I had a certain amount of trepidation going in to The Producers at Stage West. Having seen the Broadway touring production and hating it, I steeled myself for the worst. I was getting a delicious meal out of it, and even if a show isn’t great, Stage West is always fun. So I buckled in and prepared to be bored.

But to my surprise, Stage West has made me enjoy The Producers. I can’t quite put my finger on what it was that made it stand out from the previous show I saw, but I do know that I walked out of the theatre with a huge grin on my face. A big part of that is the casting, which, from leads to ensemble was absolutely spot-on.

The Producers is written by Mel Brooks. Max Bialystock (Sheldon Davis) was once the king of Broadway, but his new show flops and closes after one night. His accountant Leo Bloom (Mark Allan) realizes that a show could make more money as a flop then a success. The pair try to find the worst show in the world, and think they hit their mark with Springtime for Hitler written by Franz (Sheldon Bergstrom, one of the many show stealers). In the meantime, sexy swede Ulla (Jayme Armstrong) appears in their lives and begins to drive a wedge between the two. When the show ends up a success, trouble ensues.

“It has been a great show. I am shocked and amazed every night by how the audiences here receive it,” Armstrong said. “I had only seen the movie and I thought the show had such great potential, but I wasn’t really a fan of the movie. The reason this production works so well in comparison to others is the casting. Because it is so comedic and there is so much singing and dancing it requires performers that can do a little bit of everything.”

It is an interesting challenge to do the show with a smaller ensemble than the Broadway version. It is that much more work for the performers, and in fact some of the guys don drag for a few numbers.

“That is a reality in Canadian theatre casting, you always have to downsize the ensemble. It is frantic for the ensemble and they make the show happen. The showgirls are also the little grannies. Someone came to the show last week and said, where did you find all those grannies to come in? They didn’t realize they were played by the same people playing everyone else. It was a great compliment.”

While a vital character, Ulla makes her debut late in the show. The role has posed a number of pleasant challenges for Armstrong.

“A week before we started rehearsals for this, I finished playing Guenevere in the US tour of Camelot, a very demanding roll the polar opposite of this. It is so much fun to play Ulla because it is a bit of a vacation in a way. She doesn’t come in until an hour into the show and does the last big number before intermission. She does come out guns blazing, which is a challenge in itself because you don’t get to ease into the show. You come on and start belting and jumping off tables. It is interesting to stay warmed up and still feel part of the show when you are separate.”

The ditzy character is also opposite to her real life persona. “I had a great director tell me once that it takes someone incredibly intelligent to play dumb well. Otherwise it is just sort of flat. Any time I play a role like this I really look forward to it because it is so different. You couldn’t ask for a bigger challenge than to create something the complete opposite from you.”

Being in one city for awhile is a nice change as well.

“It has been amazing. The Camelot tour was every two days somewhere new. To be able to be in one place is amazing. I brought my dog out from Vancouver, I am getting to settle in to Calgary and explore lots of areas; friends are coming to visit; seeing downtown.  Getting a feel for the whole city and really getting to know my way around somewhere is really refreshing.”

The show is gay. Gay gay gay gay gay. In fact, a song is entitled Keep It Gay. Patric Masurkevitch’s director Roger De Bris and Joseph Davies Carmen Gia are absolutely wonderful as the over-the-top gay couple. While certainly playing on some stereotypes, it is so overstated that it isn’t realistically offensive.

“I heard that this is the first time there has been a gay kiss on stage at a Stage West Calgary show and that made me happy. The theatre community is really dependant on gay people, they really embrace it and love it and have so much knowledge of musical theatre. This is a show that celebrates them. Yes there are gay stereotypes in the show, but I am a stereotype. I am a tall swedish dumb girl. Max is a short Jewish chubby man. The stereotypes are presented in a way that is really entertaining, and with a lot of love and heart. I personally think the Keep It Gay scene is my favorite scene. Everyone comes out at these hilarious characters, it is lovely to see that on stage in such an open away.”

Aside from the show, many of the cast members are also “family.” In fact, Armstrong has taken them on as roomates.

“I am staying in a condo with three of the gay guys in the show. Aside from being surrounded by that at the theatre I am also surrounded by that at home. I jumped at the opportunity to live with three gay men! We watch lots of movies and make yummy food and go to the dog park. It is a really fun lifestyle.”

If you saw The Producers elsewhere and didn’t like it, I suggest you give the Stage West production a chance. If you haven’t seen it at all, it is a very entertaining night of theatre with awesome singing, hilarious comedy, and some amazing talent.

“If you are looking for a great night out and a good laugh, it is really enjoyable. I had never been to a dinner theatre show before, and this is the first time I have been involved with it. It is a show that is very funny and a little bit different every single night.”