Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2007 | 7:03 a.m.
What: Mel Brooks' "The Producers."
When: Previews 8 tonight through Feb. 7. Opens Feb. 8 and shows will be at 8 p.m., Thursdays through Tuesdays, with an additional 2 p.m. show on Saturdays.
Where: Le Theatre des Arts, Paris Las Vegas.
Tickets: $75.50-$143.50; 946-4567
David Hasselhoff rode the success of "Knight Rider" and "Baywatch" to international stardom.
He's also a singing star, at least in Germany where he has hit records and even sang "Looking for Freedom" atop the Berlin Wall when it began to come down on Nov. 9, 1989.
He's one of the wealthiest performers in the world and a household name. So, there's no reason for the 6-foot-4 actor and singer to wear a dress - except he wants to.
It was either the dress or the swastika. Mel Brooks wanted Hasselhoff for the Las Vegas version of "The Producers" - either as the deranged ex-Nazi writer or the cross-dressing director.
Hasselhoff recently talked to the Sun about why he chose the dress, although he was a few minutes late for the telephone interview.
How are rehearsals going?
I'm sorry I was running late, but I was talking sports with somebody from one of your papers - I'm an NBA fan and Dirk Nowitzki (a star for the Dallas Mavericks and the German national team) came to one of my concerts when he was 11 years old. They asked him on the air one time what he does to distract himself when he throws free throws and he said "I sing David Hasselhoff's song, 'Looking for Freedom' " and it went berserk; the news went all over the world and it became this huge thing.
I was watching the 2006 NBA Finals on television and they're singing my song and they're playing it and my dad calls up and goes "Are you watching this? What's going on?" And the next thing I know fans (of the Miami Heat) are holding up pictures of David Hasselhoff and chanting "Hasselhoff. Hasselhoff," trying to distract Dirk.
The NBA All-Star Game will be in town next month. Are you going?
If I can. I know all those guys. Dwyane Wade. Shaquille O'Neal. Dirk Nowitzki. Scottie Pippen's going to be there. Scottie and I have a basketball foundation. I know them all. They grew up watching "Knight Rider." I'm going to see if I can get them to come see the show at the Paris.
You're pretty tall. Did you ever play basketball?
No. I'm white; I can't jump and I can't shoot. My biggest joke in my book ("Making Waves") goes, "The coach says 'You're 6 feet tall and in the eighth grade. You have to play basketball for our team.' And I said, 'No, no, I'm an actor.' And he said 'You have to play basketball. You're the tallest guy in the school. You have to play.' He said 'Try out for the team.' So, I tried out, and he said, 'You know what? You're an actor.' "
So acting is all you've ever wanted to do?
Since I was 8 years old. That's why when the phone call came I was so excited. Someone said Mel Brooks called and I said "Yeah, right. Mel Brooks knows who I am." And they said, "Not only does he know who you are but he wants you to star in 'The Producers.' " Initially, my staff turned down the role of Roger because they didn't think I wanted to play a crazy flamboyant gay director. They thought I would take the role of the Nazi - which would have seemed natural because of my German connection - but I said, "No. I don't want to play the Nazi. I want to play the guy in the dress. That's the funny role. That's a fantastic role."
Which was bigger for you, "Knight Rider" or "Baywatch?"
"Knight Rider" is, to this day, the driving force of my career. Wherever I go people yell "Knight Rider" or "The Hoff." They don't say "Baywatch," which was a phenomenal worldwide hit that ran 11 years.
Any chance of "Knight Rider" coming back?
"Knight Rider" is still bubbling, baby. It's over at Miramax now. The first draft of the script is coming in and then we'll see where we go with it.
Would you do another series?
I want to get back on another series - I want to do kind of a Matt Helm, "Secret Agent Man," "In Like Flint," you know, cool but funny, sort of tongue in cheek. I love those Matt Helms.
I've got some stuff in development, but I don't know. Maybe people will run away after they've seen me in a dress.
Is it a good career move?
I think people will really respond to this show. I know in rehearsal everybody's laughing.
What's Mel Brooks like?
He's such a hero of mine. I was always such a fan.
One of my favorite movies years ago was "Twelve Chairs" (directed by Brooks in 1970). When he called to ask me to do the part I thought, "Damn. This is amazing. I feel like a little kid again." And I started reading up on all the things I didn't know about him - he produced "The Elephant Man" and wrote "My Favorite Year." Oh my God, it's just amazing what this guy's done.
How long is your contract for the show, and would you extend?
I'm in for three months and I absolutely would consider going longer. Oh my God, this is so much fun. The first couple of days I was considering jumping from the 32nd floor of a building if I would live because I'm thinking, "Why did I take this?" I had to figure out how to dance and sing at the same time. When I did "Jekyll and Hyde" there was no dancing in that. For this show I had to get my wind back. Comedy is fun and not hard - you kind of either have comedic timing or you don't, and I always seem to have been blessed with that. I'm not blessed as a dancer; I sing, but I'm not a dancer. I can be funny. I can be an action hero, but I'm not a dancer. I'm just trying to put it all together.
After 10 days it kind of came to me and I'm over that first hump and I'm actually having fun now. The show moves. They cut it down to an hour and a half. Before you know it, it's over. It just rocks. It just goes.
Any trepidations about Broadway coming to Vegas in light of the recent failures, including "Hairspray" and "Avenue Q?"
Absolutely. Trepidation. I would be lying if I didn't say it, but we've got the backing of the hotel and I'm going to go out and promote it like crazy because it's good. I wouldn't have taken this if I didn't think it was a winner, and its so frigging funny and the women are all 6 feet tall and beautiful.
I'm not the lead in this. I'm the icing on the cake. I make that apparent to everybody. It says "Starring David Hasselhoff" and I'm clearly up there because I'm trying to draw people in. But the entire cast and crew, these people are a well-oiled machine, brought in from all over the world - and the producers brought the best to Vegas and I think people are going to come in and laugh and forget about how much money they lost.
What drives you? You've got all the money in the world. You don't have to work.
I get bored easily. I sky dive. Lots of things. When Mel Brooks called, I don't care how much money you've got in the bank. I am humbled. I'm like a kid again. It's hard work. I'm on the Stairmaster, level 12. I'm getting back in shape, I'm getting ripped and I'm getting my lungs. I need this in life. I need to stay busy and I need to stay focused and I'm honored to be part of this show. It's so funny, and there's so much going on.
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