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Young Frankenstein (musical)
Encyclopedia
Young Frankenstein, officially known as The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein, is a musical
with a book by Mel Brooks
and Thomas Meehan
and music and lyrics by Brooks. It is based on the 1974 comedy film of the same name
written by Brooks and Gene Wilder
and directed by Brooks, who has described it as his best film. It is a parody
of the horror film
genre, especially the 1931 Universal Pictures
adaptation of Mary Shelley
's Frankenstein
and its 1939 sequel, Son of Frankenstein
.
After tryouts in Seattle, Washington
and four weeks of previews, the musical opened on Broadway
on November 8, 2007 to mixed reviews. The Broadway production closed on January 4, 2009 after 30 previews and 484 performances. A U.S. tour started on September 29, 2009 in Providence, Rhode Island
.
, based on Brooks' earlier film of the same name, it was not surprising that Brooks would musicalize another of his successful films. Brooks and Meehan (the same team that crafted The Producers) began work on the project in April 2006. An October 2006 reading of the first draft of the script directed by Susan Stroman
(who had directed the earlier musical) featured Brian d'Arcy James
as Dr. Frankenstein, Kristin Chenoweth
as Elizabeth, Sutton Foster
as Inga, Roger Bart
as Igor, Marc Kudisch
as Inspector Kemp, and Shuler Hensley
as the Monster.
Cloris Leachman
, reprising her film role as Frau Blücher, also attended the table read, and at the time it was widely reported she would be offered the role of Blücher for the stage show. However, gossip
maven
Liz Smith
reported in her January 12, 2007 New York Post
column that Leachman was sent a letter informing her she would not be considered for the Broadway production because the producers wanted to keep the film and stage properties separate (and also because of Brooks's concerns over Leachman's ability to perform the character consistently at her age). However, due to Leachman's success on Dancing with the Stars
Brooks reportedly asked her to reprise her role as Frau Blücher after Beth Leavel
left the production. However, the production closed before Leachman could take over the role.
in Seattle, Washington
from August 7, 2007 through September 1, 2007.
on October 11, 2007 and opened on November 8 at the Foxwoods Theatre (then the Hilton Theatre) and closed on January 4, 2009. Directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman
, it starred Roger Bart as Frankenstein, Megan Mullally
as Elizabeth, Christopher Fitzgerald
as Igor, Sutton Foster
as Inga, Andrea Martin
as Frau Blucher, Shuler Hensley as The Monster, and Fred Applegate as Inspector Kemp. Kristin Chenoweth
was originally cast to play Elizabeth. However, due to conflicts with filming Pushing Daisies
, she had to drop out from the role. Sets were designed by Robin Wagner and costumes by William Ivey Long
; orchestrations were by Doug Besterman
. The production had a reported $16 million-plus budget and a top ticket price of $450 in its “differential seating.” It also sold front row tickets for $25 each based on a lottery a few hours before each performance. The producers indicated that they planned to buck the usual Broadway practice by not reporting Box Office returns.
The musical's original cast album was released on December 26, 2007, by Decca Broadway and was third on the Billboard Top Cast Album chart in the beginning of January 2008.
Replacements for the Broadway company included Kelly Sullivan as Inga; Beth Leavel
as Frau Blucher; Michele Ragusa as Elizabeth Benning; and Cory English
as Igor.
. The cast for the tour included Roger Bart and Shuler Hensley, reprising their Broadway roles, along with Cory English (Igor), Brad Oscar
(Inspector Kemp/Blind Hermit), Beth Curry (Elizabeth), Joanna Glushak (Frau Blucher) and Anne Horak (Inga).
The show went on temporary hiatus on August 8, 2010 and re-opened on September 12, 2010 with a new cast that includes Christopher Ryan as Frederick Frankenstein, Preston Truman Boyd as The Monster, David Benoit as Inspector Kemp, Janine Devita as Elizabeth, and Synthia Link as Inga. English and Glushak continued to play the roles they created on tour.
The show re-opened for a second National Tour on September 30, 2011 after two previews in Utica, New York
. The cast included A.J. Holmes (Frederick Frankenstein), Lexie Dorsett (Elizabeth), Elizabeth Pawlowski (Inga), Rory Donovan (The Monster), Pat Sibley (Frau Blucher), Christopher Timson (Igor), Britt Hancock (Inspector Kemp), and an ensemble composed of Edward Charles Carignan II, Gregory Dassonville, Michael Peter Deeb, Jerome Doerger, Brett Figel, Kinsland Howell, Lauren Kadel, Graham Keen, Stephanie Madden, Caitlin Maloney, Kevin Metzger, Ashley Gale Munzek, Sarah O'Connor, Kristen Schoen-Rene, Tug Watson, and Eric Weaver.
Heights, the year 1934, the villagers celebrate the funeral procession of the mad scientist
, Dr. Victor von Frankenstein
. However, Inspector Kemp, who has a wooden right arm and wooden left leg, ruins the happiness with news about the existence of Victor's grandson: Frederick, the Dean of Anatomy at New York
's best university, known as the "Johns, Miriam and Anthony Hopkins
School of Medicine." The village idiot Ziggy convinces the other villagers that there is no way a New York doctor would come to Transylvania, thus continuing the celebration ("The Happiest Town").
In New York, Frederick Frankenstein
is ashamed to be a Frankenstein, insisting his name be pronounced "Fronkensteen" and that he is not a madman but a scientist. He then lectures his students about the greatest mind of science ("The Brain"). After learning that he has inherited his grandfather's castle in Transylvania, he is forced to resolve the issue of the property. As Elizabeth Benning, Frederick's fiancée
, sees him off, it is clear that their relationship is far from physical as Elizabeth enumerates all the lustful situations that she is abstaining from ("Please Don't Touch Me"). This number includes the show's famous much lauded attention to her breasts.
Arriving at Transylvania Heights, Frederick meets the hunchback Igor
, the grandson of Victor's henchman, who is extremely excited to meet him. Igor tries to convince him to continue in his grandfather's footsteps ("Together Again"); he has already hired the services of Inga
, a yodeling lab assistant with a degree in Laboratory Science from the local community college. During a wagon ride to Castle Frankenstein, a yodeling Inga and the doctor indulge in a "Roll in the Hay" (Roll in the Hay). When they reach the castle, they meet the mysterious Frau Blucher, whose spoken name frightens the horses.
Once inside the castle's main living room, Frederick falls asleep reading Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
and dreams that his grandfather and ancestors encourage him to build a monster complete with line dancing and stage-height monster puppet ("Join the Family Business"). He is awakened by Inga, and, after performing the film's iconic candle/bookcase sequence, they find the secret entrance to his grandfather's laboratory by following eerie violin music. They discover the mysterious violin player to be Frau Blücher, who tells of her past of festival games with the late Victor for whom she was more than just a housekeeper ("He Vas My Boyfriend"). After reviewing his grandfather's notes, Frederick decides to carry on the experiments in the reanimation of the dead. They dig up a huge corpse with "an enormous schwanstuker." The villagers gather at the local town hall for a meeting and are instructed to be on the lookout for grave robbers ("The Law").
Frederick sends Igor to find a brain and entrusts him with the vital organ, but the henchman drops it, surreptitiously replacing the brain with another. Frederick creates the creature ("Life, Life"), who goes on a rampage shortly after waking. The doctor is distressed to find that Igor had provided a different brain whose name he recalls as "Abby Normal".
Inspector Kemp and the townspeople come to investigate, pretending to welcome Frederick ("Welcome to Transylvania"). Frederick and his employees try to stall the villagers ("Transylvania Mania") while Frau Blücher frees the Monster without letting Frederick know. Panic ensues as the monster breaks free from the stage and tramples through the house just as the Act I curtain falls.
Elizabeth arrives unexpectedly in Transylvania with a large entourage ("Surprise") and finds Frederick and a naked Inga, who tell her that no funny business was taking place. Meanwhile, the Monster finds a blind hermit named Harold after breaking through his house wall ("Please Send Me Someone"). Eventually, after Harold accidentally pours hot soup into the Monster's lap and lights his thumb (mistaking it as a cigar), the Monster is startled into another yelling rampage and leaves. Frederick locks himself into a room with the Monster, and after overcoming his fears he tells the Monster that he is a good looking fellow who is loved and will be hailed by all ("Man About Town").
The Monster is presented at the Loews Transylvania Theatre
, now dressed as a gentleman, first walking on command, and then dancing to Irving Berlin
's "Puttin' on the Ritz
", complete with backup dancers and strobe lights. While taking his bow, the Monster becomes terrified when some stage lights explode. Elizabeth is kidnapped by the creature and is taken to a cave and raped. However, as her "Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life" demonstrates, she's now seeing a different side of the Monster and discovers what she's been yearning for in her life ("Deep Love"). Luring the Monster back to the castle by the music of a French horn, Frederick attempts an intelligence transfer, but the Monster does not wake, and to make things worse Inspector Kemp and the angry villagers (believing that Elizabeth has been killed by the Monster) break into the castle and bring Frederick to the gallows. The doctor is hanged after finally accepting his family name ("Frederick's Soliloquy").
The Monster returns, not only able to speak articulately but also using his newly transferred medical skills to discover that Frederick is not dead, but merely unconscious and is able to bring him back to life. Just as the crowd is about to re-hang Frederick and the Monster, Elizabeth arrives. After a hopeful plot twist, the Monster proposes to Elizabeth ("Deep Love" (Reprise)). Then the blind Hermit's voice is heard singing. Frau Blucher announces she has a "blind date" with him. Igor proclaims a miracle, saying that his hump is gone, but quickly realizes that it is in the middle. Inspector Kemp and the villagers all elect the Monster as the Mayor of Transylvania which the Monster happily accepts. Suddenly, Count Dracula
appears, wishing to purchase the castle on the hill, but Frederick tells him the castle is not for sale and he will be living in it and continuing the family business from now on. He then proposes marriage to Inga which she accepts. More comic surprises follow, and all lead to a happy ending that is sure to prove a life of laughter and love for all ("Finale Ultimo"). Just then, Inga realizes when her new husband gave the Monster his brilliant mind, the Monster gave him his "enormous schwanstuker" in return. "Woof!"
Act II
. The New York Times
called it "an overblown burlesque revue, right down to its giggly smuttiness ... Mr. Brooks’s songs have a throwaway quality, as if they were dashed off on the day of the performance."
The New York Post gave a more positive review, saying that the show "is nearly very good indeed" and that "Brooks and Stroman pull out every stop. Despite music that's more ho-hum than hummable, Brooks's lyrics are bright and witty. Better yet, the book ... does a great job, with the assistance of co-writer Thomas Meehan, in transferring the original script to the stage."
The Daily Telegraph
said that "Susan Stroman directs and choreographs with her usual wit and invention," but also mentioned that "you cannot escape the impression that everyone is working desperately hard to animate essentially weak material, and the show fatally lacks that touch of the sublime that made The Producers so special."
Despite mixed reviews from New York
critics, Young Frankenstein was generally popular with audiences, with one attendee saying that although it didn't outdo the film, it's a "fantastic [show] for those new to Broadway". The production won a Broadway.com Audience Award for Favorite New Broadway Musical.
When describing the audience's reaction, Brooks said, "I love what they do. The audience knows 'Young Frankenstein' the movie; they didn't know 'The Producers.' They all neigh when anyone on stage says 'Frau Blucher.' And they can't wait for the Blind Hermit to spill the hot soup on the monster's lap. It's great to see the audience play ping-pong with the actors."
Outer Critics Circle Award
Drama Desk Award
Drama League Award
Grammy Awards
2008 Broadway.com Audience Awards
2011 San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Awards
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
with a book by Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
and Thomas Meehan
Thomas Meehan (writer)
Thomas Meehan is an American writer, best known for Annie, The Producers and Hairspray.-Life and career:Meehan grew up in Suffern, New York, and graduated from Hamilton College...
and music and lyrics by Brooks. It is based on the 1974 comedy film of the same name
Young Frankenstein
Young Frankenstein is a 1974 American comedy film directed by Mel Brooks and starring Gene Wilder as the title character, a descendant of the infamous Dr. Victor Frankenstein. The supporting cast includes Teri Garr, Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, Richard...
written by Brooks and Gene Wilder
Gene Wilder
Gene Wilder is an American stage and screen actor, director, screenwriter, and author.Wilder began his career on stage, making his screen debut in the film Bonnie and Clyde in 1967. His first major role was as Leopold Bloom in the 1968 film The Producers...
and directed by Brooks, who has described it as his best film. It is a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of the horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
genre, especially the 1931 Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
adaptation of Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley was a British novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer, best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus . She also edited and promoted the works of her husband, the Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley...
's Frankenstein
Frankenstein (1931 film)
Frankenstein is a 1931 Pre-Code Horror Monster film from Universal Pictures directed by James Whale and adapted from the play by Peggy Webling which in turn is based on the novel of the same name by Mary Shelley. The film stars Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles and Boris Karloff, and features...
and its 1939 sequel, Son of Frankenstein
Son of Frankenstein
Son of Frankenstein is the third film in Universal Studios' Frankenstein series and the last to feature Boris Karloff as the Monster as well as the first to feature Béla Lugosi as Ygor. It is a sequel to Bride of Frankenstein....
.
After tryouts in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
and four weeks of previews, the musical opened on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
on November 8, 2007 to mixed reviews. The Broadway production closed on January 4, 2009 after 30 previews and 484 performances. A U.S. tour started on September 29, 2009 in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
.
Background
After the success of his 2001 musical, The ProducersThe Producers (musical)
The Producers is a musical adapted by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan from Brooks' 1968 film of the same name, with lyrics written by Brooks and music composed by Brooks and arranged by Glen Kelly and Doug Besterman. As in the film, the story concerns two theatrical producers who scheme to get rich...
, based on Brooks' earlier film of the same name, it was not surprising that Brooks would musicalize another of his successful films. Brooks and Meehan (the same team that crafted The Producers) began work on the project in April 2006. An October 2006 reading of the first draft of the script directed by Susan Stroman
Susan Stroman
Susan Stroman is an American theatre director, choreographer, film director, and performer. She has won the Tony Award for both her choreography and direction, notably for the stage musical The Producers.-Early years:...
(who had directed the earlier musical) featured Brian d'Arcy James
Brian d'Arcy James
Brian d'Arcy James is an American actor and musician.-Personal life:James was born in Saginaw, Michigan, the son of Mary , a seller of children's books, and a lawyer father, Thomas F. James. Brian's maternal grandfather was Harry F. Kelly, former Governor of the state of Michigan...
as Dr. Frankenstein, Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown , for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical...
as Elizabeth, Sutton Foster
Sutton Foster
Sutton Lenore Foster is an American actress, singer and dancer. Foster has received two Tony Awards, in 2002 for her role of Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie and in 2011 for her role of Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes...
as Inga, Roger Bart
Roger Bart
Roger Bart is an American actor and singer.-Life and career:Bart was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, the son of a teacher and a chemical engineer, and grew up in Bernardsville, New Jersey. His uncle is journalist Peter Bart. He made his Broadway debut in Big River as Tom Sawyer in 1987...
as Igor, Marc Kudisch
Marc Kudisch
Marc Kudisch is an American stage actor, who is best known for his musical theatre roles on Broadway.-Early life and education:...
as Inspector Kemp, and Shuler Hensley
Shuler Hensley
-Early life:Hensley was born in Atlanta, Georgia. The youngest of three children, Hensley grew up in Marietta, Georgia. His father, Sam P. Hensley, Jr., is a former Georgia Tech football star, retired civil engineer and former state senator. His mother, Iris Antley Hensley, was a ballerina and the...
as the Monster.
Cloris Leachman
Cloris Leachman
Cloris Leachman is an American actress of stage, film and television. She has won eight Primetime Emmy Awards—more than any other performer—and one Daytime Emmy Award...
, reprising her film role as Frau Blücher, also attended the table read, and at the time it was widely reported she would be offered the role of Blücher for the stage show. However, gossip
Gossip
Gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others, It is one of the oldest and most common means of sharing facts and views, but also has a reputation for the introduction of errors and variations into the information transmitted...
maven
Maven
A maven is a trusted expert in a particular field, who seeks to pass knowledge on to others. The word maven comes from Hebrew, via Yiddish, and means one who understands, based on an accumulation of knowledge.-History:...
Liz Smith
Liz Smith (journalist)
Mary Elizabeth "Liz" Smith is an American gossip columnist. She is known as The Grand Dame of Dish.- Early life and career :...
reported in her January 12, 2007 New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
column that Leachman was sent a letter informing her she would not be considered for the Broadway production because the producers wanted to keep the film and stage properties separate (and also because of Brooks's concerns over Leachman's ability to perform the character consistently at her age). However, due to Leachman's success on Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars (US TV series)
Dancing with the Stars is a reality show airing on ABC in the United States, and CTV in Canada in 2011. The show is the American version of the British BBC television series Strictly Come Dancing...
Brooks reportedly asked her to reprise her role as Frau Blücher after Beth Leavel
Beth Leavel
-Biography:Leavel was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. She attended Meredith College, earning a degree in social work. She completed a graduate theatre degree at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1980. She acted during college, appearing in productions such as Cabaret and Hello,...
left the production. However, the production closed before Leachman could take over the role.
Seattle tryout (2007)
The pre-Broadway try-out played at the Paramount TheatreParamount Theatre (Seattle, Washington)
The Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Washington is a 2,807-seat performing arts venue at 9th Avenue and Pine Street in Downtown Seattle in the United States of America. The theater originally opened March 1, 1928 as the Seattle Theatre with 3,000 seats, the theater was placed on the National Register...
in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
from August 7, 2007 through September 1, 2007.
Broadway (2007-2009)
Young Frankenstein began previews on BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
on October 11, 2007 and opened on November 8 at the Foxwoods Theatre (then the Hilton Theatre) and closed on January 4, 2009. Directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman
Susan Stroman
Susan Stroman is an American theatre director, choreographer, film director, and performer. She has won the Tony Award for both her choreography and direction, notably for the stage musical The Producers.-Early years:...
, it starred Roger Bart as Frankenstein, Megan Mullally
Megan Mullally
Megan Mullally is an American actress and singer.After working in the theatre in Chicago, Mullally moved to Los Angeles in 1985 and began to appear in supporting roles in film and television productions. She made her Broadway debut in Grease in 1994 and she has since appeared in several Broadway...
as Elizabeth, Christopher Fitzgerald
Christopher Fitzgerald (actor)
Christopher Cantwell Fitzgerald is an American actor, singer, mime, clown, juggler, and acrobat. He is best known for his role as Boq in the musical Wicked and his role of Igor in Young Frankenstein, for which he earned Outer Critics Circle Award, Drama Desk Award, and Tony Award...
as Igor, Sutton Foster
Sutton Foster
Sutton Lenore Foster is an American actress, singer and dancer. Foster has received two Tony Awards, in 2002 for her role of Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie and in 2011 for her role of Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes...
as Inga, Andrea Martin
Andrea Martin
Andrea Louise Martin is an American and Canadian actress and comedienne. She has appeared in films such as My Big Fat Greek Wedding, on stage in productions such as My Favorite Year, Fiddler on the Roof and Candide, and in the television series, SCTV.-Personal life:Martin, the oldest of three...
as Frau Blucher, Shuler Hensley as The Monster, and Fred Applegate as Inspector Kemp. Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown , for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical...
was originally cast to play Elizabeth. However, due to conflicts with filming Pushing Daisies
Pushing Daisies
Pushing Daisies is an American comedy-drama television series created by Bryan Fuller that aired on ABC from October 3, 2007 to June 13, 2009. The series stars Lee Pace as Ned, a pie-maker with the ability to bring dead things back to life with his touch, an ability that comes with stipulations...
, she had to drop out from the role. Sets were designed by Robin Wagner and costumes by William Ivey Long
William Ivey Long
William Ivey Long is an American costume designer for stage and film. His most notable work includes The Producers, Hairspray, Nine, Crazy for You, Grey Gardens and Young Frankenstein.-Early life and education:...
; orchestrations were by Doug Besterman
Doug Besterman
Douglas "Doug" Besterman is an American orchestrator, musical arranger and music producer. He is the recipient of three Tony Awards out of five total nominations and two Drama Desk Awards out of six total nominations, and was a 2009 Grammy Award nominee.- Career :Besterman found work in New York...
. The production had a reported $16 million-plus budget and a top ticket price of $450 in its “differential seating.” It also sold front row tickets for $25 each based on a lottery a few hours before each performance. The producers indicated that they planned to buck the usual Broadway practice by not reporting Box Office returns.
The musical's original cast album was released on December 26, 2007, by Decca Broadway and was third on the Billboard Top Cast Album chart in the beginning of January 2008.
Replacements for the Broadway company included Kelly Sullivan as Inga; Beth Leavel
Beth Leavel
-Biography:Leavel was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. She attended Meredith College, earning a degree in social work. She completed a graduate theatre degree at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1980. She acted during college, appearing in productions such as Cabaret and Hello,...
as Frau Blucher; Michele Ragusa as Elizabeth Benning; and Cory English
Cory English
Cory English , is an American actor.Born into a blue collar family in upstate New York, Cory was the youngest of four boys. Cory attended Wayne Central in Ontario, New York...
as Igor.
US tour (2009-)
A touring production of the show began in September 2009 at the Providence Performing Arts Center, Providence, Rhode IslandProvidence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
. The cast for the tour included Roger Bart and Shuler Hensley, reprising their Broadway roles, along with Cory English (Igor), Brad Oscar
Brad Oscar
Brad Oscar is an American musical theatre actor known for his Broadway performances in musicals such as The Producers and Jekyll and Hyde. The former garnered him a Tony Award nomination.-Career:...
(Inspector Kemp/Blind Hermit), Beth Curry (Elizabeth), Joanna Glushak (Frau Blucher) and Anne Horak (Inga).
The show went on temporary hiatus on August 8, 2010 and re-opened on September 12, 2010 with a new cast that includes Christopher Ryan as Frederick Frankenstein, Preston Truman Boyd as The Monster, David Benoit as Inspector Kemp, Janine Devita as Elizabeth, and Synthia Link as Inga. English and Glushak continued to play the roles they created on tour.
The show re-opened for a second National Tour on September 30, 2011 after two previews in Utica, New York
Utica, New York
Utica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....
. The cast included A.J. Holmes (Frederick Frankenstein), Lexie Dorsett (Elizabeth), Elizabeth Pawlowski (Inga), Rory Donovan (The Monster), Pat Sibley (Frau Blucher), Christopher Timson (Igor), Britt Hancock (Inspector Kemp), and an ensemble composed of Edward Charles Carignan II, Gregory Dassonville, Michael Peter Deeb, Jerome Doerger, Brett Figel, Kinsland Howell, Lauren Kadel, Graham Keen, Stephanie Madden, Caitlin Maloney, Kevin Metzger, Ashley Gale Munzek, Sarah O'Connor, Kristen Schoen-Rene, Tug Watson, and Eric Weaver.
Synopsis
The plot is largely carried over from the movie, but some scenes are expanded to musical numbers, and many gags have been added or updated.Act I
In the town of TransylvaniaTransylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
Heights, the year 1934, the villagers celebrate the funeral procession of the mad scientist
Mad scientist
A mad scientist is a stock character of popular fiction, specifically science fiction. The mad scientist may be villainous or antagonistic, benign or neutral, and whether insane, eccentric, or simply bumbling, mad scientists often work with fictional technology in order to forward their schemes, if...
, Dr. Victor von Frankenstein
Victor Frankenstein
Victor Frankenstein was born in Napoli, is a Swiss fictional character and the protagonist of the 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, written by Mary Shelley...
. However, Inspector Kemp, who has a wooden right arm and wooden left leg, ruins the happiness with news about the existence of Victor's grandson: Frederick, the Dean of Anatomy at New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's best university, known as the "Johns, Miriam and Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, KBE , best known as Anthony Hopkins, is a Welsh actor of film, stage and television...
School of Medicine." The village idiot Ziggy convinces the other villagers that there is no way a New York doctor would come to Transylvania, thus continuing the celebration ("The Happiest Town").
In New York, Frederick Frankenstein
Frederick Frankenstein
Frederick Frankenstein is a fictional character and the main protagonist in the 1974 comedy film Young Frankenstein by Mel Brooks and the 2007 Broadway musical of the same name.-1974 film:...
is ashamed to be a Frankenstein, insisting his name be pronounced "Fronkensteen" and that he is not a madman but a scientist. He then lectures his students about the greatest mind of science ("The Brain"). After learning that he has inherited his grandfather's castle in Transylvania, he is forced to resolve the issue of the property. As Elizabeth Benning, Frederick's fiancée
Engagement
An engagement or betrothal is a promise to marry, and also the period of time between proposal and marriage which may be lengthy or trivial. During this period, a couple is said to be betrothed, affianced, engaged to be married, or simply engaged...
, sees him off, it is clear that their relationship is far from physical as Elizabeth enumerates all the lustful situations that she is abstaining from ("Please Don't Touch Me"). This number includes the show's famous much lauded attention to her breasts.
Arriving at Transylvania Heights, Frederick meets the hunchback Igor
Igor (Young Frankenstein)
Igor is the fictional hunchback assistant of Dr. Frederick Frankenstein in the 1974 film Young Frankenstein and its 2007 musical adaptation.- Character :...
, the grandson of Victor's henchman, who is extremely excited to meet him. Igor tries to convince him to continue in his grandfather's footsteps ("Together Again"); he has already hired the services of Inga
Inga (Young Frankenstein)
Inga is a fictional character in the Mel Brooks film Young Frankenstein and its 2007 musical adaptation.- Character biography :Inga was born in Transylvania, Romania, and grew up as a farm girl. She supposedly has a degree in Laboratory Science from the local community college...
, a yodeling lab assistant with a degree in Laboratory Science from the local community college. During a wagon ride to Castle Frankenstein, a yodeling Inga and the doctor indulge in a "Roll in the Hay" (Roll in the Hay). When they reach the castle, they meet the mysterious Frau Blucher, whose spoken name frightens the horses.
Once inside the castle's main living room, Frederick falls asleep reading Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm is a classic American 1903 children's novel by Kate Douglas Wiggin that tells the story of Rebecca Rowena Randall and her two stern aunts in the village of Riverboro, Maine. Rebecca's joy for life inspires her aunts, but she faces many trials in her young life, gaining...
and dreams that his grandfather and ancestors encourage him to build a monster complete with line dancing and stage-height monster puppet ("Join the Family Business"). He is awakened by Inga, and, after performing the film's iconic candle/bookcase sequence, they find the secret entrance to his grandfather's laboratory by following eerie violin music. They discover the mysterious violin player to be Frau Blücher, who tells of her past of festival games with the late Victor for whom she was more than just a housekeeper ("He Vas My Boyfriend"). After reviewing his grandfather's notes, Frederick decides to carry on the experiments in the reanimation of the dead. They dig up a huge corpse with "an enormous schwanstuker." The villagers gather at the local town hall for a meeting and are instructed to be on the lookout for grave robbers ("The Law").
Frederick sends Igor to find a brain and entrusts him with the vital organ, but the henchman drops it, surreptitiously replacing the brain with another. Frederick creates the creature ("Life, Life"), who goes on a rampage shortly after waking. The doctor is distressed to find that Igor had provided a different brain whose name he recalls as "Abby Normal".
Inspector Kemp and the townspeople come to investigate, pretending to welcome Frederick ("Welcome to Transylvania"). Frederick and his employees try to stall the villagers ("Transylvania Mania") while Frau Blücher frees the Monster without letting Frederick know. Panic ensues as the monster breaks free from the stage and tramples through the house just as the Act I curtain falls.
Act II
Everyone goes out to search for the Monster. Even Frau Blücher tries bringing back the Monster with the music from the violin, but to no avail ("He's Loose"). Inga talks to the frustrated doctor ("Listen to Your Heart"). Frau Blücher and Igor find the two suspended on the platform, completing what Igor believes to be "an experiment on the female anatomy, and Inga is assisting his brains out."Elizabeth arrives unexpectedly in Transylvania with a large entourage ("Surprise") and finds Frederick and a naked Inga, who tell her that no funny business was taking place. Meanwhile, the Monster finds a blind hermit named Harold after breaking through his house wall ("Please Send Me Someone"). Eventually, after Harold accidentally pours hot soup into the Monster's lap and lights his thumb (mistaking it as a cigar), the Monster is startled into another yelling rampage and leaves. Frederick locks himself into a room with the Monster, and after overcoming his fears he tells the Monster that he is a good looking fellow who is loved and will be hailed by all ("Man About Town").
The Monster is presented at the Loews Transylvania Theatre
Loews Hotels
-About Loews HotelsHotels:Loews Hotels currently owns and/or operates 18 hotels and resorts in the United States and Canada:-United States locations:*Loews Annapolis Hotel - Annapolis, Maryland*Loews Atlanta Hotel - Atlanta, Georgia...
, now dressed as a gentleman, first walking on command, and then dancing to Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
's "Puttin' on the Ritz
Puttin' on the Ritz
"Puttin' on the Ritz" is a popular song written and published in 1929 by Irving Berlin and introduced by Harry Richman in the musical film Puttin' on the Ritz . The title derives from the slang expression "putting on the Ritz," meaning to dress very fashionably. The expression was inspired by the...
", complete with backup dancers and strobe lights. While taking his bow, the Monster becomes terrified when some stage lights explode. Elizabeth is kidnapped by the creature and is taken to a cave and raped. However, as her "Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life" demonstrates, she's now seeing a different side of the Monster and discovers what she's been yearning for in her life ("Deep Love"). Luring the Monster back to the castle by the music of a French horn, Frederick attempts an intelligence transfer, but the Monster does not wake, and to make things worse Inspector Kemp and the angry villagers (believing that Elizabeth has been killed by the Monster) break into the castle and bring Frederick to the gallows. The doctor is hanged after finally accepting his family name ("Frederick's Soliloquy").
The Monster returns, not only able to speak articulately but also using his newly transferred medical skills to discover that Frederick is not dead, but merely unconscious and is able to bring him back to life. Just as the crowd is about to re-hang Frederick and the Monster, Elizabeth arrives. After a hopeful plot twist, the Monster proposes to Elizabeth ("Deep Love" (Reprise)). Then the blind Hermit's voice is heard singing. Frau Blucher announces she has a "blind date" with him. Igor proclaims a miracle, saying that his hump is gone, but quickly realizes that it is in the middle. Inspector Kemp and the villagers all elect the Monster as the Mayor of Transylvania which the Monster happily accepts. Suddenly, Count Dracula
Count Dracula
Count Dracula is a fictional character, the titular antagonist of Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula and archetypal vampire. Some aspects of his character have been inspired by the 15th century Romanian general and Wallachian Prince Vlad III the Impaler...
appears, wishing to purchase the castle on the hill, but Frederick tells him the castle is not for sale and he will be living in it and continuing the family business from now on. He then proposes marriage to Inga which she accepts. More comic surprises follow, and all lead to a happy ending that is sure to prove a life of laughter and love for all ("Finale Ultimo"). Just then, Inga realizes when her new husband gave the Monster his brilliant mind, the Monster gave him his "enormous schwanstuker" in return. "Woof!"
Differences from the original film
Although the plot remains mostly the same, there are several changes from the original film. "The Happiest Town in Town" is not based on any scene from the film. Elizabeth arrives in Transylvania earlier than in the film, where she arrives after "Puttin' on The Ritz," a song performed in the film by only Frederick and the Monster; in the musical, it is sung by all the characters, except Elizabeth and the villagers. The scene from the film with the little girl is not in the musical. In the film, the Monster is lured not by a French horn but a violin, and awakens in the laboratory directly after the brain transfer; in the musical, the Villagers hang Frederick before the Monster wakes and saves him, with the ensuing finale much expanded.Musical numbers
Act I- OvertureOvertureOverture in music is the term originally applied to the instrumental introduction to an opera...
- Orchestra - The Happiest Town In Town - Kemp and Villagers
- The Brain - Frederick and Students
- Please Don't Touch Me - Elizabeth and Voyagers
- Together Again - Frederick and Igor
- Roll in The Hay - Inga, Frederick, and Igor
- Join the Family Business - Victor, Frederick, and Ancestors
- He Vas My Boyfriend - Frau Blücher
- The Law - Kemp and Villagers
- Life, Life - Frederick, Igor, Inga, and Blücher
- Welcome to Transylvania - Transylvania Quartet
- Transylvania Mania - Igor, Frederick, Inga, Kemp and Villagers
Act II
- He's Loose - Kemp and Villagers
- Listen to Your Heart - Inga
- Surprise - Elizabeth, Igor, Blücher, and Entourage
- Please Send Me Someone - The Hermit
- Man About Town - Frederick
- Puttin' on the RitzPuttin' on the Ritz"Puttin' on the Ritz" is a popular song written and published in 1929 by Irving Berlin and introduced by Harry Richman in the musical film Puttin' on the Ritz . The title derives from the slang expression "putting on the Ritz," meaning to dress very fashionably. The expression was inspired by the...
(Music and Lyrics By Irving BerlinIrving BerlinIrving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
)– Frederick, The Monster, Inga, Igor, and Ensemble - Deep Love - Elizabeth
- Frederick's Soliloquy - Frederick
- Deep Love (Reprise) - The Monster
- Finale Ultimo - The Company
- Note: "Alone" - Elizabeth — cut in Seattle but included on the cast recording. "The Law" is not included on the cast recording.
Roles and original Broadway cast
- Dr. Frederick FrankensteinFrederick FrankensteinFrederick Frankenstein is a fictional character and the main protagonist in the 1974 comedy film Young Frankenstein by Mel Brooks and the 2007 Broadway musical of the same name.-1974 film:...
—Roger BartRoger BartRoger Bart is an American actor and singer.-Life and career:Bart was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, the son of a teacher and a chemical engineer, and grew up in Bernardsville, New Jersey. His uncle is journalist Peter Bart. He made his Broadway debut in Big River as Tom Sawyer in 1987... - The Monster—Shuler HensleyShuler Hensley-Early life:Hensley was born in Atlanta, Georgia. The youngest of three children, Hensley grew up in Marietta, Georgia. His father, Sam P. Hensley, Jr., is a former Georgia Tech football star, retired civil engineer and former state senator. His mother, Iris Antley Hensley, was a ballerina and the...
- IgorIgor (Young Frankenstein)Igor is the fictional hunchback assistant of Dr. Frederick Frankenstein in the 1974 film Young Frankenstein and its 2007 musical adaptation.- Character :...
—Christopher FitzgeraldChristopher Fitzgerald (actor)Christopher Cantwell Fitzgerald is an American actor, singer, mime, clown, juggler, and acrobat. He is best known for his role as Boq in the musical Wicked and his role of Igor in Young Frankenstein, for which he earned Outer Critics Circle Award, Drama Desk Award, and Tony Award... - IngaInga (Young Frankenstein)Inga is a fictional character in the Mel Brooks film Young Frankenstein and its 2007 musical adaptation.- Character biography :Inga was born in Transylvania, Romania, and grew up as a farm girl. She supposedly has a degree in Laboratory Science from the local community college...
—Sutton FosterSutton FosterSutton Lenore Foster is an American actress, singer and dancer. Foster has received two Tony Awards, in 2002 for her role of Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie and in 2011 for her role of Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes... - Elizabeth Benning—Megan MullallyMegan MullallyMegan Mullally is an American actress and singer.After working in the theatre in Chicago, Mullally moved to Los Angeles in 1985 and began to appear in supporting roles in film and television productions. She made her Broadway debut in Grease in 1994 and she has since appeared in several Broadway...
- Frau Blücher—Andrea MartinAndrea MartinAndrea Louise Martin is an American and Canadian actress and comedienne. She has appeared in films such as My Big Fat Greek Wedding, on stage in productions such as My Favorite Year, Fiddler on the Roof and Candide, and in the television series, SCTV.-Personal life:Martin, the oldest of three...
- Inspector Hans Kemp/Harold the Hermit—Fred ApplegateFred Applegate (actor)Frederick Applegate is an American actor, singer and dancer. He is best known for originating the roles of Inspector Kemp and The Blind Hermit in The New MEL BROOKS Musical Young Frankenstein. Other Broadway credits include M. Dindon/M...
- Dr. Victor von Frankenstein—Kevin Ligon
Broadway Replacement Cast
- Kelly Sullivan replaced Sutton Foster as "Inga" on July 8, 2008.
- Beth LeavelBeth Leavel-Biography:Leavel was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. She attended Meredith College, earning a degree in social work. She completed a graduate theatre degree at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1980. She acted during college, appearing in productions such as Cabaret and Hello,...
replaced Andrea Martin as "Frau Blucher" on July 15, 2008. - Michele Ragusa replaced Megan Mullally as "Elizabeth Benning" on August 5, 2008.
- Cory EnglishCory EnglishCory English , is an American actor.Born into a blue collar family in upstate New York, Cory was the youngest of four boys. Cory attended Wayne Central in Ontario, New York...
replaced Christopher Fitzgerald as "Igor" on November 25, 2008.
2009-2010 National Tour Cast
- Dr. Frederick Frankenstein—Roger BartRoger BartRoger Bart is an American actor and singer.-Life and career:Bart was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, the son of a teacher and a chemical engineer, and grew up in Bernardsville, New Jersey. His uncle is journalist Peter Bart. He made his Broadway debut in Big River as Tom Sawyer in 1987...
- The Monster—Shuler HensleyShuler Hensley-Early life:Hensley was born in Atlanta, Georgia. The youngest of three children, Hensley grew up in Marietta, Georgia. His father, Sam P. Hensley, Jr., is a former Georgia Tech football star, retired civil engineer and former state senator. His mother, Iris Antley Hensley, was a ballerina and the...
- Igor—Cory EnglishCory EnglishCory English , is an American actor.Born into a blue collar family in upstate New York, Cory was the youngest of four boys. Cory attended Wayne Central in Ontario, New York...
- Inspector Kemp/Blind Hermit—Brad OscarBrad OscarBrad Oscar is an American musical theatre actor known for his Broadway performances in musicals such as The Producers and Jekyll and Hyde. The former garnered him a Tony Award nomination.-Career:...
- Elizabeth Benning—Beth Curry
- Frau Blucher—Joanna Glushak
- Inga—Anne Horak
Tour Replacement Cast
- Rye Mullis temporarily replaced Shuler Hensley as "The Monster" on April 8, 2010.
- Shuler Hensley returned to the role of "The Monster" on June 26, 2010.
- Christopher Ryan replaced Roger Bart as "Frederick Frankenstein" on September 12, 2010.
- Preston Truman Boyd replaced Shuler Hensley as "The Monster" on September 12, 2010.
- David Benoit replaced Brad Oscar as "Inspector Kemp" on September 12, 2010.
- Janine DiVita replaced Beth Curry as "Elizabeth Benning" on September 12, 2010.
- Synthia Link replaced Anne Horak as "Inga" on September 12, 2010.
2011-2012 National Tour Cast
- Dr. Frederick Frankenstein—A.J. Holmes
- The Monster—Rory Donovan
- Igor—Christopher Timson
- Inspector Kemp/Blind Hermit—Britt Hancock
- Elizabeth Benning—Lexie Dorsett
- Frau Blucher—Pat Sibley
- Inga—Elizabeth Pawlowski
- Ensemble—Edward Charles Carignan II, Gregory Dassonville, Michael Peter Deeb, Jerome Doerger, Brett Figel, Kinsland Howell, Lauren Kadel, Graham Keen, Stephanie Madden, Caitlin Maloney, Kevin Metzger, Ashley Gale Munzek, Sarah O'Connor, Kristen Schoen-Rene, Tug Watson, Eric Weaver
Reception
Young Frankenstein generally received mixed critical reviews, and was often compared to The ProducersThe Producers (musical)
The Producers is a musical adapted by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan from Brooks' 1968 film of the same name, with lyrics written by Brooks and music composed by Brooks and arranged by Glen Kelly and Doug Besterman. As in the film, the story concerns two theatrical producers who scheme to get rich...
. The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
called it "an overblown burlesque revue, right down to its giggly smuttiness ... Mr. Brooks’s songs have a throwaway quality, as if they were dashed off on the day of the performance."
The New York Post gave a more positive review, saying that the show "is nearly very good indeed" and that "Brooks and Stroman pull out every stop. Despite music that's more ho-hum than hummable, Brooks's lyrics are bright and witty. Better yet, the book ... does a great job, with the assistance of co-writer Thomas Meehan, in transferring the original script to the stage."
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
said that "Susan Stroman directs and choreographs with her usual wit and invention," but also mentioned that "you cannot escape the impression that everyone is working desperately hard to animate essentially weak material, and the show fatally lacks that touch of the sublime that made The Producers so special."
Despite mixed reviews from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
critics, Young Frankenstein was generally popular with audiences, with one attendee saying that although it didn't outdo the film, it's a "fantastic [show] for those new to Broadway". The production won a Broadway.com Audience Award for Favorite New Broadway Musical.
When describing the audience's reaction, Brooks said, "I love what they do. The audience knows 'Young Frankenstein' the movie; they didn't know 'The Producers.' They all neigh when anyone on stage says 'Frau Blucher.' And they can't wait for the Blind Hermit to spill the hot soup on the monster's lap. It's great to see the audience play ping-pong with the actors."
Awards and nominations
2008 Tony Awards- Best Performance By a Featured Actor in a Musical (Christopher Fitzgerald) (nominee)
- Best Performance By a Featured Actress in a Musical (Andrea Martin) (nominee)
- Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Robin Wagner) (nominee)
Outer Critics Circle Award
Outer Critics Circle Award
The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets...
- Best Musical (won)
- Best Score (nominee)
- Best Director of a Musical (nominee)
- Best Actor in a Musical (Bart) (nominee)
- Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Fitzgerald & Hensley) (nominees)
Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
- Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Fitzgerald, Hensley) (nominees)
- Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Martin) (nominee)
- Outstanding Lyrics (Brooks) (nominee)
- Outstanding Choreography (nominee)
Drama League Award
Drama League Award
The Drama League Awards, created in 1935, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing...
- Distinguished Production of a Musical (nominee)
- Distinguished Performance (Bart, Foster) (nominee)
Grammy Awards
- Best Musical Show Album (nominee)
2008 Broadway.com Audience Awards
- Favorite New Broadway Musical (won)
- Favorite Leading Actor in a Broadway Musical - Roger Bart (won)
- Favorite Featured Actor in a Broadway Musical - Christopher Fitzgerald (won)
- Favorite Featured Actress in a Broadway Musical - Megan Mullally (won)
- Favorite Onstage Pair - Roger Bart and Sutton Foster (won)
2011 San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Awards
- Best Production (nominee)