Review: YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN at The Candlelight Theatre

Is staging two Mel Brooks musicals back-to-back to start off the new season at The Candlelight Theatre a good thing? Sure, if audiences are up to a double dose of Mel. Will both of the chosen Mel Brooks movie-to-musical offerings laugh you out of your seat? Well…maybe?  

The Candlelight Theatre kicked off its 2026 season in January with Mel Brooks’ musical The Producers. Now showing is another Brooks movie-to-musical offering Young Frankenstein. On Broadway, Young Frankenstein began previews on October 11, 2007, opened on November 8, 2007, and closed on January 4, 2009 after only 485 performances. It’s safe to say that Young Frankenstein wasn’t a blockbuster Broadway musical and paled in comparison to Brooks’ previous success with The Producers.  Even with some of Broadway’s best talent - Roger Bart, Megan Mullally, Sutton Foster, Andrea Martin, and Shuler Hensley, under the direction of Susan Stroman - Young Frankenstein the musical never captured the comedic delight and whimsy as the original movie version. Therefore, any theater staging Young Frankenstein must do what it can to overcome some of the very same obstacles.

The plot of Young Frankenstein the musical follows the movie version closely with only a few unnoticeable alterations. Young scientist, Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (so embarrassed by his family name that he pronounces it "Fronkensteen") is Dean of Anatomy at New York’s Johns Miriam and Anthony Hopkins School of Medicine. Frederick learns his madman grandfather, Victor, died and left him the family castle in Transylvania. Frederick departs for Transylvania to settle the estate leaving behind his very self-absorbed, rich fiancée, Elizabeth. In Transylvania, Frederick meets Igor (pronounced "Eye-gore") who is the grandson of Victor’s former henchman, the very pretty, barefoot, confused, yodeling, Inga, Frederick’s unrequested lab assistant, and Frau Blucher, the castle’s mysterious, violin playing, dour matron and former lover of Victor, whose name frightens horses when spoken. In short order after some goading from Igor, an ancestral nightmare, and his new found intrigue of his grandfather's laboratory notes, Frederick decides to prove that reanimation of the dead is possible. For the experiment, Frederick requests a dead body and a brain of a scholar. Igor, being a dutiful henchman, sets out to fulfill the request by doing a little grave-robbing and organ theft. Acquiring the body is easy-peasy, but the brain acquisition runs into trouble. The brain Igor hastily chooses results in the good Doctor reanimating a very large body person with the strength of an ox operating on the brain of a smooth, soft marshmallow. The Monster escapes the castle and panic ensues (and so does intermission).

Act Two brings about the standard torch and pitchfork hunt for The Monster, The Monster meeting a blind hermit, more torch and pitchfork Monster hunting, capture and imprisonment of The Monster by Frederick and crew, a quick Monster positive speech therapy session, a Monster and Me performance at the Loews Transylvania Theatre, a fiery mishap, a kidnapping, another torch and pitchfork Monster hunt, cigarette sharing afterglow, recapture and reimprisonment of The Monster, a questionable electrifying meeting of the minds, an almost successful hanging, a lecture by The Monster, Ph.D., a repeated attempted hanging, a kidnapping resolution, family acceptance, and the finale.

Anthony Connell takes on the role of Frederick Frankenstein for a second time at Candlelight having previously completed the role in 2015. A Candlelight veteran and audience favorite, Connell gives an even cantered performance with only the slightest of Mad Scientist vibe. This Frederick is more controlled, albeit a little too stoic, and never hits the full comedic energy available to the character. Connell’s wonderful vocals and devilish grin lift his portrayal. The quickly sung patter of Frederick’s song “The Brain” is delightfully executed while the intense emotions in “Life, Life” and “Frederick’s Soliloquy” are thoroughly imparted.


 

As the henchman Igor, John Murphy is wonderfully goofy and fully animated. Although not having a full solo song of his own, Murphy adds an amusing element whenever on stage. Given the proper setup, Murphy could probably complete an Abbott & Costello skit by himself.  As Inga, Caroline Turner gives a bouncy, jubilant and amatory edge to the character. Every Inga needs to yodel in the song “Roll in the Hay” and Turner does it with glee. Her “Listen to Your Heart” is enchanting. Tess Sinatra as Frederick’s fiancée, Elizabeth, is a perfectly mixed cocktail of just the right amounts of snobbish, controlling, self- obsessed, vixen air. Her song “Please Don’t Touch Me” says it all until her Act Two song “Deep Love” reveals a different Elizabeth. The role of Frau Blucher is played by Candlelight veteran artist, Tori Healy, for a second time, having done the role at Candlelight in 2015. Frau Blucher’s song “He Vas My Boyfriend” can steal the show. Faltering to find the energy for the full campy lustful delivery, Healy had a near-miss with the song vocally, but managed to rouse the audience with her quasi-demented facial expressions. The town’s authority figure, Inspector Kemp (Malik Muhammad) is a true to form Mel Brooks interjectory character used for comedic effect and Muhammad brings the laughs with the character’s required physical comedy. Inspector Kemp, for whatever reason, has three songs, “The Law,” “He’s Loose,” and “Hang the Doctor,” and Muhammad performs all three very nicely. I have always been baffled by Brooks’ choice to give Inspector Kemp three songs while leaving Igor bits of lyrics in everyone else’s songs. A ballad to one’s hump could be interesting.

Of course, the real star of any Frankenstein themed story is The Monster, and Aaron Shown does not disappoint. Shown exhibits the needed physicality and vocal utterances of all good Monsters. It’s difficult to convey emotion only through grunts and moans but Shown capably leads the audience into understanding The Monster’s language. The one bit that almost everyone knows, loves, and recreates is The Monster in “Puttin’ on the Ritz.”  If an audience doesn’t react when The Monster sings that bit, then the show is in trouble. I can happily report that Shown’s delivery was on point. The real treat of Shown’s performance is after the “transfer” when he eloquently speaks for the first time and sings a reprise of “Deep Love.”  Of note, there is another Delaware Hometown Hero with a connection to the Broadway version of Young Frankenstein – Rory Donovan who played The Monster for the U.S. Tour in 2009.

I would be remiss if I did not address the Ensemble (Dylan Henderson, James Aloysius, Lila Angle, Heather Bounds, Mae Burrus, Timothy Lamont Cannon, Ev Dowling, Ed Emmi, Galen Graham, Ryan Lynd, Zach Martin, Mary McAvoy, Liv Scarborough, Alisa Stamps, Shaun Yates) and applaud them for being excellent rabble-rousing bearers of torches, pitchforks, and rolling pins, as well as tap dancers. Welcome to the eight Ensemble Members making their Candlelight debut! Young Frankenstein is a show that can easily be ruined by an ensemble that overdoes mugging and background action. This is not the case with this group of talented artists. The Ensemble brings the much needed full-throttle energy to the production.

Stage Director/Choreographer Jessica Bostock has assembled a very capable cast with a lovely on-stage chemistry. Tap Choreographer, Robyn Watson, pays an exuberant homage to the show’s original Stage Director/Choreographer (and Delaware Hometown Hero) Susan Stroman. Music Director Julia Kershetsky gets a big nod for the smoothness of the Transylvania Quartet in “Welcome to Transylvania” and balancing the Ensemble so each voice was distinguishable with well blended harmonies. Lighting Design (Matthew J. Kator), Sound Design (Adriana Santilli), Set Design (Jeff Reim), Properties/Set Dressing (Anthony Connell), Costume Design (Phoebe Gavula), and Wigs/Hair/Makeup (Clayton Stacey) were all serviceable and appropriate. Items I found to be lacking were the lighting spectacles and equipment props in the laboratory for the reanimation and transfer scenes. The one item needing tweaking is The Monster’s makeup (natural skin tone seen at the head prosthetic seamline). Male ensemble members having bare legs with their britches bothered me, but it’s a choice. My companion and I were seated in the front row which presented a problem when the choreography required dancers to sit at the front of the stage and kick their legs (directly into our faces). I think being this close to the stage is what made looking at the bare legs such a focal point or allowed me to notice tiny imperfections. Most people love sitting up front but I’m weird.

For me, the musical Young Frankenstein just doesn’t land the hearty belly laughs the same way as the movie version (and I absolutely adore the movie!). This Mel Brooks movie turned musical is more of a miss than hit. My opinion of the show whether seeing it on Broadway, on tour, or staged by a professional or community theater is always the same – meh.  Most casts, including the Broadway cast, simply can’t overcome the missing elements that make the show truly a zinger. Is it missing the irreverent statements of The Producers? Would it be funnier if Igor danced with his hump or there was an entire dancing hump kickline the likes of steak & eggs in Something Rotten!? (Can you tell I’m really into Igor’s hump?) The 2017 UK version revised by Mel Brooks with several songs being cut, two new songs added and a major script revision, was better received. Perhaps the licensing agency needs to offer that version. The Candlelight cast, doing what it can with a mid-level book, mines enough laughs and amusement to keep the show entertaining.

While The Candlelight Theatre is firstly a dinner theater, it does offer Show Only tickets for select performances. Call the Box Office to check availability. Opening Night was sold out for both dinner show tickets and show only tickets. I’ve been told both types of tickets are quickly selling with many nights having limited seating. Opting for dinner and a show allows you personal interaction with some cast members since they work as servers prior to donning their costumes and during intermission while in costume. Get your tickets, have a Don’t forget to show your gratitude to the servers and bartender Dan with a monstrous tip! 

The production runs March 14 to April 19.

Photo Credit: Tina Della-Volpe