Tony Danza to Play Max Bialystock in The Producers, Beginning 12/19

Tony Danza has signed on to play Max Bialystock in the Broadway company of The Producers for a 12-week run beginning December 19. He will be joined by original cast member Roger Bart as Leo Bloom. Danza is scheduled to appear through March 11, 2007, and Bart has signed on through February 11.

Danza earned an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for his theatrical debut in Wrong Turn at Lungfish. His Broadway credits include A View from the Bridge and the 1999 Broadway revival of The Iceman Cometh starring Kevin Spacey. This fall, he starred onstage in Los Angeles in the romantic comedy I Remember You. Best known for the TV sitcoms Taxi and Who's the Boss?, Danza hosted his own daytime talk show, appeared in a Showtime film of 12 Angry Men and was nominated for an Emmy Award for The Practice. His film credits include Crash, Angels in the Outfield, She's Out of Control and A Brooklyn State of Mind. Danza has also established himself as a cabaret singer and released an album of standards, The House I Live In .

Bart received a Tony nomination for playing Carmen Ghia in The Producers and later moved on to the leading role of Leo Bloom. He received 1999 Tony and Drama Desk Awards for playing Snoopy in the Broadway revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Other Broadway and tour credits include The Frogs, Triumph of Love, King David, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, The Secret Garden, Big River and The Who's Tommy. Off-Broadway credits include Fully Committed, Henry IV Parts 1 and 2 and Up Against It. Bart played George in ABC's Desperate Housewives and reprised his role as Carmen Ghia in the feature film version of The Producers.

The Producers has been running far below capacity for the past several months, leading to speculation that director Susan Stroman would turn to star casting for a box-office boost. Danza and Bart will replace current stars John Treacy Egan and Hunter Foster as Bialystock and Bloom. The show, which celebrated its fifth anniversary at the St. James Theatre on April 19, currently stars Brad Musgrove as Carmen Ghia, Bill Nolte as Franz Liebkind, Lee Roy Reams as Roger DeBris and Angie Schworer as Ulla.