New Staging of Mel BrooksÂ' THE PRODUCERS Set for Arts Centre Melbourne, July

The Production Company opens its 2012 Season on July 11 with the Mel Brooks comic masterpiece, The Producers. This brand new staging by Andrew Hallsworth and Dean Bryant will star seven of Australia's best comic talents in a company of fifty singers, dancers and musicians.

Artistic Director, Ken Mackenzie-Forbes said 'We're thrilled to announce this brilliant line up of stars for our season of this great musical. Its success is dependent on razor sharp wit, glamorous show girls and outstanding musical performances. This season of The Producers abounds with all three.'

Wayne Scott Kermond (Anything Goes, Singin' in the Rain) is the opportunistic Broadway producer, Max Bialystock. 'Your Honor, I've been a lying, backstabbing despicable crook. But I had no choice…I was a Broadway producer.'

Brent Hill, winner of the 2011 Green Room Award for Best Male in a Musical, (Rock of Ages), is the stage-struck accountant, Leo Bloom. Bloom dreams of a life in show business but is afraid to take a chance. Bialystock and Bloom soon discover that they need each other to realise their dreams!

To shimmy and shake her way through 'When You've Got It, Flaunt It' is Christie Whelan in the role of Ulla. Whelan wowed audiences in 2011 with her performances in Anything Goes and The Importance of Being Ernest.

Trevor Ashley (Hairspray, Fat Swan, Liza on an E) is Franz Liebkind, an ex-Nazi, who performs a Bavarian folk dance to the 'Guten Tag Hop Clop' accompanied by his singing pigeons.

Rohan Browne (A Chorus Line, The Drowsy Chaperone) is Carmen Ghia, former dancer and the 'common law assistant' of Roger De Bris.

And Mitchell Butel (Kismet, The Mikado) is the extraordinary over- the- top theatrical stage director turned star, Roger De Bris with the hit number Springtime for Hitler

Virginia Gay (Winners and Losers) makes her debut with the company in the role of Hold Me Touch Me, one of the troupe of 'little old ladies' who invest in Bialystock's shows.

This Australian production will be directed by musical theatre wunderkind, Andrew Hallsworth and Dean Bryant (Next to Normal) and the musical director is Vanessa Scammell (West Side Story, Chicago)

The cast of 30, which will be performing with Orchestra Victoria, start rehearsals on June 18 in Melbourne.

THE PRODUCERS has Book by Mel Brooks & Thomas Meehan, and Music & Lyrics by Mel Brooks.

The Design Team are Set Adam Gardnir, Costumes Kim Bishop, Additional costumes Paris, Lighting Paul Jackson and Robert Cuddon, and Sound System Sound.

Wayne Scott Kermond plays Max Bialystock. Wayne is best known for his role as CosMo Brown in Singin' in the Rain. His other musical credits include Gypsy, Barnum, Chicago, Guys and Dolls, West Side Story, A Chorus Line, the STC's Jonah Jones and the MTC's Urinetown. Recently Wayne appeared in Smoke and Mirrors at the Spiegeltent and for The Production Company as Moonface Martin in Anything Goes for which he received a Green Room nomination. In April, he played the rogue Fagin in the Sydney season of Oliver. Wayne's film credits include Rebel, The Heroes, Kings in Grass Castles and Happy Feet. He recently recreated the role of Love Lace in Happy Feet 2. Wayne has been nominated for a Helpmann Award, two Green Room Awards as well as An Australian Dance Award. Wayne is a recipient of six MO Awards.

Brent Hill plays Leo Bloom. Brent graduated from WAAPA in 2008. His theatre credits include Maria in Twelfth Night for Bell Shakespeare, Cassius in Julius Caesar and Pet Shop Boy in The Distance from Here for Griffin Theatre. His musical theatre credits include the starring role of Lonny in Rock of Ages and the Musical Composer in Risky Love. Brent's Awards include the 2011 Green Room Award Winner – Male Artist Leading Role for Rock of Ages, 2010 Cranston Cup Champion, 2009 National Theatresports Team Champion, 2005 Actors Equity Guild Award for Best Newcomer, Outstanding Achievement Award – WAAPA Screen Academy and the award for Course Excellence in Performing Arts at Curtin University

More Articles by This Author...