Nathan Lane Wants Jack Black In A ‘Producers’ Broadway Revival

After 25 years, there’s only one person Nathan Lane could imagine taking over the role of theater producer Max Bialystock.

The 3x Tony winner, who is currently nominated for Best Actor in a Play for Death of a Salesman, recently threw Jack Black‘s name into the hat for a potential Broadway revival of The Producers (2001-’07), Mel Brooks’ musical comedy based on his 1967 movie of the same name.

“Don’t you think if they could get Jack Black—that’s who I would cast,” he said on Gold Derby’s Awards Magnet podcast. “When I see him hosting SNL, he’s the most adorable, brilliantly funny guy. He’s a wonderful actor, but he’s so dynamic, and he can really sing. He has a great singing voice. So, that’s who I would go after, to get Jack.”

Lane acknowledged, “He doesn’t have to, he’s starring in several franchises. He doesn’t need to do any shows a week. But you know, for a lark … if you asked him really nice, maybe. To be honest with you, he’s the only guy I could think of that I would go, ‘Oh, that’s a reason to do it, to bring it back.’ To get to see Jack play that part—he has that same kind of Zero Mostel madness.”

But given the edgy humor in the original Broadway production and subsequent 2005 movie musical, in which struggling producer Max (Lane) and his accountant Leo (Matthew Broderick) scam elderly women into investing in a guaranteed flop, Springtime for Hitler, Lane is unsure if today’s audiences would appreciate the dark satire.

“I wonder if they’ll ever do another revival in New York,” Lane mused. “I don’t know, everyone’s become so terribly sensitive now. I think the only way you can do it is just to do it, and don’t apologize for it. We’re still laughing at the original film. Obviously, I didn’t see this new version in the West End, but I know it’s been a big success.”

Lane won the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical after originating the onstage role of Max Bialystock in Boadway’s The Producers, reprising the role with Broderick in the 2005 Susan Stroman-helmed movie, which also earned him a Golden Globe nomination. Mostel and Gene Wilder played Max and Leo in Brooks’ original 1967 film.