Mel Brooks was so brazen in its satire that major studios would not touch it, nor would many exhibitors. Brooks finally found an independent distributor who released it as an art film, a specialized attraction. In 1968, Brooks received an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the film, beating such writers as Stanley Kubrick and John Cassavetes. "The Producers" became a smash underground hit, first on the nationwide college circuit, then in revivals and on home video. Brooks later turned it into a musical, which became hugely successful on Broadway, receiving an unprecedented twelve Tony awards. With the moderate financial success of
Megan Mullally the role in subsequent episodes along with several minor roles. Mullally made her Broadway debut as Marty in the 1994 revival of "Grease", and subsequently appeared as Rosemary in the hit 1995 revival of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" opposite Matthew Broderick. In 2007, Mullally starred as Elizabeth in Mel Brooks' original Broadway musical, "Young Frankenstein". She can be heard on the cast albums of all three productions. In 1996, she starred in "You Never Know" at the Pasadena Playhouse. Mullally appeared in 2000 as Pamela in the multiple award-winning production of Chuck Mee's "The Berlin Circle",