The Producers Songs: A Complete Guide to the Musical’s Score
Explore every song in The Producers, Mel Brooks’ record-breaking Broadway comedy. Discover the score before you see it live at Ogunquit Playhouse.
The Score That Broke Broadway Records
Few Broadway musicals have a score as gleefully outrageous as The Producers. Mel Brooks’ songs do more than entertain. They skewer the theatre industry itself, turning show business ambition, ego, and spectacle into some of the most memorable musical comedy numbers ever staged.
From the wide-eyed daydream of “I Wanna Be a Producer” to the deliberately outrageous “Springtime for Hitler,” every song serves the story while contributing to a score that helped The Producers win a record 12 Tony Awards, including Best Original Score.
At Ogunquit Playhouse, The Producers runs from August 27 through September 26, 2026. This guide explores every song in the musical, explaining where each number appears in the story and how it helps drive the plot, develop the characters, and deliver Mel Brooks’ unmistakable brand of comedy.
Who Wrote the Songs in The Producers?
The music and lyrics for The Producers were written entirely by Mel Brooks, with a book co-written by Brooks and Thomas Meehan. Adapted from Mel Brooks’ Academy Award-winning 1967 film of the same name, the musical marked his Broadway debut as a composer and lyricist. It went on to win a then record 12 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Original Score.
Brooks’ songwriting is bold, theatrical, and packed with punchlines. Every number has a clear comic purpose, whether it’s introducing a character’s ambition, skewering Broadway conventions, or building toward one of the most unforgettable production numbers in musical theatre.
The Sound of the Show: Broadway Pastiche and Show-Business Satire
The Producers celebrates the traditions of classic Broadway musical comedy while gleefully parodying them at every opportunity. Mel Brooks’ score borrows the sounds of Broadway’s golden age and transforms them into affectionate satire of the industry that inspired them.
Throughout the show, you’ll hear:
- Big Broadway production numbers packed with spectacle and larger-than-life choreography
- Vaudeville-inspired comedy songs filled with visual gags and clever wordplay
- Show business anthems sung by characters chasing fame and fortune
- Warm-hearted comic duets that reveal genuine friendship beneath the laughs
- A show stopping production number that has become one of the most iconic moments in modern Broadway comedy
Whether you’re discovering The Producers for the first time or returning to a Broadway favourite, the score combines classic musical theatre traditions with Mel Brooks’ unmistakable comic style, making it as entertaining today as when it first premiered.
The Producers Songs: Act One
Opening Night
The musical opens by introducing Max Bialystock, a once-successful Broadway producer whose career has taken a dramatic turn. Fast paced and full of theatrical energy, the number immediately establishes the show’s comic style.
The King of Broadway
Max reminisces about his days as one of Broadway’s biggest producers in this larger-than-life solo. Equal parts boastful and nostalgic, it perfectly captures his theatrical personality and relentless ambition.
We Can Do It
Max persuades the cautious Leo Bloom to think bigger than he ever imagined in this fast-talking, high-energy duet. It’s the song that launches one of Broadway’s most unlikely partnerships.
I Wanna Be a Producer
Leo’s joyful “I want” song imagines a dazzling future on Broadway far removed from his ordinary life. It’s one of the musical’s most uplifting production numbers and a fan favourite.
We Go to Work
Max and Leo throw themselves into an ambitious new venture, meeting an unforgettable cast of characters along the way. The upbeat number keeps the story moving while showcasing Mel Brooks’ trademark humour.
Der Guten Tag Hop-Clop
This eccentric comedy number introduces Franz Liebkind, an aspiring playwright with an unusual passion for pigeons and theatrical history. It’s one of the score’s most delightfully offbeat songs.
Keep It Gay
Roger De Bris and his creative team put their own unmistakable stamp on the production in one of the musical’s biggest ensemble numbers. Packed with theatrical flair and comic spectacle, it’s a favourite among audiences.
When You Got It, Flaunt It
Ulla makes an unforgettable first impression with this confident, showstopping number. Bursting with charisma and classic Broadway glamour, it’s one of the musical’s standout performances.
Along Came Bialy
The Act One finale brings together the show’s biggest personalities in a lively celebration of Broadway excess. It’s an energetic ending that leaves audiences eager to see what happens after the interval.
The Producers Songs: Act Two
Act II Entr’acte
A lively orchestral entr’acte welcomes audiences back after the interval, revisiting familiar musical themes while building anticipation for the second act.
That Face
One of the score’s gentlest moments, this heartfelt ballad gives Leo the chance to reveal a more vulnerable side. It provides a welcome contrast to the show’s larger-than-life comedy.
Haben Sie Gehört Das Deutsche Band?
This theatrical pastiche opens the show’s famous play within a play with exaggerated spectacle and comic flair. It sets the tone for one of Broadway’s most memorable sequences.
Springtime for Hitler
The musical’s most famous number is an intentionally outrageous piece of theatrical satire. Bold, extravagant, and unforgettable, it has become one of the defining moments in Broadway musical comedy without losing its power to surprise first-time audiences.
Where Did We Go Right?
As events begin to unfold in unexpected ways, Max and Leo struggle to keep up in this fast-paced comic number. It’s a perfect example of the show’s escalating farce.
Betrayed
Widely regarded as one of the greatest comic patter songs in modern Broadway, this showstopping solo sees Max racing through events with dazzling speed, theatrical flair, and relentless humour.
Till Him
A sincere and unexpectedly touching ballad that highlights the friendship at the heart of the story. It offers a rare emotional pause before the musical’s exuberant finale.
Prisoners of Love
This upbeat ensemble number captures the show’s irrepressible optimism and love of Broadway spectacle. Even as the story reaches its conclusion, the laughs and big musical moments keep coming.
How the Songs Shape the Story
In The Producers, the songs do far more than entertain, they drive the entire scheme forward. Each number escalates the plot: introducing Max and Leo’s ambitions, building the theatrical disaster they believe they’re creating, and then unraveling as that disaster becomes a triumph.
At the heart of the score is “Springtime for Hitler,” the show-within-the-show whose deliberate awfulness sets the entire plot in motion. Its unexpected success gives the story its central irony and its biggest laughs, and the songs around it, from Leo’s daydreaming to Max’s frantic explanations, keep pace with the escalating chaos.
Experiencing The Producers at Ogunquit Playhouse
From August 27 through September 26, 2026, The Producers comes to Ogunquit Playhouse, bringing Mel Brooks’ record-breaking score to life with a full cast and orchestra in one of New England’s premier regional theaters.
For more than 90 years, Ogunquit Playhouse has brought Broadway-caliber productions to the Maine coast. Whether you’re seeing The Producers for the first time or revisiting a longtime favorite, this production offers the chance to experience one of musical theater’s funniest scores exactly as it was meant to be heard, live on stage.
View all current shows and plan your visit at ogunquitplayhouse.org/shows/whats-on/
The Producers at Ogunquit Playhouse
August 27 – September 26th, 2026 | 10 Main St, Ogunquit, ME 03907
Frequently Asked Questions About The Producers Songs
How many songs are in The Producers?
The Producers features 19 musical numbers across two acts, including comic ensemble pieces, character solos, showstopping production numbers, and reprises. The score was written entirely by Mel Brooks.
Who wrote the music for The Producers?
Mel Brooks wrote both the music and lyrics for The Producers, with a book co-written by Brooks and Thomas Meehan. The musical premiered on Broadway in 2001 and won a record-breaking 12 Tony Awards.
What is the most famous song from The Producers?
“Springtime for Hitler” is the show’s signature number and one of the most notorious production numbers in Broadway history. Other audience favorites include “I Wanna Be a Producer” and “Keep It Gay.”
Is The Producers a jukebox musical?
No. The Producers features a completely original score written by Mel Brooks specifically for the musical, adapted from his own 1968 film of the same name.