The true-crime aficionados return for the fourth season of Only Murders in the Building and, following in the footsteps of last season, bring along with them an array of surprises for fans of musical theater. Continuing to contribute to its gleaming reputation, Only Murders in the Building season 4 features a great cast, including Richard Kind, who comes from the stage and screen boasting a new tribute to the talent of Mel Brooks.
John Hoffman and Steve Martin’s critically acclaimed series stars Steve Martin himself, Martin Short and Selena Gomez as the respective Arconia residents, Charles, Oliver and Mabel. This season’s investigation leads the trio into the West side of the building in the search for Sazz Pataki’s murderer in Only Murders in the Building, where audiences are introduced to the new character, the eccentric Vince Fish (Richard Kind). However, there have been numerous tributes to Mel Brooks throughout all of Only Murders in the Building.
Only Murders In The Building Continues A Crossover With The Producers
The Cast Of The Producers (2005) Can Be Seen In Only Murders In The Building
One of the most notable connections between the two projects is Broadway star, Nathan Lane. Lane’s egocentric role as Max Bialystock in The Producers sees an aging, down-on-luck Broadway producer team up with Leo Bloom (Matthew Broderick) to succeed in creating a guaranteed ‘flop’, and consequently commit fraud. This role has surprising similarities with his character in Only Murders In The Building, where he portrays Teddy Dimas, a wealthy grave robber who’s involved in shady, underground dealings and lives on six in The Arconia.
Only Murders In The Building’s third season in the true-crime genre captures the heart of musical theater and creates a murder mystery around Oliver’s long-awaited project, “Death Rattle Dazzle.” Audiences are stunned in Season 3, Episode 7 “CoBro,” when Oliver searches for a new leading man, and opens the door to The Producers‘ own Leo Bloom. Matthew Broderick portrays himself in Only Murders In The Building, which leads to the exquisite cameo of Mel Brooks. In a remarkably meta scene in true Only Murders fashion, Brooks can be seen on a video call with Oliver, needing advice on directing Broderick.
Of course, the fourth season of Only Murders In The Building continues to shine light on the ongoing tribute to Mel Brooks, as audiences are introduced to Vince Fish (Richard Kind) in Season Four, Episode 2, “Gates of Heaven”. Investigating the Arconia’s West Tower, the trio meet this eccentric type who rescinds him as a suspect in Sazz’s murder. Kind is also credited as Jury Foreman in The Producers, a judge who summons Bialystock to trial towards the end of the film. While Kind’s role is brief in both projects, he is able to have a significant impact with his presence alone.
Only Murders In The Buildings’ Martin Short Almost Starred In The Producers
Short declined the role after his extended stay on Broadway’s Little Me in 1998.
Brooks began writing the acclaimed musical in 1997, and had originally suggested Martin Short for the role of Leo Bloom. However, Short’s appearance in the Broadway revival of Little Me meant that the comedy actor had already spent a large amount of time away from his family, and decided not to take the role of Bloom as a result of this. Although a shame, the role later went to Matthew Broderick, who performed in an incredibly successful six-year run with Lane, with over 2,500 performances before its adaptation to film in 2005.
The Broadway star highlights how Only Murders In The Building is inherently tied to The Producers through the incredibly successful casting choices. The show’s involvement in casting has been contributing to delivering a tribute to Mel Brooks since it’s premiere in 2021.
Source: Playbill
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