New FRANKENSTEIN Movie Musical Coincides with Bicentennial of 'Presumption'

This month marks the bicentennial of the first theatrical adaptation of Mary Shelley‘s Frankenstein, “Presumption; or, the Fate of Frankenstein” by Richard Brinsley Peake, which premiered on July 28, 1823.  

This coincides with the release the most recent adaptation, the Joe LoBianco film, FRANKENSTEIN, Eric B. Sirota’s musical theater work which ran Off-Broadway on-stage for three years prior to the pandemic. It opened in 2017 around the time of the bicentennial of Mary Shelley’s novel, which was written in 1816 and published in 1818.  

The musical was recently reimagined and adapted for screen with an expanded, sweeping romantic orchestrated score, and has been released for streaming on-demand here.  (See here for more info.)

In Mary Shelley‘s novel (entitled “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus”), Victor Frankenstein works in isolation. He tells no one of his endeavors. He does not share it with Elizabeth, his best friend Henry, nor his teachers, and he has no assistant. This is actually key to the story since Victor’s flaw as a scientist was not “hubris” as is often said, but, according to Sirota (a scientist himself), “his lack of collaboration, mentorship and peer review”.  And in his new adaptation, that was maintained.  But Victor’s main flaw which led to the tragic outcome, was not about science, but his lack of empathy for his creation, his child; in a sense it is about bad parenting. And Sirota’s musical is about the human need for a love and companionship; the heart of Mary Shelley‘s story.

In popular culture, the character known as Igor, Victor’s assistant, has become embedded in people’s minds as part of Frankenstein. However, no such character existed or could have existed in Mary Shelley‘s novel, for the reason described above.  Igor was not a 20th century Hollywood invention. The 1823 stage adaptation, Presumption, had added a character named Fritz, a bumbling assistant.  

In fact, in the 1931 Hollywood classic, the assistant was named Fritz.  It later evolved into what we now know as Igor, first appearing in Son of Frankenstein (1939) where Bela Lugosi played “Ygor”.  And canonized as “Aiy-gor” in Young Frankenstein.  Recently the 2015 film, Victor Frankenstein, is described as the story told through the eyes of Igor, played by Daniel Radcliffe.

One can understand why such a character would have been created for a stage adaptation. Unless the play was framed as a monologue to Walton (the ship captain who rescued him from the ice in the arctic), as Mary Shelley’s novel was, he would have no one to talk to.  It clearly makes a play or film easier to write, even if it changes key elements of Mary Shelley’s story.  Adaptations are just that – adaptations.  Being ‘true to the story’ is a relative thing.  

The novel was structured and written by Mary Shelley as a work for the printed page. Stage and screen are different mediums.  Adaptation is necessary.  Sirota describes his work as “a contemporary work of musical theatre which honors the source material.”   

But to adapt Frankenstein as a work of musical theatre successfully in this way was not an easy task.  The novel is not structured in a way easily conducive for it.  And perhaps that is why it took Sirota 36 years to learn the craft, write and rework, till it opened Off-Broadway in NY in 2017.

It was another adaptation of Frankenstein that spurred him to write the musical.  According to Sirota: “I had first read Frankenstein in 8th grade.  In 1981, during winter break of my first year in grad school at Harvard where I was studying Physics, my mother took me to a preview of the infamously short-lived Broadway production of the Gialanella play, based on Mary Shelley's novel (NYT: A Frankenstein That Never Lived).  I thought, ‘Why aren’t they singing?!’  I re-read the book and heard the story sing in my head as a musical.  Like Victor Frankenstein, I was a scientist working towards my degree, far from home and far from the girl I loved, and the story spoke to me both intellectually and emotionally.  At that point I decided to adapt the novel as a musical.”  

The new film adaptation is not simply a video capture of a live stage performance, the kind which is quite prevalent now. It was reimagined for the screen and filmed and edited like a movie musical with studio recorded songs, edited effects, and lots of post-production.  The musical score was expanded and orchestrated, and the cast was also enlarged.  Some scenes were re-ordered and a song added. However, the fundamental choices made in Sirota’s stage adaptation remain.

Directed by Joe LoBianco, this film is produced by John Lant and Tamra Pica in collaboration with Write Act Repertory, Tin Mirror Productions and Gatehouse Entertainment.  It was reimagined and restaged by John Lant for the film medium and directed by Joe LoBianco, with technical consultant Tom DiOrio and fellow producers Maarten Cornelis, Eric B. Sirota and Cara London.

The cast is led by Daniel Robert Burns (Victor Frankenstein), Marc Christopher (Creature), Grace Hwoang (Elizabeth Lavenza), Tim Bacskai (Henry Clerval), Ren KING (Innkeeper), Jay Lucas Chacon (Innkeeper), Daryl Glenn (Victor's Father) and Lauren Coccaro (Justine), with Julie McNamara, Isaiah Delgado, Rebecca Ponticello and Melissa Cathcart.

The musical director is Kent Jeong Eun Kim, and orchestrations by Kent Jeong Eun Kim, Kim Jinhyoung & Eric B. Sirota.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is one of the few classic novels still frequently read, especially in schools. There is a discount for group licensing, good for both group showing or individual access for each person, details of which can be found on the website.

Later this year, Avail Films will release a DVD version of Frankenstein, which will also feature a "Behind the Scenes” bonus feature which includes extended interviews with the cast and crew.

ERIC B. SIROTA (BOOK, MUSIC AND LYRICS) 

Eric is a composer and playwright, having written 5 full-length musicals. He studied musical composition in college and is an established and highly published research scientist with a PhD in Physics.  His musical, “Frankenstein,” played Off-Broadway at St. Luke’s Theatre for 3 years. His musical “Your Name on My Lips” had two productions at Theatre for the New City, where Sirota was a resident playwright. In 2019, he was the recipient of the Denis Diderot Artists-in-Residence grant to attend the Chateau Orquevaux residency where he wrote “A Good Day - (Music, memory, an old flame and Alzheimer’s),” which is currently in development.  As composer (with librettist Vin Morreale Jr.), he wrote A Day at the White House, which is slated for a production this fall. Other works include The Flemington Oratorio and a dramatic musical setting of Unetane Tokef.  https://ericsirota.com

JOE LOBIANCO (DIRECTOR) 

Joe is an award winning film Director and Director of Photography for feature and short films. As a director of film and music Joe started his career working for commercial clients such as the NY Jets, Bloomingdales and IBM. Joe’s photography has also been featured throughout the world and has circulated to millions. Joe directed the full length feature film 3 Doors From Paradise now in worldwide distribution, the short films Quality Control and multiple award winning Dinner For Two. TV shows include The Toronto ArtHouse Film Festival Awards, the MMA show ChokeHold. He is also the director of photography for the children’s show Funikijam and Art Garfunkel music videos and promos as well as Off-Broadway plays such as Ximer. Joe was also the editor on the multiple award winning documentary Keeping Christmas.

JOHN LANT (PRODUCER)

John is a 40-year veteran in the entertainment industry and has been involved in over 700 television, film, music tours, and theatrical productions as a creative producer / director, consultant, and showrunner. An award-winning producer, director, writer, lighting and set designer, John has mounted productions at Cal Arts, Ricardo Montalban, Powerhouse, Long Beach Playhouse, Glendale Center, Hollywood Playhouse, LATC, Ivy Substation, the Jewel Box Theatres and Write Act Repertory in LA. His work and productions garnered Drama-Logue, Diamond, ADA, NAACP Awards, LA Weekly and Backstage Picks of the Week, Garland, Valley Theatre (LA) nominations and receiving the California Service Award from the State Legislature for his Community Outreach and Service to the Arts in 2000, 2001, 2008 and 2009. He has produced 17 Off-Broadway Plays and is currently the Producing Artistic Director of Write act Repertory and is a TRU Board, APAP Presenter, and Associate SDC Member. He currently lives in New York, worked at Carnegie Hall for 13 years pre-COVID, and out of producing offices here and in LA.

TAMRA PICA (PRODUCER) 

Tamra's theater and television work spans 35 years with credits ranging from prop designer to producer of plays, musicals, dance, and ice shows. She's produced over 15 Off-Broadway productions including the long-running Frankenstein, Swing, and Lili Marlene and LA premieres most recently: Path to Catherine. Alongside theater, Tamra's production, casting, and development television work can be seen for companies such as Disney, Sony, Cartoon Network, NBC Studios, TBS, CBS, MTV, ABC and FOX. TV/Film Producing credits include America's Prince: The JFK Junior Story, Venice the Series, and she casts projects for theater, film and television in both New York and Los Angeles. 

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