December 18, 2001

Playbill reports that Nathan's new schedule for The Producers will not include Tuesday evening and Wednesday matinee performances.

December 18, 2001

Nathan has received New York Magazine's New York Award for Theatre. Picture and writeup by Wendy Wasserstein are online. He is also one of Out magazine's Out100 (see December issue). And The Producers is listed at #3 for Entertainment Weekly's Entertainers of the Year. And the show holds the same spot in Time Magazine's Best Theatre of 2001.

Teacher's Pet will be featured on Disney's new Toon Disney channel.

December 4, 2001

Variety reports that the Jackie Gleason film Nathan has planned on starring in and producing (with Stanley DeSantis, and Mirage Enterprises' David Rubin) is a "go." The film is now called To the Moon and is no longer based on William A. Henry III's Gleason biography "The Great One," but going in a different direction. The screenplay will be written by In the Bedroom writer Rob Festinger.

December 3, 2001

Nathan and Matthew Broderick will host "Seasons of Hope 2002," an amfAR and BC/EFA benefit on February 04, 2002, at Cipriani in New York City. More information at amfAR.org.

December 3, 2001

If Leo Bloom Sold $480 Tickets, What Would He Do With Profits?

November 28, 2001

Nathan is expected back today in his first matinee in weeks. No official word yet about returning to an 8-show/week schedule.

November 20, 2001

The Producers cast appears in a two page Gap ad on the inside cover of this week's (November 23) Entertainment Weekly magazine. I'm told the ad is also running in Talk magazine, and there is a billboard at 42nd and 9th (see left - thanks Paul). There is also (as of today) a picture of Nathan and Matthew pondering free shipping at Gap.com.

November 7, 2001

Playbill reports that Nathan is back in The Producers (as of the 4th), but will not be doing Wednesday and Saturday matinees for two weeks.

November 2, 2001

Nathan is listed as a guest on The View on November 8.

November 2, 2001

The NY Post and the NY Times report that Nathan is on vocal rest "indefinitely." Brad Oscar will take his place in The Producers until further notice.

October 27, 2001

Nathan is once again the GQ Man of the Year for theatre. A full page picture and written tribute appear in the November issue.

October 25, 2001

The Producers has made it to the comics - Heart of the City, an online comic strip, features a little girl who wants to be Ulla for Halloween.

October 10, 2001

Nathan will appear on the Late Show with David Letterman tonight.

The coffee table book "The Producers: How We Did It - the book, lyrics and story behind the biggest hit in Broadway history" will be available in November. Click the title to pre-order the book at Amazon.

October 3, 2001

More pictures of the commercial at Playbill.

September 28, 2001

Pictures and stories about today's shoot for the NYC commercial at Playbill.com and BroadwayOnline.com.

September 25, 2001

From the NY Times' "For Theater's Supporting Family, a New Kind of Uncertainty":

Yesterday the League of American Theaters and Producers announced a marketing program to try to bring people in New York region back to Broadway and help the associated businesses that are struggling. The campaign includes advertisements featuring "I (Heart) New York Theater"; radio commercials featuring Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick and Kevin Spacey; and a television commercial to be filmed in Times Square featuring the casts of every current Broadway show in costume singing "New York, New York."

And an AP story about the commercial.

Also in the Times, Letters to the Editor in response to the Sunday Magazine article of September 2.

September 14, 2001

CNN's coverage of Broadway's reopening, titled "Broadway Shines Its Light", is available online with video including comments from Nathan and Matthew Broderick and the cast and audience at The Producers singing "God Bless America."

September 13, 2001

This Reuter's story reports that Broadway shows will resume tonight. Nathan is mentioned in the story. And here's a post-story and one with a picture.

September 2, 2001

The Friends in Deed organization is planning a major fundraising event for September 10 called "Target for Friends: Icons +Legends". Sarah Jessica Parker is one of the hosts and InStyle magazine reports that Nathan and Matthew Broderick will "be on hand to entertain". One of the auction items is "An Evening on Broadway in the Company of Joel Grey and Bernadette Peters" which includes seats for The Producers, a backstage tour, and dinner at Orso's. More information is avaiable at the Friends in Deed website.

August 31, 2001

Alex Witchel's interview with Nathan, "The Blue Mood of a White-Hot Nathan Lane", is the Sunday NY Times Magazine cover story this Sunday, September 2, and now online at NYTimes.com. You can also (for a limited time) see the cover shot here. They also provide clips and earlier reviews of Nathan's work.

August 28, 2001

"Recording The Producers: A Musical Romp with Mel Brooks" (the PBS special) on DVD/VHS is available for pre-order at Amazon.com Click here to see.

August 11, 2001

Telecharge has announced Nathan's vacation from The Producers from Tuesday, September 18, 2001 through Sunday, September 23, 2001. Brad Oscar will take his place. Tickets for these dates will be refunded, but no exchanges are available until after March (except for partial/obstructed view.)

Also, the official last date for Nathan and Matthew Broderick is March 17, 2002. It is not known whether either will extend their stay in show.

Some cast members from The Producers will participate in the annual "Broadway on Broadway" show in NYC this year, on Sept. 9 in Times Square. Brooke Shields will host and WNBC in NYC will televise the show on Sept 10.

August 11, 2001

Laughter on the 23rd Floor will be available at some Blockbuster outlets for rental beginning August 14. It's not clear whether or not there will also be a retail version.

August 6, 2001

The PBS special on the making of the Producers cast recording will be issued on DVD and VHS by Sony Music. Expected release date is October 2.

August 6, 2001

There have been two news mentions recently of CBS' deal with Nathan (which he alluded to in an earlier interview) for a new TV show. Some articles state that CBS will work around Nathan's committment for The Producers. From a Variety article :

Nathan Lane is mulling a return to series television, almost three years after his NBC vehicle ''Encore! Encore'' was yanked after a handful of episodes.

CBS has locked in a holding deal with the Tony-winning thesp, still soaking up the applause from his current run in the smash Broadway musical ``The Producers.'' The pact calls for the network to develop a project for Lane, perhaps for the 2002-03 season.

Because of his commitment to ``The Producers,'' it's unclear when Lane will begin working on a possible series. When he does, however, CBS has first dibs.

Lane's recent feature credits include ``Isn't She Great'' and ''Love's Labours Lost.'' NBC benched ``Encore! Encore!'' soon after its fall 1998 debut.

August 4, 2001
Another showing of Laughter on the 23rd Floor on August 7 at 8:00pm on Showtime.

Another

August 3, 2001
Click to view two video clips from Nathan's appearance on the Primetime Glick show.

August 1, 2001
Click on Nathan's picture on the Broadway Series website to hear him tell about theatre etiquette (Quicktime plug-in required).

July 31, 2001
Blockbuster is expected to carry Showtime's Laughter on the 23rd Floor for rent, but a retail sales version is unknown at this time.

July 31, 2001
The upcoming PBS Great Performances show on the making of The Producers cast recording will air on August 5 in NYC and then in other cities (most, but not all, beginning August 15). Airings after August 19 may be pledge-breakf-free. Check your local listings or PBS station website for air dates/times in your area. The Sony site also lists some PBS dates.

July 10, 2001
From Ken Mandelbaum:

The Producers was given an elaborate opening-week special on UPN, but a hit this huge must have another: On Sunday, August 5, PBS premieres its new documentary Recording “The Producers”: A Musical Romp With Mel Brooks. Brooks hosts this look at the cast album recording sessions, which is said to include performances of most of the score.

July 7, 2001
Nathan and Molly Shannon will guest on Martin Short's show "Primetime Glick" on Comedy Central, July 18 (10:30pmET). The show will be repeated on July 20 at 12:30amET.

June 9, 2001
There is some Producers coverage on this weekend's CNN Showbiz. To be rerun at 4:30am 3:00pm tomorrow, Sunday (eastern times).

June 2, 2001 --
Nathan won the Best Actor in a Musical Tony Award. The Producers won a record 12 awards. See the list at Talkin' Broadway.

May 20, 2001 --
The Producers has won 11 Drama Desk Awards: Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Nathan Lane), Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Gary Beach), Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Huffman), Outstanding Director of a Musical (Susan Stroman), Outstanding Choreography (Susan Stroman), Outstanding Book of a Musical (Mel Brooks & Thomas Meehan), Outstanding Lyrics (Brooks), Outstanding Orchestrations (Don Besterman), Outstanding Set Design of a Musical (Robin Wagner), Outstanding Costume Design (William Ivey Long).

May 19, 2001 --
Some recent quotes:

• "It's an embarrassment of riches," says Nathan Lane of the pandemonium created by his hit Broadway show The Producers. However, with the musical sold out well into the fall, the best shot at seeing Lane anytime soon will be on May 26, when Showtime premieres an adaptation of his 1993 Broadway performance in Neil Simon's Laughter on the 23rd Floor. "I was thrilled to be able to go back to a character I was so fond of and thought could be explored more fully," says Lane, 45, adding that he and Matthew Broderick may one day get a similar opportunity if The Producers, which is based on the 1968 Zero Mostel-Gene Wilder comedy, is remade into a movie. "They're already talking about it," says Lane. "I think it will be great, but I'm sure when the time comes they'll go to Jack Nicholson and Ben Stiller!"

• From USA Today: Lane said he hoped the success of The Producers would ''bring more attention to the theater.'' Asked what he would wear on Tony night, Lane simply replied, ''Armani. You can always count on Giorgio.''

May 19, 2001 --
Nathan is nominated for GQ Man of the Year for Theatre. You can vote online at GQ.com through June 15.

May 18, 2001 --
Nathan won a Best Performer (Animated Program) Daytime Emmy yesterday for his role as the voice of the Spot/Scott in the carton "Teacher's Pet".

May 8, 2001 --
The NY Drama Critics Circle have named The Producers the best musical of the season.

May 18, 2001 --
NY1 is showing the Drama Desk Awards live starting at 9:00pm on May 20 and re-running it on May 26 from 7 to 9 pm. WNET will show it on May 25 at 9pm.

May 7, 2001 --
The Producers has received a record number of Tony nominations - 15. The complete list can be found here.

May 6, 2001 --
Catching up on a few things:

• You can find information on tickets to the Tony Awards in this press release
• There will be a live Internet webcast from the Tonys on June 3 by Tonys.org
• The Sony website for The Producers recording now has video clips from the recording session - and a lot more.
• Unconfirmed: a show about the recording of the Producers cast recording will air on PBS Great Performances
• Uncomfirmed: CBS Sunday Morning next Sunday will be "The Producers on The Producers!"
• Matthew Broderick will appear on Live with Regis and Kelly on Tuesday, May 8
• The May 7-14 US Weekly has some photos from Producers' opening night and a story on Matthew Broderick
• The current New Yorker magazine has a Barry Blitt illustrated cover featuring The Producers and a review inside

May 1, 2001 --
The Producers has received 14 Drama Desk Nominations (tied for most ever). Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Broderick, Lane), Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Bart, Beach), Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Huffman), Outstanding Director of a Musical (Stroman), Outstanding Choreography (Stroman), Outstanding Book of a Musical (Brooks), Outstanding Lyrics (Brooks), Outstanding Orchestrations (Besterman), Outstanding Set Design of a Musical (Wagner), Outstanding Costume Design (Long), Outstanding Lighting Design (Kaczorowski).

Complete list at Playbill Online.

May 1, 2001 --
There is a photo of Nathan and Matthew Broderick in the 5/7 issue of People magazine - Star Tracks section.

April 30, 2001 --
There have been rumors ... but Cindy Adams (NY Post) and Michael Musto (Village Voice) seem to feel it's for sure that Nathan and Matthew Broderick will host this year's Tony Awards show (June 3). Update: now 'confirmed' also by Army Archerd.

April 30, 2001 --
Sid Caesar comments on Laughter on the 23rd Floor: "Yeah, I saw it, it was good."

April 30, 2001 --
The Producers is the winner of eight Outer Critics Circle Awards. Winners are: The Producers (Outstanding Broadway Musical), Nathan Lane (Outstanding Actor in a Musical), Gary Beach (tied for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical), Cady Huffman (Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical), Susan Stroman (Outstanding Director of a Musical), Susan Stroman (Outstanding Choreography), Robin Wagner (Outstanding Scenic Design), William Ivey Long (Outstanding Costume Design). Complete information at Playbill Online.

April 26, 2001 --
Nathan and Matthew Broderick are set to be on the cover of the June/July issue of Talk magazine which will be available next month.

April 26, 2001 --
I've been posting to links to articles in the More Info section of the Producers page, but here's a good recap of the success of the show: The Producers Phenomenon

April 26, 2001 --
On a different note ... Variety reports that Stanley DeSantis is still working with Nathan on "The Great One,' the Jackie Gleason biopic

April 23, 2001 --
Update: Nathan returned to the show on Tuesday, missing no performances and requiring no special staging. Nathan sprained his ankle during last night's performance. He is awaiting the results of a visit to the doctor. More in this Playbill article.

April 21, 2001 --
Nathan appears on the cover of the NY Times Sunday Magazine in photographs accompany an article called "Connected - Life in the Wireless Age". The cover, articles, and photos can currently be viewed at the NY Times site (you must register, but it is free).

April 21, 2001 --
Nathan is slated to appear Roundabout Theatre Company will stage its annual Spring Gala on April 30 in honor of Stephen Sondheim. More in this Playbill article. Tickets for the Spring Gala can be obtained be calling Marge Lempert at (212) 719-9393 or by sending an email to lempert@roundabouthteatre.org.

April 21, 2001 --
"Ticket Sales for 'Producers' Set a Broadway Record" - according to the NY Times, The Producers sold $3 million in tickets in one day, has five makeshift box office windows in operation and the St. James and the Shuberts have lent a hand, allowing Producers ticket sales at their box office across the street.

April 20, 2001 --
From the Sony site for The Producers cast recording: Listen to the entire album online in a special one-time webcast on Monday, April 23 beginning at 8pm EDT (5pm PDT), and tell a friend with a free multimedia "Producers" E-card!. Visit http://www.theproducerscastrecording.com/ for more information.

April 12, 2001 --
A little preview to the 60 Minutes show on Mel Brooks coming up this Sunday.

April 3, 2001 --
The Showtime version of Laughter on the 23rd Floor and the classic film The Producers will be featured at the 9th Annual Toronto Jewish Film Festival. More information in this release.

March 31, 2001 --
The Showtime movie version of Laughter on the 23rd Floor has set May air dates:

• 5/26 at 8:00PM - Showtime
• 5/27 at 10:00PM - Showtime 2
• 5/30 at 11:30PM - Showtime 2

March 28, 2001 --
Theatre Talk, from New York Channel 13, will air at a special time this week - 12:30am Friday morning. This episode will end with "a look at Nathan Lane and company rehearsing a number from the upcoming musical, The Producers. More information about the show at the Theatre Talk site.

March 27, 2001 --
Matthew Broderick took a weekend off from Producers previews for vocal rest. The cast album has been recorded. Details in the Playbill article.

March 21, 2001 --
PBS.org has interviews with some of the performers of My Favorite Broadway, including Nathan.

March 19, 2001 --
Nathan is featured on the cover of the April 2001 issue of OUT magazine. The magazine includes an interview and several pictures.

March 17, 2001 --
From the official site of the Producers cast recording (www.theproducerscastrecording.com/), these TV appearances are coming up:

• March 27 Cast appearance on Late Night with David Letterman (CBS)
• April 3 Cast appearance on The Rosie O'Donnell Show - listed as an appearance by Matthew Broderick
• April 9 Cast appearance on The Today Show (NBC) [rescheduled for 4/10]
• April 15 Mel Brooks profile with Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes (CBS)
• April 22 Opening Night Special (UPN)

March 15, 2001 --
Nathan was nominated for a Daytime Emmy award for his work on "Teacher's Pet", doing the voice of Spot/Scott. The awards will be given out by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences on May 18 in a ceremony at Radio City Music Hall televised by NBC.

March 2, 2001 --
The Producers cast recording, produced by Sony, is expected to be released on April 17. Available for pre-ordering at Amazon.

March 1, 2001 --
WOR and 60 Minutes are planning behind-the-scenes special on The Producers. The WOR one-hour show is expected to air on April 22nd.

February 19, 2001 --
Most links to articles on "The Producers" are on the Producers page, but this one deserves extra mention: A full page at Network Chicago, from WTTW, with RealAudio interviews with Mel Brooks, Nathan, and Matthew Broderick as well as "Fun Facts About Mel Brooks and The Producers" and "The Producers Original Cast - What Have They Done Since and Where are They Now?". (Thanks! to Phil and Felix)

February 19, 2001 --
Chicago opening night reviews are in from the Sun-Times and the Tribune (it's a hit!).

February 17, 2001 --
My Favorite Broadway: Love Songs will air on PBS in March (I think the first air date is March 4, in NY on 13). It will be pledge week in most markets - please check the PBS Station Finder for your local station schedule.

February 16, 2001 --
New York magazine plans a gay-themed issue, to hit the stands in two weeks. Though the cover photo was to include Nathan, it looks like that idea has been replaced, but hopefully he'll still be featured. More at PageSix.com

February 16, 2001 --
Nathan and the rest of the cast of Stuart Little have signed on for the sequel, Stuart Little 2, to be released in Summer 2002. More from this article from Business Wire.

February 15, 2001 --
On Tuesday, February 13, the sold out Chicago production of "The Producers" was a benefit for "Gilda's Club Chicago". Mel Brooks announced to the audience: "I called Gene (Wilder, who starred in the 1968 movie) a while ago and he sends his love to all of you. Enjoy the show."

January 30, 2001 --
It has been announced that Nathan will compete against Jodie Foster and Harry Connick, Jr., in the February 5 broadcast of Jeopardy!

January 25, 2001 --
The "My Favorite Broadway: Love Songs" CD is available for pre-order at Amazon. Here is the song list. The current release date is 2/27/01.

January 21, 2001 --
The Showtime/Paramount production of Laughter on the 23rd Floor debuted last week at the Palm Springs Film Festival. Variety has written a nice review:

"This is Lane's most developed and emotionally grounded film performance since "The Birdcage," and certain scenes (lighting a cigar like a nuclear bomb ready to explode, or spewing sarcasm at NBC's preppy brass) reveal an exquisite control of comic timing that Lane has previously shown in his theater work, but never to this degree on camera."

January 12, 2001 --
Yesterday there was a rehearsal-clothes preview for a small group of press in NYC. The cast did three numbers: the Bialystock (Nathan Lane) establishing song "The King of Broadway", a Leo Bloom (Matthew Broderick) song, "I Wanna Be a Producer" and the first act finale. There are several follow-up articles today at Playbill Online (also a Playbill Photo Call), the Daily News, Broadway.com and Video, the Post, and Theatre.com (WARNING - the Theatre.com article gives several spoilers in the show, including the new ending. If you don't want to read the spoilers, just scroll down to the bottom of the page for a collection of great rehearsal photos.)