Song of the Day: The Producers (“I Wanna Be a Producer”), words and music by Mel Brooks, is only one of the highlights from this hilarious 2001 musical, which starred Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick. The musical is an adaptation of the 1967 film with Zero Mostel and was subsequently adapted in 2005 for the screen. I was privileged to see the production on Broadway in all its craziness, including the showstopper, “Springtime for Hitler“. (And hey, the soundtrack also contains “Keep it Gay!“, so appropriate for today’s NYC Pride March!)
In his early career, Brooks and Carl Reiner teamed up to create a classic skit, “The 2000 Year Old Man.” Well, today, Brooks takes a significant step toward that milestone as he celebrates his 100th Birthday. He has received an AFI Lifetime Achievement Award and has been honored by the Kennedy Center. He is one of the few competitive EGOT recipients. In his autobiography, All About Me! My Remarkable Life in Show Business, he wrote:
Comedy is a weird but very beautiful thing. Even though it seems foolish and silly and crazy, comedy has the most to say about the human condition. Because if you can laugh, you can get by. You can survive when things are bad if you have a sense of humor.
The Brooklyn-born Brooks has been making audiences laugh through good times and bad for decades. Check out this song from the 2005 film adaptation [YouTube link].
Happy 100th birthday, Mel Brooks!
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