'The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein' -- Tacky, Tired, Tuneless Transylvania

Mel Brooks has taken a giant tumble off the mountaintop on which he stood following the success of THE PRODUCERS.  To think about it, THE PRODUCERS revealed itself not to be one of the greats as soon as Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick departed.   Performers mean an awful lot in a Broadway musical.   It seems the Brooks machine is willing to trade gifted star performers (they got to be stars for a reason, you know) for a more immediate return of profit.  Seems to be unwise for them,  and certainly not a reason for the audience to rejoice.  But, on to the show.

We had been hoping for a show that was nearly as good as THE PRODUCERS, it isn't, and for a musical that was akin to comfort food.  I believe all the moments that stand out in the film YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, are indeed there.   Those 'special' moments that most of us familiar with the film were looking forward to seeing recreated onstage. 

These comedic moments landed with all the grace of the Monster thomping on a little girl's head.  Come to think of it, the little girl scene, famous in the originAl FrankenSTEIN film, and lampooned in YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, was not recreated in the musical.  Perhaps it is because it has become very politically incorrect to depict little girls having their heads stomped on.  Although, if memory serves me correctly, the little girl is actually dispatched down a well in the original film, and takes off like a torpedo, landing in her bed in Brooks' movie.  Perhaps the creatives decided it was best not to offend with this scene.  Worrying about being offensive in a Mel Brooks show?  Not likely.

It couldn't have been for a concern of expense.  There is none.  Oh, of course there is some.  However, there is an overwhelming desire to call this show FRUGAl FrankenSTEIN.  This show has more scrims and paintings than the high school production of OKLAHOMA I saw over forty years ago.  Was this the work of the great Robin Wagner?  If so, Mr. Wagner seems to have been working without a budget.

Susan Stroman, why was it decided to leave out the little girl scene?  Why does it seem the chorus girls from CRAZY FOR YOU and THE PRODUCERS traipse through the land of Transylvania?  As director and choreographer, you surely let us down and we are disappointed and surprised.  Frankly, being a Mel Brooks show, we weren't expecting 'out of this world' songs and we were served the book material we were pretty much expecting.  It was you Ms. Stroman who's failure this is.  You have shown us your gifts before.  Your sheer inventiveness, and indeed your courage.  You left them at home for this show and it is a pity.  We were expecting a magical Susan Stroman production, and that was not what was up there.  May I say that it seems Ms. Stroman has gotten a bit lazy and seems lost with her work in this show?  Funny, I would have thought the material would have inspired her and brought out some of her greatest work.  It didn't.  She is repeating herself, big time, and it is time for Stro to take a deep breath, and have crisp and clear judgment about her own work.  William Ivey Long's costumes are fine, but never achieve a singular wow moment.  It seems Mr. Long has been content to follow closely, Ms. Stroman's lead on this show.

One wonders how much input Brooks had in directing the 'book' scenes of this musical.  Perhaps too much;  perhaps too little.  Whatever his input, the scenes just don't hit home.  There is something comforting and easy about seeing a musical version of a movie you know.  It is akin to seeing your favorite film repeatedly.  It is fun seeing scenes you like or love being recreated on the stage of the musical theater.  There is indeed some of that here.  I suspect these scenes from the movie were never that good or funny to begin with.  Here, without the glorious movie cast, Ms. Stroman must have had her hands full trying to get laughs.  Perhaps her hands were too full.

"Puttin' On The Ritz" by Irving Berlin is, by far, the musical highlight of YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN.  It is the greatest song in the show, again by far, and it is the number in the show that hits its mark best and is likely to be the most fondly remembered by theater goers.  Filled with the joy of the material, the performers seem to have the greatest glee doing this song, and Stroman has done her best work in the show with this number.  It is of minimal offense with which I say that Mel Brooks has also done his best work as composer/lyricist of this show with this number.  He didn't write it.  It was a highlight of the Brooks movie and is a highlight of its musical counterpart.  If only there were more musical highlights. 

The score is pretty much, uniformly disappointing.  THE PRODUCERS didn't have a very good score and this show's score is many rungs below that of THE PRODUCERS.  Frankly, some of the songs are 'dangerously' close in melody to songs from THE PRODUCERS.   We only hope that Mr. Brooks will turn to a great composer for his next Broadway musical.  That would be much more interesting and hopefully a greater time in the theater.

(Photos By Paul Kolnik)

I think it is safe to say that Igor and his roving hump steal the show.  Marty Feldman as Igor, pretty much stole the movie.  Cory English, is a delightful, and certainly an audience favorite as Igor, the assistant to Dr. Frankenstein, for those unaware.

Joanna Glushak is a grand Frau Blucher, the very spooky housekeeper of Frankenstein manor.  Hers is a leading part and yet one wishes she had more to do.  She is straddled with the inevitable but disappointing song, "He Vas My Boyfriend."  Hers is a winning performance.  We even forgive her for not being Cloris Leachman.

Synthia Link and Janine DiVita are both quite excellent as Inga and Elizabeth.  They deliver the fine singing and excellent acting that are expected.  However, neither performer ever achieves a moment of true excitement, and like the show in general, neither even try to reach a moment having hopes of being a 'star turn.'

The Monster is played nicely, with full proficiency by Preston Truman Boyd.  Mr. Boyd can grunt, and growl, and even dance with the best of them.  I was surprised that an actor of greater physical stature was not engaged for the part of the Monster.  Rest assured, Mr. Boyd wears the Monster's zipper quite comfortably.

We're not sure what the Frankenstein folk were thinking when they cast Christopher Ryan as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein.  He can sing a little, dance a little, and he can deliver a line okay.  Odd, but, the most charming thing that Christopher Ryan did on stage last night was perspire.  This is a performer not yet ready to deliver the star performance needed at the helm of this show.  It does seem that if Dr. Frankenstein had been played with that good ole' star power, the entire show would have gotten a much needed lift.

Last night was certainly a pleasant though at times tasteless evening in the theater.   My disappointment was led by Mr. Ryan's performance as Dr. Frankenstein.  As Mr. Brooks might say, "Oy, Vot Were They Thinking?"

There is that famous line from a Mel Brooks film, "It's good to be the King."   When Mr. Lane and Mr. Broderick were in THE PRODUCERS, Mr. Brooks was indeed the 'king of ole' Broadway.'  YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN makes it clear that Mr. Brooks' reign is over.

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