The 1968 film, The Producers was adapted as a critically acclaimed Broadway musical by Mel Brooks in 2001. Its first run starred Nathan Lane (who reprised that role during the show's first run on London's West End) and Matthew Broderick and won 12 Tony Awards, breaking the record held for 37 years by Hello Dolly! which had won 10. Although the musical has many scenes and jokes taken directly from the film, there are still many differences. Ulla has a much larger role, as does Springtime for Hitler director Roger DeBris. The character Lorenzo St. Dubois (LSD), a hippie who played Hitler in the 1968 movie, does not appear in the musical.

The musical was launched in other cities, including Toronto, Canada, with actor Sean Cullen playing the role of Bialystock. Unfortunately, due to low ticket sales, the musical was closed only months after opening.