Young Frankenstein Announces Cast; To Open at Hilton November 8

Robert F.X. Sillerman and Mel Brooks present The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein, a new musical comedy from the creative team of the 12-time Tony Award winning smash The Producers, opening on Broadway November 8th 2007 at the Hilton Theatre (213 W 42nd St).  Previews begin October 11th 2007. 
 
The production stars Roger Bart (Dr. Frederick Frankenstein), Megan Mullally (Elizabeth), Sutton Foster (Inga), Shuler Hensley (The Monster), Fred Applegate (Kemp) and Christopher Fitzgerald (Igor).

Young Frankenstein features a book by three-time Tony Award winner Mel Brooks and three-time Tony Award winner Thomas Meehan and music and lyrics by Brooks. Young Frankenstein is directed and choreographed by five-time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman.   Musical supervision is by Glen Kelly.

The creative team and cast of Young Frankenstein have cumulatively garnered a staggering 27 Tony Awards and 54 Tony Award nominations.

Young Frankenstein will play its pre-Broadway engagement at Seattle's Paramount Theatre August 7th – September 1st.  

Tickets for Broadway will go on sale Sunday, July 15th.   For information, visit YoungFrankensteinTheMusical.com. 

Based on the smash hit 1974 film, Young Frankenstein is the wickedly inspired re-imagining of the Mary Shelley classic from the comic genius of Mel Brooks.  When Frederick Frankenstein, an esteemed New York brain surgeon and professor, inherits a castle and laboratory in Transylvania from his grandfather, deranged genius Victor Von Frankenstein, he faces a dilemma.  Does he continue to run from his family's tortured past or does he stay in Transylvania to carry on his grandfather's mad experiments reanimating the dead  and, in the process,  fall in love with his sexy lab assistant Inga?

Unfolding in the forbidding Castle Frankenstein and the foggy moors of Transylvania Heights, the show's raucous score includes "The Transylvania Mania," "He Vas My Boyfriend" and the unforgettable treatment of Irving Berlin's "Putting On the Ritz."

Released in 1974 to unanimous critical acclaim, the film received two Academy Award nominations, including one for Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder's script, also nominated for a Writer's Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.  Young Frankenstein was also the recipient of the two highest honors accorded films of science fiction: winning The Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation and The Nebula Award, given by The Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, for Best Dramatic Writing. Since its release, the film has become part of the national consciousness: in 2000, it was selected as #13 on AFI's 100 Funniest American Movies of All Time and in 2003, Young Frankenstein was chosen for preservation in the Library of Congress National Film Registry.  

The production team includes three Tony Award winning designers of The Producers: three-time Tony Award winning set designer Robin Wagner, four-time Tony Award winning costume designer William Ivey Long and  Tony Award winning lighting designer Peter Kaczorowski.  Jonathan Deans is the sound designer.  Two other Producers alumni complete the music department: Tony-award winning orchestrator Doug Besterman and musical director Patrick Brady.

Biographies 

    MEL BROOKS (Book, Composer & Lyricist, Producer). Director, producer, writer and actor, Mel Brooks is the recipient of three 2001 Tony Awards (Best Score, Best Book of a Musical, Best Musical) and two Grammy Awards (Best Musical Show Album and Best Long Form Music Video) for The Producers. Mr. Brooks began his distinguished career during television's Golden Age as a writer for Sid Caesar on "Your Show of Shows" in 1951. In 1955 and in 1957, Brooks received Emmy Award nominations (with others) for best comedy writing for "Caesar's Hour," and in 1956 he was nominated (with others) for best writing for a variety or situation comedy. In 1952, Brooks wrote sketches for Leonard Sillman's Broadway smash-hit revue, New Faces of 1952, and in 1957, together with Joe Darion, he wrote the book for the Broadway musical Shinbone Alley, which starred Eartha Kitt. In 1962, he wrote the book for the Broadway musical All-American, starring Ray Bolger. In the 60s, Brooks teamed up with Carl Reiner to write and perform "The 2000 Year Old Man" albums, which became immediate bestsellers. In 1960 and 1961, Brooks and Reiner received Grammy Award nominations for the best spoken word comedy for "2000 Years" and for best comedy performance for "2000 and One Years," respectively. In 1997, Brooks and Reiner teamed up again for "The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000." Both a book and CD were released, the CD winning a Grammy Award in 1998 for the best spoken word album: comedy. Brooks wrote and narrated The Critic, a short satire on avant-garde art films, which received the Academy Award for best animated short subject in 1964. In 1965, he teamed up with Buck Henry and created "Get Smart," the long-running television show starring Don Adams as Agent 86. Brooks, along with others, received an Emmy Award for outstanding writing achievement in a comedy-variety in 1967 for "The Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris Special." In 1968, he wrote and directed his first feature film, The Producers, starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, which earned him an Academy Award for the best original screenplay written directly for the screen. He then went on
to create a remarkable string of hit comedies: 1970, wrote, directed and acted in The Twelve Chairs; 1974, co-wrote, directed and acted in Blazing Saddles, and was nominated, along with John Morris, for best title song, "Blazing Saddles;" 1974, co-wrote and directed Young Frankenstein; 1976, co-wrote, directed and starred in Silent Movie; 1977, co-wrote, directed, produced and starred in High Anxiety; 1981, wrote, directed, produced and starred in History of the World, Part I; 1983, produced and starred in To Be or Not to Be; 1987, cowrote, directed, produced and starred in the hit sci-fi spoof, Spaceballs; 1991, co-wrote, directed, produced and starred in Life Stinks; 1993, co-wrote, directed, produced and starred in Robin Hood: Men in Tights; 1995, co-wrote, directed, produced and starred in Dracula:  Dead and Loving It; 2005, co-wrote and produced The Producers, the film version of his Tony award winning 2001 Broadway musical and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, "There's Nothing Like a Show on Broadway."  For three successive seasons, Brooks won the Emmy Award for his role as Uncle Phil on the hit comedy show, "Mad About You." His visionary film company, Brooksfilms Limited, founded in 1980, has produced some of America's most distinguished films, among them: David Lynch's The Elephant Man, David Cronenberg's The Fly, Frances, Richard Benjamin's My Favorite Year and 84 Charing Cross Road, starring Anthony Hopkins and Anne Bancroft.
        
    SUSAN STROMAN (Director /Choreographer) directed and choreographed The Producers, winner of a record-making 12 Tony Awards including Best Direction and Best Choreography. She co-created, directed and choreographed the groundbreaking musical Contact for Lincoln Center Theater, winning the 2000 Tony Award for Best Choreography, as well as Drama Desk, Outer Critics' Circle and Lucille Lortel Awards and a 2003 Emmy Award for Live at Lincoln Center. Other Broadway credits include The Frogs, Oklahoma! (Drama Desk, Outer Critics' Circle, Olivier Awards), Thou Shalt Not, The Music Man (Outer Critics' Circle Award), Steel Pier, Big, Showboat (Tony, Outer Critics' Circle Awards), Picnic, and Crazy for You (Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics' Circle, Olivier Awards). Off-Broadway productions include And The World Goes 'Round (Outer Critics' Circle Award) and Flora the Red Menace. For 10 years she choreographed Madison Square Garden's annual spectacular event A Christmas Carol (Outer Critics' Circle Award), directed by Mike Ockrent.  For New York City Opera: A Little Night Music, 110 in the Shade, and Don Giovanni. Ms. Stroman created Double Feature, a full-length ballet for New York City Ballet featuring the music of Irving Berlin and Walter Donaldson.  She has created the ballets Blossom Got Kissed for New York City Ballet's 50th Anniversary season and But Not For Me for the Martha Graham Company.  Her choreography received an Emmy nomination for the HBO presentation Liza – Stepping Out at Radio City Music Hall, starring Liza Minnelli. Other TV credits include co-conceiver/choreographer for PBS's Sondheim – a Celebration at Carnegie Hall and An Evening with the Boston Pops – a Tribute to Leonard Bernstein. She received the American Choreography Award for her work in Columbia Pictures feature film Center Stage. Ms. Stroman  directed and choreographed The Producers: The Movie Musical, nominated for 4 Golden Globes.  She is the recipient of the George Abbott Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Theater, and the winner of a record four Astaire Awards.

    THOMAS MEEHAN (Book) won the 2003 Tony Award for co-writing the book for Hairspray after having won the 2001 Tony Award for co-writing the book of The Producers. Earlier, in 1977, he received his first Tony Award for writing the book of Annie, which was his first Broadway show, and he has since written the books for the musicals I Remember Mama, Ain't Broadway Grand, Annie Warbucks, Bombay Dreams and the Broadway-bound Cry-Baby. In addition, he is a long-time contributor of humor pieces, including Yma Dream,

    to The New Yorker; an Emmy Award-winning writer of television comedy; and a collaborator on a number of screenplays, including Mel Brooks' Spaceballs, To Be or Not to Be, and the film version of The Producers. He is also the co-author of the libretto of "1984," an opera composed by Lorin Maazel and based on George Orwell's classic novel of the same name, which had its world premiere in the spring at London's Royal Opera House and will be performed next year at La Scala, in Milan. Mr. Meehan is a member of the Council of the Dramatists Guild.

    GLEN KELLY (Musical Supervision). Music supervisor and arranger for The Producers, Broadway and film version.  Other Broadway credits include Spamalot, The Drowsy Chaperone, Beauty and the Beast, Frogs, High Society, Steel Pier, Dance a Little Closer, and A Christmas Carol.  For New York City Ballet, he arranged the music and co-wrote the libretto (with Susan Stroman) for Double Feature.  Other ballet credits include Thou Swell (for NYCB) and But Not for Me for the Martha Graham Company.

    ROBERT F.X. SILLERMAN (Producer) is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CKx, Inc., a company engaged in the ownership, development and commercial utilization of entertainment content. CKx owns multiple globally recognized iconic brands, including the name, image and likeness of Elvis Presley and the operations of Graceland, the name, image and likeness of Muhammad Ali and the IDOLS television brand, including American Idol and local adaptations of the format which, collectively, air in over 100 countries around the world. CKx also partners with David and Victoria Beckham in the the development and ownership of Beckham-branded products and projects on a global basis. Young Frankenstein marks the second producing collaboration between Mr. Sillerman and Mr. Brooks, having worked together on The Producers, for which they won the Tony Award for Best Musical.

    ROGER BART (Dr. Frederick Frankenstein) is soon to be seen in Sony/Screen Gem's picture Hostel 2, as well as the upcoming Harold & Kumar 2.  This past December, Roger was featured in the Sci-Fi miniseries "The Lost Room." Last TV season Bart portrayed 'George Williams,' the menacing pharmacist trying to seduce Bree Van De Kamp (Marcia Cross), on ABC's hit "Desperate Housewives"  and reprised his role as Carmen Ghia for Universal's film version of Mel Brooks' The Producers. Starring once again alongside Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane, Bart received Tony and Drama Desk nominations for the role he originated in the Broadway production of the smash hit musical. Bart also appeared in Paramount's The Stepford Wives.  He received critical acclaim for his hilarious role as the gay Stepford wife.  The role was created for Bart based on his flamboyant role in the Broadway production of The Producers.  On Broadway, Bart received the 1999 Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Best Featured Actor in a Musical as Snoopy in the revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Other Broadway credits include The Frogs, starring opposite Nathan Lane, Triumph of Love. Television credits include the CBS comedy "Bram and Alice," "Law & Order," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," and "The George Carlin Show." A native of New Jersey, Bart currently spends his time between New York and Los Angeles.

    MEGAN MULLALLY (Elizabeth) is best known for her Emmy and 3-time SAG Award-winning role of "Karen Walker" on NBC's "Will & Grace."  Megan made her television series debut with Elaine Stritch and Ellen Burstyn on "The Ellen Burstyn Show."  She appeared opposite Stanley Tucci as Walter Winchell's wife in Paul Mazursky's award-winning bio-pic "Winchell" and opposite Juliet Stevenson in Lifetime's "The Pact." Mullally made her Broadway debut in the 1994 revival of Grease with Rosie O' Donnell.  She then received an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for her performance as Rosemary in the Broadway revival of How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying opposite Matthew Broderick. Los Angeles theater credits include The Berlin Circle at The Evidence Room Theater for which she won the 2000 Backstage West Garland Award for Best Lead Actress in a Play and the L.A. Weekly Award for Best Leading Female Performance.  Megan has also appeared in Mayhem at The Evidence Room, as well as a variety of plays and musicals in both Chicago and Los Angeles. Megan appeared in the feature film Anywhere But Here and starred in Everything Put Together, directed by Marc Forster (Finding Neverland), an entry in the 2000 Sundance Film Festival's main competition. Television fans may have recently seen Megan guest star on Boston Legal. Megan's recent concert appearances include The Allen Room at The Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, The Seattle Symphony, Chicago's Goodman Theatre, SUNY—Buffalo Performing Arts, the Orange County Performing Arts Center (all with her band, Supreme Music Program), and The Disney Concert Hall where she appeared as a soloist. Megan has made two records with SMP, one of which--Big as a Berry--is available on CD. The band has recently recorded a third album. Megan was also the host of her own daytime syndicated talk show, "The Megan Mullally Show."
    
     SUTTON FOSTER (Inga) recently starred on Broadway as Janet Van De Graaff in The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Tony and Drama Desk Award Nominations).  She previously starred on Broadway as Jo March in Little Women, The Musical, (2005 Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations)  She is the recipient of the 2002 Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Astaire Award for her performance as Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie, a role she created in the 2000 La Jolla Playhouse premiere. Her previous Broadway credits include Les Misérables, Annie, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Grease!. Regional credits include What the World Needs Now (Old Globe), Dorian (Goodspeed), The Three Musketeers (San Jose Musical Theater), Nellie Forbush in South Pacific and Sally in Me and My Girl (both at the Pittsburgh CLO). She has toured nationally in The Will Rogers Follies, Les Misérables, and Grease. She has appeared as Svetlana in Chess in Concert and starred as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl in Concert, both Actors Fund of America Benefits.  On television, Sutton recently guest starred on the Disney Channel's "Johnny and the Sprites," and will appear in several episodes of the new HBO series "The Flight of the Conchords." Sutton has performed in concert at Lincoln Center's American Songbook series, with the Philly Pops, and the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall.  She performed her solo act, "June in January," at Joe's Pub. Recordings include The Maury Yeston Songbook (PS Classics), and the original cast recordings of Thoroughly Modern Millie, Little Women and The Drowsy Chaperone.

    SHULER HENSLEY (The Monster). Broadway: Judd Fry, Oklahoma! (Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Olivier Awards); Kerchak, Tarzan; Phantom, The Phantom of the Opera; Javert, Les Miserables. Off-Broadway: Norbert, The Great American Trailer Park Musical. Regional Theatre: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Most Happy Fella. Opera: Regina, Don Giovanni, La Boheme, Carmen. TV: "Ed," Law & Order: SVU" and "Criminal Intent," "The Jury." Film: Van Helsing, Monday Night Mayhem, The Legend of Zorro, Opa!  www.shulerhensley.com.

    FRED APPLEGATE (Kemp) played the role of Max Bialystock in the Broadway, London, and National Tour productions of The Producers. Other Broadway: Sound of Music (Max); LA: Beauty and the Beast (Cogsworth); Guthrie Theater (11 productions), Mark Taper (4), Geffen Playhouse, St. Louis Rep, The Old Globe, others. TV: starring: "Life…and Stuff," "Woops!," "Newhart," "FM," "9 to 5"; recurring: "Cosby," "Night Court," "Growing Pains"; guest star: many; narrations for: National Geographic, TLC, PBS, and the BBC. 

    CHRISTOPHER FITZGERALD (Igor). Broadway: Wicked, Amour (Drama Desk Nomination). Off-Broadway: Gutenberg! The Musical! (Actor's Playhouse), Stairway to Paradise, Babes In Arms and Broadway Bash (City Center's Encores!). Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme (Lincoln Center), Fully Committed (Cherry Lane Theatre), Saturday Night (Second Stage. Drama Desk Nomination), Wise Guys (New York Theater Workshop), Corpus Christi (Manhattan Theatre Club), and The Cripple of Inishmaan (The Public Theater).Regional: Steppenwolf Theater Company, The Huntington Theater, and 10 seasons with The Williamstown Theater Festival (favorite productions include A Midsummer's Nights Dream, Where's Charlie, and Dead End). TV: "Twins" (series regular with Melanie Griffith and Sara Gilbert). Film: Fresh Cut Grass, Personal Velocity (dir. Rebecca Miller) and Dedication (dir. Justin Theroux).
      

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