Joanna Glushak News

Young Frankenstein, playing at the Durham Performing Arts Center through December 12, is wickedly funny and incredibly bawdy. It's almost exactly what you'd expect from a musical based on a Mel Brooks movie - almost.

Now playing at the Aronoff Center for the Arts: Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein. While the orchestra (which sounded phenomenal) played the overture, an image with the castle and the words 'Young Frankenstein,' in a font reminiscent of a type you'd see on an old movie, was projected on a screen. The image set the tone for the musical, based on Brooks' classic vaudevillian comedy, and it plays out much like the movie.

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.

Spotlights will race across the sky, ticket holders will arrive on a red carpet, and the celebration of the Broward Center's 20th anniversary year will be launched Wednesday, October 6, at 8 P.M. with the season premiere of THE NEW MEL BROOKS MUSICAL YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN marking the first salvo of the excitingly diverse 2010 2011 Broadway Across America-Fort Lauderdale 8-musical theatrical season, presented by the Florida Theatrical Association at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.

Spotlights will race across the sky, ticket holders will arrive on a red carpet, and the celebration of the Broward Center's 20th anniversary year will be launched Wednesday, October 6, at 8 P.M. with the season premiere of THE NEW MEL BROOKS MUSICAL YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN marking the first salvo of the excitingly diverse 2010 2011 Broadway Across America-Fort Lauderdale 8-musical theatrical season, presented by the Florida Theatrical Association at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.

The new Mel Brooks musical, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, is a delightful and fun way for Tempe's Gammage Auditorium to start the 2010-2011 season. Strong performances and world-class choreography entertain despite a limited book and score.

Spotlights will race across the sky, ticket holders will arrive on a red carpet, and the celebration of the Broward Center's 20th anniversary year will be launched Wednesday, October 6, at 8 P.M. with the season premiere of THE NEW MEL BROOKS MUSICAL YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN marking the first salvo of the excitingly diverse 2010 2011 Broadway Across America-Fort Lauderdale 8-musical theatrical season, presented by the Florida Theatrical Association at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.

A wandering hump. Hyper-active hay rides. A tap-dancing, zipper-necked monster. One thing is clear: Mel Brooks is one silly man. In the world of comedy, silliness is definitely a positive trait. You certainly get a fair dose of his madcap genius in YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, the stage musical adaptation of his cinematic cult classic, whose touring company continues performances at the Orange County Performing Arts Center through September 25. A well-intentioned adaptation that tries valiantly to reach its full summit, this musical mines most of its laughs from signature moments faithfully recreated from Brooks' 1974 genre-skewering film comedy of the same name.

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, opened on Broadway November 8th 2007 at the Hilton Theatre and began the national tour in September, 2009.

The New Mel Brooks Musical YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, the new musical comedy from the creative team of the 12-time Tony Award® winning smash The Producers, will celebrate its Los Angeles premiere at the Pantages Theatre with a limited two week engagement from July 27 - August 8, 2010.

There is no denying that Mel Brooks is a comedy legend. Brooks' oeuvre--particularly his hilarious film work--harkens back to a time when getting laughs meant less cynical snark but, rather, more outlandish farce and the endless use of double-entendres and wordplay. YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, Brooks' stage musical iteration of his cult hit film--now performing at the Pantages Theatre through August 8--features plenty of Brooks' signature silliness, now paired with several relatively amusing songs, all penned by Brooks. However, the show somehow just stops short of becoming the universally beloved musical that Brooks' earlier show (The Producers) managed to be so much more effortlessly. But rest assured, this show will still coax a lot of smiles and many loud bursts of laughter out of you.

I revert to childhood when I see a Mel Brooks movie or show. The sillier the better: the sight gags, the double entendres, the more the merrier. The New Mel Brooks Musical, Young Frankenstein is a real rip-roaring hoot of a show from start to finish with a great cast and zippy fast-paced direction from Susan Stroman.

The New Mel Brooks Musical YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, the new musical comedy from the creative team of the 12-time Tony Award® winning smash The Producers, will celebrate its Los Angeles premiere at the Pantages Theatre with a limited two week engagement from July 27 - August 8, 2010.

The hilarious, new musical comedy, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, based on the Oscar-nominated smash hit 1974 film, is the wickedly inspired re-imagining of the Mary Shelley classic from the comic genius of Mel Brooks. Tony Award winners Roger Bart and Shuler Hensley reprise the roles of Dr. Frederick Frankenstein and The Monster in this hilarious new monster musical playing the Golden Gate Theatre June 30 - July 25, 2010.

The New Mel Brooks Musical YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, the new musical comedy from the creative team of the 12-time Tony Award® winning smash The Producers, will celebrate its Los Angeles premiere at the Pantages Theatre with a limited two week engagement from July 27 - August 8, 2010.

The hilarious, new musical comedy, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, based on the Oscar-nominated smash hit 1974 film, is the wickedly inspired re-imagining of the Mary Shelley classic from the comic genius of Mel Brooks. Tony Award winners Roger Bart and Shuler Hensley reprise the roles of Dr. Frederick Frankenstein and The Monster in this hilarious new monster musical playing the Golden Gate Theatre June 30 - July 25, 2010.

Tony Award-winner Roger Bart reprises his iconic role of Dr. Frederick Frankenstein when the first national tour of The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein visits Denver's Buell Theatre June 15-27. Single tickets go on sale Sunday, May 9 at www.denvercenter.org or by phone and walk-up Monday, May 10 at 10am.

Brooks'musical monster of a show set loose at the Buell

Tony Award-winner Roger Bart reprises his iconic role of Dr. Frederick Frankenstein when the first national tour of The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein visits Denver's Buell Theatre June 15-27. Single tickets go on sale Sunday, May 9 at www.denvercenter.org or by phone and walk-up Monday, May 10 at 10am.

The Mel Brooks musical adaptation of his 1974 film Young Frankenstein is currently playing at San Antonio's Majestic Theatre.