Company Carolina presents The Producers

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misstated the debut date of the musical. The musical came out in 2001, based on a 1968 movie of the same name. The story has been updated to reflect this.

It’s springtime for Hitler once more.

The student theater group Company Carolina is performing the 2001 musical comedy “The Producers” this weekend at the Historic Playmakers Theatre.

The show is about a producer and accountant who decide to put on the worst show ever and have it close in one night in order to make money. Eighty students auditioned for the show and 22 were cast.

“The Producers” is the second show of the spring semester, and the cast has been working on it since classes started in January, producing artistic director Elizabeth Moseley said.

Sophomore Gillian Rice plays the part of Ulla Inka Hanson Benson Yanson Tallen Hallen Swadon Swanson. It’s Rice’s first show with Company Carolina, but she said she’s had formal acting training since she was in fourth grade.

“I’m excited to get on stage and show the audience how much work we put into it and how much dedication and bonding has gone into building a show that’s so big,” Rice said.

The company rehearses six days a week, for at least three to four hours at a time, with the dress rehearsals leading up to the performances lasting up to seven hours.

“It has been a lot of work, and it has been very rewarding, but I think it’ll be even more rewarding to share that with the audience,” she said.

Moseley said producing a classic show puts a lot of pressure on her as a producer.

“It’s such a big spectacle of a show,” Moseley said. “It’s very costume-heavy and it’s a very flashy, big dance number kind of musical. And so there is a lot of pressure to get all of that together and to budget everything. It’s hard to do on the theater company’s budget.”

As a stage manager, junior Erik Koehler is at every rehearsal. He said he is thrilled to put on such a famous show.

“It’s exciting because people know these kind of shows,” Koehler said. “We’re just trying to do something different so it’s not the same old thing over again.”

Rice said her favorite scene involves the cast performing an awful and offensive Broadway show that the main characters hoped would make money.

All three company members said the show is incredibly funny, which is why Koehler said it would be a great break for anyone feeling stressed right now.

“It’s a great way to lighten the mood, especially around this time of year with finals approaching and everything,” Koehler said.

“This is a great way to remember everything fun and not to take anything too seriously.”

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