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By Andrew Gans
25 Mar 2004

Will Ferrell and Jimmy Fallon (background) in a scene from NBC's "Saturday Night Live"
photo by Norman Ng/Dana Edelson/NBC

Roger Bart and Gary Beach are set for the upcoming film of the Broadway musical The Producers, which will co-star the previously announced Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick and Nicole Kidman.

Variety reports that Bart and Beach will re-create their roles as, respectively, Carmen Ghia and Roger De Bris in the Mel Brooks film. Former "Saturday Night Live" star Will Ferrell is also in negotiations to the play the role of Nazi playwright Franz Liebkind. That role was created in the Broadway production by Brad Oscar, who will return to the New York cast April 6 as Max Bialystock. The film, like the Broadway musical, will be directed by Tony Award winner Susan Stroman.

Roger Bart was nominated for a Tony Award for his work in The Producers; he won his Tony for his role as Snoopy in the Broadway production of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Gary Beach won the Tony for his Producers performance and was also Tony nominated for his work in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. For his work on "Saturday Night Live," Will Ferrell earned a 2001 Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program. His many feature-film credits include "Superstar," "The Ladies Man," "Zoolander," "Boat Trip," "Old School," "Elf" and the current "Starsky & Hutch."

The original 1968 "The Producers" film about a conniving producer starred Zero Mostel as producer Max Bialystock and Gene Wilder as Leo Bloom. Others in the cast included Kenneth Mars as Franz Liebkind, Renée Taylor as Eva Braun, Christopher Hewett as Roger De Bris, Lee Meredith as Ulla and Andréas Voutsinas as Carmen Giya. Mel Brooks won an Academy Award Awards for Best Screenplay for "The Producers," and Gene Wilder was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

The current Broadway production of The Producers — at the St. James Theatre — stars Lane and Broderick, who are scheduled to be with the show through April 4. For tickets to the Broadway musical, call (212) 239-5800.

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