Character guide
Ulla
from The Producers
Ulla is the striking Swedish receptionist turned actress who catches Leo Bloom's eye in The Producers, adding romance and comic flair to the scheme unfolding around her.
- Show
- The Producers
- Premiered
- 2001
- Role
- Supporting
- Composer
- Mel Brooks
Who is Ulla?
Ulla arrives at Max and Leo's office looking for work and quickly becomes indispensable, first as a secretary and eventually as the leading lady of their doomed production. She is written as glamorous, good natured, and refreshingly unbothered by the men's frantic scheming around her, often stealing scenes with her confident physicality and broad comic accent.
Her relationship with Leo becomes one of the show's warmer threads, giving him a reason beyond money to want the show, and his own confidence, to succeed.
Playing Ulla on stage
Ulla is a supporting role, but a showy one, built around a big, theatrical entrance number and strong comic and dance skills. The part calls for a performer with real stage presence and a flair for physical comedy, since much of Ulla's humor comes from her larger than life confidence bumping up against the two nervous men she works for.
Audiences enjoy Ulla because she brings warmth and energy into a plot otherwise driven by anxiety and con artistry. She is in on very little of the scheme yet ends up central to its outcome, which makes her a fun, unpredictable presence throughout the second act.
Frequently asked
What show is Ulla from?
Ulla appears in The Producers, the 2001 Broadway musical written by Mel Brooks.
Is Ulla a lead or supporting role?
Ulla is a supporting role, though she gets a standout featured number early in the show.
Who wrote the music for The Producers?
Mel Brooks wrote both the music and lyrics for the entire score.
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