The first book to emerge from the huge Broadway hit The Producers has been acquired by Routledge, part of an effort toward greater trade visibility by the largely academic publisher whose humanities publishing director, William Gennaro, just signed the book directly with the author, without benefit of agent. The author is Jeffrey Denman, who is a member of the chorus in the show as well as the understudy to star Matthew Broderick, who has promised to contribute a foreword. Based on Denman's journals from the time he played in the closing days of Cats through the auditions, shaping, cast changes and eventual triumph of the Mel Brooks show, the book will be called A Year with 'The Producers': My Journey from 'Cats' to Mel Brooks, in Five Easy Goosesteps and will appear next spring as the publisher's lead title.