BWW Reviews: MTW Brings Brooks' YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN to Life in Long Beach

Recently, while watching the opening night performance of Musical Theatre West's lively (haha) regional premiere of Mel Brooks' YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, something struck me almost immediately: I'm laughing hysterically.

The sight-gags tickle. The over-the-top shenanigans are a hoot. The silly, pun-heavy jokes all land. The fact that I chuckled that much---at least in my own narrow little enclave of the theater-going world---already deems it a laudable triumph in my book. MTW's fun-filled production, by the way, continues through November 17 at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach.

Not to say that this laugh-filled surprise is some kind of freak occurrence for me (if you're a frequent reader of my columns, you already know that I simply adore musical comedies), but, frankly, in the previous times I had seen this fairly faithful 2007 stage adaptation of Brooks' own hilarious 1974 big-screen horror spoof, I don't recall ever laughing this much at the show.

The last time this Tony-nominated musical graced the stages of Southern California, it was during its first direct-from-Broadway National Tour. While I certainly found the show quite amusing during its stops at both the Pantages Theatre in L.A. and, later, at the Segerstrom Center in Costa Mesa, I had a more difficult time loving it---primarily because I felt like I was missing much of the humor. In my most recent review of the tour (which can be read here) I actually posited what I thought was a valid question: would YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN be funnier overall "if every witty joke and every clever lyric can actually be heard and deciphered better?"

Well, I am excited to report that I can finally answer that question... and it's definitely a "yes." And we all have MTW to thank for this. Who would have guessed that a combination of good diction, under-emphasized accents, and working microphones would be a real, honest-to-goodness asset for a show?

With that in mind, audiences who are already fans of the original non-musical film will adore the show, while those that have never seen the film will still find it difficult to suppress laughing at this loony, madcap stage iteration (especially when you can hear the darn jokes and the comical lyrics). Of course, Brooks (along with book co-writer Thomas Meehan) smartly plucks many of the iconic moments from the celluloid comedy that many of its quote-happy fans have come to expect and re-imagines them in musical form---often to hilarious results.

And like Brooks' classic comedy, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN follows the same out-there plot, naughtily skewering its classic source material and old-school inspirations along the way.

We first arrive at Transylvania where we meet the frustrated villagers claiming they're now the "happiest town in town" thanks to the death of local mad-scientist Victor Frankenstein. Little did they know that across the pond, Victor has a grandson, Frederick (Zachary Ford), a respected, though pompous brain-loving scientist in New York. Upon learning about his grandfather's passing, the younger Dr. Frankenstein---pronounced Fronk-ehn-steeen, by the way---decides to travel to his grandfather's grand estate in order to settle out his family's affairs, leaving behind his pretty-but-prudish fiancée Elizabeth (Rebecca Ann Johnson).

The wackiness really kicks it into high-gear once he is met at the train station by Igor (the scene-stealing Ben Liebert), a hunch-backed henchman that formerly served his grandfather. Later, he introduces the doctor to his newly-hired, cleavage-heaving assistant Inga (Andi Davis) and the mysterious, fiddle-playing Frau Blücher (the always awesome Tracy Lore), the castle's eccentric caretaker.

After some soul-searching---and a full-on dream sequence with the dancing ghosts of his ancestors---Frederick is convinced that he should remain in Transylvania to carry on "the family business." So what is the Frankenstein family trade? Why, it's bringing the dead back to life, of course! Thanks to a randomly-procured brain and a gigantic, lifeless body, the doctor does eventually succeed in re-animating a corpse (Danny Blaylock)---well, to a certain extent. The results are, as expected, a bit mixed: he and his pals find it to be a frightful outcome; while, we, the audience, laugh our butts off.

For MTW's cheery, tour-caliber regional premiere, director/choreographer Lauren Kadel has remounted Susan Stroman's original direction and choreography, which is still one of this show's incredible strengths. Add to that a buoyant, peppy ensemble and you've got one lively musical comedy that amplifies the very silly nature found in Brooks' brand of comedy.

As Dr. Frankenstein, Ford is wisely cast, easily straddling the shaky line between manic, vaudevillian mirth and playing straight-man to his sillier sidekicks. Speaking of side-kicks, Lore and Liebert prove to be this production's hard-working treasures, achieving laughs from such divergent delivery methods that had me and the audience howling all night. Davis and Johnson make a lovely triangle with Ford, but Johnson wins a slight edge thanks to her character's late-act "Deep Love" with the Monster.

And as the Monster, Blaylock is a winning one, particularly during his performances in "Puttin' On The Ritz" and his scenes with the blind hermit. My only gripe with the show, though, is the Monster prosthetics, which at some points looked like they were physically separating from Blaylock's face. It was slightly distracting but not enough to mar the actor's overall performance.

I'd also like to send out an extra-special shout-out to Jeffrey Rockwell, who doubles as Inspector Kemp and, later, yes, the blind hermit (the latter character is such a highlight of the show that I wished its role was somehow expanded). And as a collective ensemble, the show's company did an excellent, truly admirable job---particularly, in pronouncing much of the show's lyrics with such clear enunciation. (Teachable moment: just because your character has an accent, doesn't mean you have to over-emphasize it to the point that the audience ends up not getting what you're saying. Okay, soap box off).

While, sure, it's not as funny as THE PRODUCERS, Brooks' first Broadway musical triumph, and this show's finalé wrap-up feels a bit shoddy, still...YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN---particularly in this local re-mounting---ultimately proves itself to be an entertaining show, filled with just the kind of humor that made the world fall in love with Brooks in the first place. The humor won't be everyone's cup of tea (especially if you're not a fan of double-entendres or non-sensical sillyness), but much of it will still surely make you crack a smile or two (I mean, those horses neighing! C'mon! That's comedy gold!).

More importantly, I dare you not to start singing "He Vaaaas My Boyfriend" when you leave the theater.

Follow this reviewer on Twitter: @cre8iveMLQ

Photos © Caught In The Moment Photography/Musical Theatre West.

-----

Final remaining performances of Musical Theatre West's YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN continue through Sunday, November 17 and are scheduled Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m., and Sunday evening at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $20. There is a $3 service charge per ticket. Prices are subject to change without notice. Group rates are available for 12 or more.

Musical Theatre West performs at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center located at 6200 E. Atherton Street in Long Beach, CA.

For tickets or for more information, please call 562-856-1999 x4 or visit online at www.musical.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.