Mel Brooks originally wrote and directed “The Producers” in 1968 for his first feature film. Starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, the film earned Brooks an Academy Award for the best original screenplay written directly for the screen.

Three decades later, he recruited Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick for the Broadway adaptation, which previewed in Chicago before hitting the Big Apple. Twelve Tony Awards later, including Best Musical and Best Original Score, the show is back in town — and, in short, it’s funny.

Peppered liberally with Brooks’ trademark blend of slapstick and wit, “Producers” begins with the latest flop, “Funny Boy,” from producer Max Bialystock (Brad Oscar). When Bialystock’s accountant, Leo Bloom, arrives to handle the books from the show, Bloom finds that $2,000 from the show is missing. Bialystock impatiently tells the prudish accountant to hide the money in question.

Bloom (Andy Taylor) innocuously mentions to himself how easy it would be to hide money from shows that bombed. The influential, money-hungry Bialystock manages to persuade the dreamy-eyed Bloom to carry out his own idea. Thus, the unlikely duo endeavors to produce the worst show in Broadway history.

Oscar plays an arrogant and determined producer donning his maroon monogrammed robe. He convincingly roleplays — nudge, nudge — with old ladies in exchange for checks to fund his shows. Bloom is the submissive where Bialystock is dominant. Often resorting to his blue blankie in times of stress, Bloom stays along for the ride to Broadway. Well, and for the perks of their new blonde, Dutch secretary, Ulla (Ida Leigh Curtis), who slinks, sings and cleans in revealing dresses.

The crux of the show is the characters that help create the musical within the show. Bialystock and Bloom finally find the surefire flop from a neo-Nazi, Franz (Peter Samuel), who spends his time talking to his birds straight out of the Third Reich. Franz’ “Springtime for Hitler” promises to be an offensive show for the producers. But both Bialystock and Bloom find themselves hailing the Fuhrer before Franz signs the contract.

Once they gain the rights to the musical, the producers enlist the worst director around. Director Roger De Bris (Stuart Marland) and his assistant Carmen (Rich Affannato) play the flamboyant team taking “Springtime for Hitler” to a new concept. They decide that the script is too serious. To improve it, much to the delight of the plotting Bialystock and Bloom, they “make it gay!” De Bris ends up playing the giggling, homosexual Hitler, delighted as chorus girls donning bratwursts prance around him.

Between the eccentric characters and outrageous plotline, “The Producers” becomes an endearing show about the relationship between the bickering-but-blooming Bialystock and Bloom — but only for a few minutes. Despite the absence of Lane and Broderick’s star power — and the performances that made the show a hit in the first place — the rest of the show stays true to Brooks’ random humor, and that essentially guarantees a lot of laughs. A