NO matter how many times they get out, it keeps dragging them back in. Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane, the original – and the best – Leo and Max in "The Producers," have been asked to reprise their roles one last time before the show ends its seven-year run in June, The Post has learned. They haven’t accepted the offer yet, but production sources say the plan is for Broderick and Lane to rejoin "The Producers" at the St. James Theatre in May and send the show off with a bang on June 24. Mel Brooks, the creator of "The Producers," is planning to open his next musical, "Young Frankenstein," at the St. James in October. A spokesman for "The Producers" yesterday declined to comment on the offer, but said: "Nathan and Matthew have always had a standing invitation to come back to the show whenever they would like to. They’re family, we love them, and the show will always be their home should they wish to come here." Since the holidays, "The Producers" has weakened at the box office, with weekly grosses dropping from $1 million to $600,000. Tony Danza was brought in as Max to boost ticket sales during the winter doldrums, but the general sense on Broadway is that "The Producers" has run its course. Its advance stands at slightly more than $1 million, and last fall the show posted a couple of money-losing weeks. Broderick and Lane would certainly lift the box office. Industry insiders speculate premium seats could go as high as $400, and ticket scalpers say they could get as much as $1,000 a ticket for Broderick and Lane’s final hurrah. "The sky’s the limit," says one broker. "Everybody knows this is the last time you’ll see these two guys in their greatest roles." Production sources say the two actors could command huge salaries to close out the "The Producers." When they stepped back into the show three years ago, they each earned about $120,000 a week. This time, they could get as much as $175,000 a week for their six-week stint. But will they do it?
NY Post
I hope they do because then the show could go out in style and not saying that Tony Danza killed the show.
