The Mel Brooks musical opened in the West End on Nov. 9, 2004, with Nathan Lane and Lee Evans in the roles of Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom.
Currently, the London cast is headed by Fred Applegate as Max and John Gordon Sinclair as Bloom.
In a recent interview, Nathan Lane spoke of his initial reluctance to step in for Richard Dreyfuss before the record-breaking show’s London premier.
Speaking to ”The Guardian,” Lane recalls a phone call from Producers director Susan Stroman during which Stroman cried, “You gotta come! It’s really bad, it’s not working!” Quoting himself, Lane is reported to have replied “Well, why did you cast him in the first place? He’s never done a musical before, didn’t you think of that?”
At the time, Lane flew to London just four days before previews started on Oct. 22, 2004. The official reason given for Dreyfuss’ departure was a back injury.
