At an emotional ending to the Broadway musical "The Producers," the curtain came down as the cast took its final bows after a run of 2,502 performances, starting in 2001.
After the call, Mel Brooks director-choreographer Susan Stroman and co-book writer Thomas Meehan took the stage to eplosive applause as the crowd showed their appreciation.
"It has been the best experience for me since World War II. And (with) just about as much noise," joked Brooks, who also wrote the show's music and lyrics. "We have had six years ... of frolic and joy, and you have been such an incredibly good audience to really cap it off and give us such a rich, final performance. I love everybody on stage, backstage and out front."
The show has won a record-breaking 12 Tony Awards. It opened in April of 2001 and became an instant hit.
Over the course of the show, "The Producers" grossed over $1 billion around the world in ticket sales. The original cast was
Nathan Lane as Max and Matthew Broderick as Leo, and featured Cady Huffman as Ulla, Gary Beach as Roger de Bris and Roger Bart as Carmen Ghia.
Brooks is expected to choose St. James Theatre as the home of his next production "Young Franenstein," which is based upon his 1974 movie. Brooks has already enlisted Susan Stroman to direct this project as well.
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