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 with most of the same cast and writers (including Brooks and adding Larry Gelbart). "Caesar's Hour" ran from 1954 until 1957. Brooks and co-writer Reiner had become fast friends and began to casually improvise comedy routines when they were not working. Reiner would play the straight man interviewer who would set Brooks up as anything from a Tibetan monk to an astronaut. As Reiner explained, "In the evening, we'd go to a party and I'd pick a character for him to play. I never told him what it was going to be." On one of these occasions, Reiner's suggestion was