; Howard Elson and Mary Rawson, Theatre Factory, 1998 (I wouldn't forget this one).

I'm sure there are more. Let me know what I missed.

Fizz all around

I've had lots of response to last week's item about categorizing actors as liquors. Fran Abraham suggests Karla Boos is a sparkling asti spumante. New York stage manager Jerry James says Nick Ruggeri is "a couple of shots of grappa, the kind your Sicilian grandfather used to make in the basement."

Josie Carey and her cast at Comtra decided Dave Neuhart is a shot and a beer, Dick Westrick a 12-year-old scotch and Annette Quinn a banana daiquiri. "While I would like to think of myself as a champagne cocktail," Carey writes, "those who know me best call me Cherry Kool Aid."

Ron Netchef imagines Ron Lindblom as a black Russian, Richard Rauh as a sloe gin fizz ("fruity and fun"), Fox Chapel student Michael Mitnick as a pousse-cafe (multilayered) and himself as a Foghorn white zinfandel (goes down smooth but gives one a nasty longtime headache).

David Crawford chipped in with Elena Alexandratos as a robust chianti in a reed-wrapped bottle, Susan MacGregor-Laine as a gin and tonic with a limey twist, Cary Anne Spear as a screwdriver, Barbara Russell as a can of Yoo-Hoo, Dixie Tymitz as peach schnapps and Joyce Sterling as a top-shelf cosmopolitan.

Bottom Line

Paid admissions at city's pro theaters for week ending Jan. 27:

Credeaux/City (79%) .................... 1,474

Lion in Winter/Unseam'd (72%) ..... 625