The Producers - Original Broadway Cast - Chicago Tryouts 2001 - Springtime For Hitler 

Roger coming out as Hitler and striking that pose will forever go down in history as one of the greatest moments of any musical ever put to stage

Honestly, the fact that they just step for step recreated the staging and choreography in the 2005 film is honestly the best. I mean, "why fix what ain't broke" really...Like, this is impeccable.

This is actually the best version of this skit I've seen. I love how the guy playing Adolf breaks down with the light on him, like he can't stop laughing at what he's about to do.

I played the Nazi soloist at the beginning, I think I was type casted because I have blue eyes & blonde hair. But it was a fun show!

the guy playing FDR shouting "Oh Shit" is probably my favorite part XD

When I saw Stalin and Churchill a part of me was like “they’re not going dark enough to throw in FDR, oh god please don’t” but the other 99% knew he was coming and laughed my ass off when he did.

This is one of the most brilliantly choreographed Broadway numbers I've ever seen

Gary Beach played this so good as a hammy gay producer who goes way overboard at his first big opportunity on the stage. What a great actor Gary Beach is here! Pure comedy here!

I saw this play on Broadway in April, 2001. It was the 4th show of the production. A friend had gotten the tickets when it was playing in Chicago for $90 a ticket. By the time we went to the show in New York, it was a media craze. It was my very first Broadway show, and I still remember how special it was.

Little Easter Egg: the phrase "Don't be stupid be a smarty, come and join the nazi party" Was actually sang by mel brooks himself and was recorded into the broadway theatre of the Producers and the 2006 movie

Worst song to get stuck in your head

I was a Dresser in the Wardrobe department of this production. Mostly for the male ensemble, but it was such a busy, frenzied, show we all helped out with a lot of rapid costume changes for everybody. There was an equally frantic scene backstage. Everyone; Wardrobe, Stagehands, Sound , etc. learning what to do, where to stand how to get out of the way. Exhausting but exhilarating. This was Pre-Broadway so everything was being put together. Mel Brooks and the Director Susan Stroman were open to suggestions..I think it was Gary Beach's idea to have Hitler sit on the edge of the stage a la Judy Garland. It was also soon after 9/11 and people didn't know if an audience would be ready to laugh again. And to have Hitler and a Swastika onstage presented like that was outrageous and groundbreaking . Thanks for posting this.

I love that Gary broke out laughing while doing the pose and it took him a bit to calm down

I wish they hadn’t cut the Challenge Tap sequence.

Mel Brooks is a fucking god, this shit is so hilarious.

I swear that at 6:27 Gary Beach is corpsing (laughing outside of cue) because the audience is dying. In the film he looks a bit more sober in the same pose.

Gary Beach is perfection. He was then, and he always will be. His comedic brilliance stole the show from Nathan Lane and Mathew Broderick

Gary Beach was a treasure, & we are fortunate to have video of his performances to remember him by.

I love how at 6:27 he just starts laughing, like it's so funny he just can't contain himself!

it would have been a crime not to have recorded this . . .

I remember seeing this on bway and wondered how they would pull the human swastika off. Then this big mirror came down and tilted towards the audience. Genious!!

I saw this wonderful production 2 days before its official opening on Broadway. The place erupted at the curtain call. You just new it was going to be a smash. In all my many many years of theatre going this is one of the top 5 shows I have ever seen. Perfection from beginning to end. I will never ever forget it and am so sad the brilliant Gary Beach is no longer with us. He blew me away with his performance. Long live Mel Brookes. Thankyou for uploading this clip it had me roaring with laughter again. X

I love how the audience is laughing and clapping at Nazis dancing.

Love the gag at 13:03 like Roger only just remembered after that explosion of camp that he's supposed to be 'passing for straight'.🤣

Gary Beach is awesome. This is a long number too, thats dedication.

I never knew the latest movie was actually this close to the theater production. Well I say 'close' I mean identical. Bloody amazing.

Thank you for being a bad boy and recording this!!! Priceless! As someone who saw the original Broadway production 3 1/2 times (don't ask), I think this is pure gold (not fool's gold). A shame that every Broadway show is not properly filmed. Bravo!

not quite. in the movie we were able to see the reactions/disgust of the crowd and what was happening on the stage. Since implanting cast members in the audience was a costly idea, in the stage show the audience became actors themselves. Playing the part of the opening night audience. Therefore while in the movie Springtime only became a hit when roger come on as Hitler, in the stage show it was a hit from the get-go. with each cheer & laugh from the real life audience spelling B&B's doom.

Aside from the genius of this musical as a whole, and the spectacular Mel standing behind it, I really appreciate that we as people have gotten creative in shitting on Hitler

The cherry on top is FDR shouting “Oh sh**!!” as he’s shoved offstage

Pure Comedic Gold. Always has been. Always will be. P.S. For those who don’t know the actor for Hitler was the original Broadway Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast.

Oh, Gary Beach... What a marvelous talent. I miss him so much 💔

There’s so many layers of genius to this. Absolutely incredible.

It’s perhaps the most spectacular musical comedy number OF ALL TIME.

Was fortunate to see this on Broadway in 2003 (before I was even 10) - this was my introduction to Mel Brooks and I've loved his brand of humor since.

This looked brilliant. I'd love to see the whole show, live.

I’m currently the Wurst wearing Follies Girl in my college production and this is my fave number!

this really is the perfect cast for this show!

I love how Beach can't keep it together for a second

RIP Gary Beach .. you are missed 😢

"you're going out there a silly, hysterical, screaming queen" effing christ i DIE

I'm Stalin, you'll soon be falling, HA!

I'm going to be the beer stein follies girl in an upcoming production. Super excited!

brilliant. thank you everyone for an incredible play rip gary

I was in the audience 😁 in the New York tryouts!

I saw the show at this time... My boyfriend and i at that time were guests of Gary Beach for that show... I remember Gary liked the Judy Garland inspired references... i could really see them in this video... i was a little less influenced 20 years ago than i am now...

Saw this tryout back in 2001, glorious to kno I was watching a new classic in the making.

Thank goodness for this recording! Missing you Gary Beach!

I saw the touring production of this and went back the same week and saw it again, this time paying for better seats. It was that good, even with the replacement cast.

Amazing performance, wish I was there for the show.

I love the moment when he sings "here comes the master race" as the pretzel girl makes her entrance, comedic timing gold

I missed it because I was born a year later. now I wish I born before it.

If you fast forward to 11:55 you’ll see a crowd applauding people goose stepping in the form of a swastika hahahhah

That was amazing! I had a friend describe it to me & it's so much more impressive to actually see the stage production. So cool! Thank you for sharing this.

It's so terrible it's gorgeous.

The Best ever historical Hollywood spectacle ! Merci beaucoup for this incrediblle historical archive EVER VERSION rendering rendition.

still one of the best Mel Brooks movies

Goodbye to the wonderful GARY BEACH

I can watch this 1000 times and still laugh my a... out. 😂🤣😅. THANK YOU Mel Brooks.!

I saw the London production with Lee Evans and Nathan Lane and the Springtime for Hitler number was like in this video... with a tap number by Stallin and a Churchill appearance . The number wasn't cut at all...

Hitler's first pose was so great it even cracked Gary up! LOL!

It’s so cool to see people watching this for the first time! Especially since now it’s a cultural touch stone for so many people

The tap dance challenge is by my favorite part of this musical number.

+Kurt Wagner Actually it won Best Musical/ Play that year in Berlin

Anyone else notice that half the nazis in the row at the end are robots??

He also did that line in the original 1968 movie; his line in the Broadway version was a callback to that.

Was that Mel brooks at 5:00?

so this is a play inside of a play -.- ,,,,,,,,

I like that they kept Mel Brook’s voice in it lol

No one like Gary, loved him. Saw this 3 times on Broadway with great seats,,,,and no major characters called out

I was lucky enough to get a ticket when they first went on sale in Chicago. When the raves came out, could have sold it for hundreds when the rest of the run sold out!

I love the audience's reaction. makes it 10 x funnier 😆

11:10 exaggeration to heaven - love it :D

Everyone looks so happy because 3000 people are still alive

Hi Crissy here not Shinja, I am half French and have Relatives who lived throgh the Nazi Occupation of Paris. Many of them Joined the Maquis. The French Resistance. Not all lived to see the end of the War. Of those that did I had the Fortune of watching this with them when I had the Privlege of visiting them in Paris. They Laughed like Mad Men. The Wine flowed Freely that Night. Vive La France!!!

The guy playing Hitler looks like he had fun. Not saying he shouldn’t have either

This video by itself is a good reason to live

Gary Beach as Hitler is outstanding! Hilarious!!

FANTASTIC!!!!!!! THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR POSTING!!!!! THE GREATEST!!!!!!

this is NATIONAL TREASURE indeed ! ^^

Love, loved ALL of it! How can something so damn over the top awful be so freakiin' delicious!

Oh my life, Roger Bart walked right past you!

Side note: PLEASE be aware that this is taking place on a theatre stage in early Cinematigraphic-Age in Amurica!

This show was so good, I saw it 3 times in the limited run it had in London… Just so funny… I remember it was reported Nathan Lane was on the highest money in the West End at the time, but he was worth every penny in my opinion… Superb performance, from everyone.

Roger is a glorious ham.

What wonderful treat. Thank you for this video.

Man, I wish I could see this

Done this show on stage , it was the best show ever laugh after laugh, I wish it never ended

It was cut later in the run, and is often cut in regional productions. I prefer it without actually, but only because the transition behind the curtain is all the more impressive when it happens without all that extra time. And the jokes aren't *that* funny in the challenge tap. If your Roger DeBris isn't much of a dancer, get the scissors.

challenge tap > monologue THERE I SAID IT

My first Broadway show was The Producers - I had no idea what Broadway theatre was in my early 20s and my experience watching this - I was in Awe - then cringed - then shock as I thought - is this really happening? as i sunk into my theatre seat chair, not knowing that this was based on a prior movie. I was sweating waching this scene and was expecting audiences to be leaving! talk about anxiety inducing when you no idea ha ha! I watched it again last night and yep! I still was in shock lol. loved it! ULA sends her love!

Really treasure, thank you for this video :)

One of the funniest scenes from any show ever, IMO

They should have kept Roosevelt

I've never seen something soo fabulous

Surely the funniest musical of all time

This will not be shown on any stage in todays day and age 🤣

Thanks thousand times👍🏻🤓😂😂😂😂

I didn't think this was an actual Broadway play. I thought it was a play they did on the movie The Producers.

first off, congrats. Secondly, my advice is just to have fun with it.