Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival Opens Mel Brooks Hilarious Broadway Hit The Producers
CENTER VALLEY, PA —June 3, 2025 —Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival proudly presents The Producers, the uproarious, Tony Award-winning musical comedy that took Broadway by storm. Based on Mel Brooks’ Oscar-winning 1967 film, this side-splitting satire hits the Main Stage at the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts at DeSales University, delivering nonstop laughs, show-stopping dance numbers, and an outrageously entertaining story. Previews are June 11 and 12, with Opening Night on June 13; running through June 29.
A record-breaking Broadway smash, The Producers holds the distinction of winning the most Tony Awards ever for a single production—including Best Musical. With a riotous score by Mel Brooks, this cult-classic musical comedy follows down-on-his-luck producer Max Bialystock (Scott Greer) and timid accountant Leo Bloom (Michael Doherty) as they scheme to produce the worst show ever and pocket the profits. But when their outrageous plan backfires and their disaster becomes a surprise hit, chaos—and comedy—ensues.
Scott Greer (Max Bialystock), a six-time Barrymore Award winner—including the prestigious F. Otto Haas Award—returns to PSF following last season’s The Merry Wives of Windsor and The Play That Goes Wrong. A 32-year stage veteran, Greer has performed with nearly every major Philadelphia company, including the Arden, Walnut Street Theatre, People’s Light, and the Wilma.
Barrymore Award winner Michael Doherty (Leo Bloom) has appeared in over 70 regional theatre productions across the country. Doherty’s credits span the Guthrie Theater, Berkeley Repertory (Theatre Bay Area Award), and Off-Broadway’s 59E59, alongside Philadelphia appearances at the Wilma and Arden, among many others.
Helming the production is director Jennifer Childs, who directed last season’s hit The Play That Goes Wrong. Select regional credits include POTUS (Arden Theatre) and Noises Off (Delaware Theatre Company). As Producing Artistic Director of 1812 Productions, Philadelphia’s all-comedy theatre, she has created over 25 original works.
“I’m thrilled to have Scott Greer and Michael Doherty leading this production—they’re extraordinary actors and clowns, with a knack for vintage comedy. Alongside the incredible Anthony Lawton, and our powerhouse ensemble, they bring this riotous show to life with hilarious cameos, ebullient songs, and ferocious tap numbers,” said Childs.
Lawton, alongside Greer in last season’s The Play that Goes Wrong, will continue his comedic streak as the wildly unhinged playwright Franz Liebkind. A Philadelphia theatre staple for over three decades, and recent Barrymore winner for Faith Healer (2024), he has captivated audiences in roles from Of Mice and Men to Romeo and Juliet. A gifted playwright, his works The Foocy and The Light Princess have earned multiple Barrymore nominations.
Joining Greer, Doherty, and Lawton are Broadway veterans Nicole Benoit as the dazzling Swedish Ulla, Robi Hager as the flamboyant Carmen Ghia, and Jamison Stern as the over-the-top director Roger DeBris,
Nicole Benoit reprises her role as Ulla—a part she’s mastered in multiple productions. A true triple threat, she has dazzled audiences from Broadway to international stages with iconic turns as Roxie Hart in Chicago, Sally Bowles in Cabaret, and, of course, Ulla in The Producers.
Robi Hager (Carmen Ghia) brings Broadway pedigree from Spring Awakening, Bye Bye Birdie, and How to Succeed…, alongside regional acclaim in Fun Home, Assassins, and many others. Offstage, he’s an accomplished composer, with original musicals like Little Duende (O’Neill Center) and Siluetas (world premiere Power Street Theatre).
Jamison Stern (Roger DeBris) currently stars as Paul in After Forever—the Amazon Prime series winner of six Daytime Emmys, including Best Digital Drama. Stern boasts impressive Broadway and National Tour credits, including Little Shop of Horrors and Beauty and the Beast. Regionally, he’s shined in Torch Song, La Cage Aux Folles, Young Frankenstein, and many others.
Choreographer Tara Jeanne Vallee brings Broadway flair (Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy) to The Producers’ show-stopping numbers. Her credits span Off-Broadway, National Tours, prestigious regional theatres, and the Grand Ole Opry stage, along with work for Disney, Cedar Fair Entertainment, and Virgin Voyages.
Chris Burcheri (Music Director) leads the cast in the vibrant score, fresh off Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella at Music Circus and acclaimed productions like Jersey Boys, Dreamgirls, Kinky Boots, and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.
The creative team transporting audiences to 1950s Broadway includes David P. Gordon (Scenic Designer), Rebecca R. Callan (Costume Coordinator), Mike Inwood (Lighting Designer), Damien Figueras (Sound Designer), and Andrea D’Andria (Puppet Designer). Rounding out the team are Kim Carson (Intimacy Director), Thomas E. Shotkin (Production Stage Manager), and Abigail Sturgis (Assistant Stage Manager).
Tickets can be purchased online at PAShakespeare.org, or by calling the box office at 610.282.WILL [9455], or in person at the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of DeSales University, in Center Valley, PA. Discounts are available for military, seniors, students, and groups of 10+.
The Production Sponsors are Lee & Dolly Butz and Alvin H. Butz Construction Manager. The Co-sponsors are Air Products, Diefenderfer Electrical Contractors, and Fitzpatrick, Lentz, and Bubba Attorneys at Law. The Orchestra Co-sponsors are Klunk & Millan Advertising and Uline.
Committed to accessibility for all, PSF will provide an open-captioned and audio-described performance on Saturday, June 21, at 2pm.
PSF invites patrons to enrich their theatre experience with a variety of engaging opportunities. Celebrate with the artists at the Opening Night Champagne Reception on June 13, or dive deeper into the production during post-show talkbacks with cast members following Thursday performances on June 19 and 26. Enjoy a specialty dinner and conversation with the director on Wednesday, June 25, at 5pm (reservations required). For a behind-the-scenes look, join us for a special Epilogue and backstage tour on Saturday, June 21, at 10am. Adding to the ambiance, patrons can relax to live music “On the Green” before each performance. In its ongoing commitment to accessibility, PSF will also offer an open-captioned and audio-described performance on Saturday, June 21, at 2pm.
The Festival’s 2025 Season Sponsors are Marilyn McDonald, MD and Joe Folger. The Associate Season Sponsors are Mary Bongiorno, Linda Lapos and Paul Wirth, Kathleen Kund Nolan and Timothy E. Nolan, Yvonne Payne and Edward Spitzer, The Szarko Family, and Harry C. Trexler Trust.
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival is the Lehigh Valley’s professional equity theater hosted on the campus of DeSales University.
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, the official Shakespeare Festival of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, features acclaimed actors from Broadway, television, and film, and is the summer home to over 200 artists from around the country, including winners and nominees of the Tony, Obie, Emmy, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Jefferson, and Barrymore Awards.