Mel Brooks’ outrageous comedy “The Producers” opens at Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival and Players of the Stage is holding a murder mystery fundraiser.

The Producers” runs June 11 to June 29 on the Main Stage at DeSales University, Center Valley.

Players of the Stage will present Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre, 6 p.m. June 13 at Cedar Crest Bible Fellowship, Allentown.

Based on Brooks’ 1967 film of the same title, “The Producers” has music and lyrics by Brooks and book by Brooks and Thomas Meehan.

The story follows washed-up Broadway producer Max Bialystock (Scott Greer) and Leo Bloom (Michael Doherty), his neurotic accountant. After another of Max’s shows closes the day it opens, the two men come up with a scheme to get rich by fraudulently overselling interests in a Broadway musical designed to fail. They get the worst script and hire the worst director but complications arise when the show is a surprise hit.

Greer returns to PSF after portraying Falstaff in “Merry Wives of Windsor” and appearing in “The Play That Goes Wrong” in the 2024 season.

Doherty is a new face at PSF, but has appeared in more than 70 regional theater productions in the United States.

The cast includes Nicole Benoit (Ulla), Anthony Lawton (Franz Liebkind), Jamison Stern (Roger Debris) and Robi Hager (Carmen Ghia).

The production is directed by Jennifer Childs and choreographed by Tara Jeanne Vallee.

The musical, which opened on Broadway in 2001, won 12 Tony Awards out of its 15 nominations, setting the record for most wins in history and becoming one of the few musicals to win in every category for which it was nominated. The score won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.

The production is recommended for ages 13 and older for mature themes, suggestive humor and adult language.

Meet the actors after the show for talk-backs June 19 and June 26.

The June 21 performance has open-captioning for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing and audio descriptions for patrons who are blind or visually-impaired.

“The Producers,” 7:30 p.m. June 11, 12, 13, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27; 2 p.m., 7:30 p.m. June 14, 18, 28; 2 p.m. June 15, 21. 22, 29; 6:30 p.m. June 17, 24, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Main Stage Theatre, Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley. 610-282-9455, https://pashakespeare.org/

Players of the Stage of Allentown is staging an original murder mystery with performers from the group’s shows. The evening’s entertainment will include the murder mystery, a contest to solve the mystery and win a prize, food and non-alcoholic drinks.

Tickets are free but must be reserved in advance. Donations will be accepted at the event and online.

Players of the Stage’s mission is to provide affordable theater and raise funds to support community charities.

The group’s last production, “The Importance of Being Earnest,” raised $2,586 for Keystone Family Alliance. In 25 years, Players of the Stage raised more than $250,000 for local charities.

To reserve tickets and make a donation: 484-496-5871; https://www.playersofthestage.org/

“Curtain Rises” is a column about the theater, stage shows, the actors in them and the directors and artists who make them happen. To request coverage, email: Paul Willistein, Focus editor, pwillistein@tnonline.com