Matthew Broderick Trying" and was nominated for another Tony for his role in the Mel Brooks 2001 stage version of "The Producers". In the latter production, he played Leopold "Leo" Bloom, an accountant who co-produces a musical designed to fail, but which turns out to be successful. Broderick reprised the role in the 2005 film adaptation of the same name. Broderick was reunited with his co-star from "The Lion King" and "The Producers", Nathan Lane, in "The Odd Couple", which opened on Broadway in October 2005. He appeared on Broadway as a college professor in "The Philanthropist", running April 10 through June
Mel Brooks Brooks started working in various Borscht Belt resorts and nightclubs in the Catskill Mountains as a drummer and pianist. Around this time, he changed his professional name to "Mel Brooks" (from his mother's maiden name Brookman) after being confused with the Borscht Belt trumpet player Max Kaminsky. After a regular comic at one of the nightclubs was too sick to perform one night, Brooks started working as a stand-up comic, telling jokes and doing movie-star impressions. He also began acting in summer stock in Red Bank, New Jersey, and did some radio work. He eventually worked his way up to