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Phantom of the Osama

Posted Aug 6th 2007 10:40AM by TMZ Staff

Jihad the MusicalHe's a killer terrorist, the most wanted fugitive in the world ... and the subject of a new musical extravaganza!? Get ready Broadway! Osama's headed for the Great White Way!

It's called "Jihad: The Musical" and it's already playing at the "Edinburgh Fringe Festival" -- because seriously, what's got more laughs than Islamic extremism? Some say it's in poor taste, but ... "You say Al Qaeda, I say Al Qaida."

And if lyrics like "I wanna be like Osama ... wear designer clothes beneath a robe ... I want to kill people round the globe," sound a bit familiar, there's a good reason why -- look no further than the play's swastastic inspiration, Mel Brooks' "The Producers." "Jihad" just hips it up with some camels, turbans, and a few bloody attacks on those wacky infidels.

If it's as unabashedly tasteless as "Springtime for Hitler," Jihad could be an explosive hit ... or a bomb!

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1. you couldn't pay me to see this.

Posted at 10:25AM on Aug 6th 2007 by writergal

2. Get your tickets now! The music! The raw emotion! The tears! The laughter! Includes such hits as The Suicide Bomber Man I Love, Ain't No Democracy Safe Enough, Big Terrorists Don't Cry and Jihads Will Get You To The Marketplace On Time.

Posted at 10:32AM on Aug 6th 2007 by SayWhat

3. Would any decent American actually go see this?

Posted at 10:33AM on Aug 6th 2007 by TG

4. Mel Brooks has absolutely nothing to do with this production. TMZ is trying to suggest that Jihad is inspired by "Springtime for Hitler," the musical that is put on in Brooks' "The Producers."

Posted at 10:43AM on Aug 6th 2007 by Nathan

5. If we follow 'the producer" theme .. the musical has to be a bomb or the producer is ruined.

Posted at 10:45AM on Aug 6th 2007 by CrustyCritter

6. I hope it bombs & noone goes to see it. Why are we feeding into these vicious people?
I live in NY & will never ever forget 911 & to make a play out of this horrible disaster is definitely in bad taste. FIND THE REAL OSAMA & BLOW HIM TO PIECES!

Posted at 11:14AM on Aug 6th 2007 by Irene

7. There's nothing like good ol' embarrassment to make someone go away - well most that is. Perhaps this is the psychology behind this show. I think the idea behind "The Producers" was sheer brilliance and so do critcs and others alike. It IS an award winning show afterall. This might be a 'let's wait and see' produciton. It also might be a little too early to make fun of the silly-boy jihadist fundamental islamics. For the public humiliation of the extremes religion will go to alone is worth seeing if the psychology behind it would make it go away.

Posted at 11:34AM on Aug 6th 2007 by Sues

8. I agree that this show is nothing but in bad taste.

Posted at 12:10PM on Aug 6th 2007 by Kate2

9. I saw Jihad: The Musical's opening night last here in Edinburgh. The musical is in the best taste and people were peeing themselves with laughter. I think you folks posting comments need to see the show before passing judgment so quickly. If the show doesn't go to NY, it's NY's loss. We are the lucky ones for having seen it! The actor in the still is the hysterical Sorab Wadia. Bloody amazing! His performance of "I wanna be like Osama" is on YouTube, which is how I got turned on to seeing this show.

Posted at 1:11PM on Aug 6th 2007 by ScottishFanOfJTM

10. Welcome To The Sunnis
Take Me Out To The Taliban
Music Of The Shiite
Put Your Head On My Burka
Proud Martyr

Posted at 1:10PM on Aug 6th 2007 by SayWhat

11. This is hysterical!! I would love to see this musical!!

Posted at 7:16PM on Aug 16th 2007 by Coco

12. Ossama bin laden and the fourty thieves from the west. u should call it.

Posted at 11:18PM on Aug 6th 2007 by Natasha

13. Ya... a musical about terrorists is just about "as funny" as a musical about the Nazis... throw in a few gassed Jews, a suicide bomber, and we'll all be "peeing ourselves".

Disgusting.

Posted at 2:33PM on Aug 6th 2007 by Erika

14. THANKS ERIKA - My sentiments exactly.

I guess anyone who finds this humor is a little off their rocker themselves. Nothing funny at all about 911, I dont care who the actor is or how good a performance he gives.

The idiot from Edinburgh thinks NY will be missing out if it doesn't come here? We're already missing out, all the innocent people who were brutally blown to pieces that day. Did this idiot find that funny too??? STAY IN EDINBURGH MORON, NY WONT BE MISSING OUT ON ANYTHING!

Posted at 3:15PM on Aug 6th 2007 by Irene

15. To you haters, how can you label 'disgusting' a play you know nothing about? It's in extremely good taste, takes on Osama AND our idiot press & intelligence community. It is not pro-terrorist at all. It is not the story of Osama, but the story of an Osama wannabe. Relax and enjoy it when it comes to NYC.

Posted at 9:59PM on Aug 6th 2007 by Richard Cray

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