Brooks will also take part in the satirical daily TV newsreel "Striscia la notizia", the most popular and highest-rating show in Italy, hosted by Ezio Greggio, who directed the American actor in the 1999 feature film "Svitati" ("Screw Loose").

The Italian staging of The Producers received excellent reviews after the opening in Milan last January. The show stars Enzo Iachetti a popular television entertainer, in the role of "Max von Bialystock” and Gianluca Guidi, (Gigi, They’re Playing Our Song, Promises Promises), in the role of Leo Bloom. The Producers is directed by Saverio Marconi (Grease, Seven Brothers for Seven Sisters, Some Like It Hot) and produced by Compagnia della Rancia, and features Gianfranco Phino in the role of Roger De Bris, Simona Samarelli as Ulla, Fabrizio Angelini (who is also the choreographer of this production) in the part of Carmen Ghia and Marco Massari as Franz Liebkind.

The book and the lyrics have been translated in Italian by Michele Renzullo: the title song "Springtime for Hitler" has become "Primavera di Hitler", while other popular songs have been translated into "Si può fare" ("We Can Do It"), "Che sia gay" ("Keep It Gay") and "Ma che errore c’è" ("Where Did We Go Wrong"). Iacchetti was featured alongside Mel Brooks in the 1999 movie "Svitati" ("Screw Loose"), directed by Ezio Greggio.

The show will run in Rome through April 30, and will end its tour at Trieste’s Politeama Rossetti, where it will play from May 5 through May 14.

For further information about the Italian version of "The Producers" you can visit the show’s website at www.theproducers.it.