Yes!!
It’s been a while since I last sat butt in those deliciously upholstered really comfy red chairs. It when to watch… THE PRODUCERS.
It was ar Teatro Tivoli, in Lisbon. I have a picture of it here (the man selling chestnuts was not there).
The play tells the story of a guy, Max Bialystock (run-down theatre producer who got his money to put up plays by fulfilling kinky sexual fantasies for really creepy, old rich ladies - main poster, far left), who, together with his new accounting guy, Leo Bloom (who still carries around his baby blanket and needs to stroke it whenever he feels nervous), realise that it is more profitable to make a bad show than a good one: the investors give them money to produce the show (first rule of production: there put your own money in the show), they put on the play but if the play closed because it sucked, they forge the books and keep the remaining money for themselves. And so they decide to produce a musical written by a crazy Hitler-loving pigeon breeder (third from left to right), directed by the most gay of gay stage directors (second from right to left, guy in blue dress. Yes) with a screw that seemed like it just came from the Gay Pride Parade. Superb. Then, they ad a sexy, barely speaking English (in this case, Portuguese) hot secretary/receptionist - center - who dances and flirts her way into their hearts and other anatomic lower parts (…) and you have a Broadway production, filled with … well, I am not going to tell you everything.
The play, oh my God, it was pure theatre. The kind of play made to entertain. It wasn’t meant to educate or teach something, no, it was a play to entertain. There were these high-school kids there who clapped and cheered and whistled more than anyone else. They really seemed to be having a good time. I also did, but I didn’t whistled, specially when Ulla, the sexy Swedish secretary/receptionist showed off her assets (she is a famous soap opera actress in her 20's in real life).
(I had to include this picture because Leo is stroking the baby blanket)
The play began at 9.30 pm and ended after midnight! It was 2 hours and 20 minutes, give or take, plus intermission, plus delays. It began really late, like it does in most theatres in Lisbon, for a reason I don’t know why. I think it would make more sense to start the show at 8, 8.30. Like that, people would get off work at 7 (normal hour to leave work), go to the theatre, grab a bite in a restaurant close by and head off to enjoy a good overpriced show (my ticket was free, I am not complaining). Despite the price (that some people paid), it was so worth it.
I can't wait to catch another play!
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