Review: YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN at PPAC

Young Frankenstein debuted on Broadway in 2007, playing for respectable 487 shows and was nominated for eight drama desk awards and five Tonys.

The simple plot centers on Frederick Frankenstein (He pronounces his last name 'Fronkunsteen', a pronunciation that actor Roger Bart repeats constantly, to comic effect.)  Young Frankenstein is teaching anatomy stateside at the prestigious John, Miriam and Anthony Hopkins School of Medicine when he learns of the death of his infamous grandfather, Dr. Victor Frankenstein.

Dr. Frankenstein travels to Transylvania Heights to settle his grandfather's affairs, leaving behind his virginal, social-climbing, fiancé Elizabeth (Beth Curry) behind.

Upon his arrival in Romania, he is greeted at the station by Igor (pronounced Eye-gore), the grandson of Igor, the nefarious Dr. Frankenstein's original assistant.  Igor (Corey English) is  eager to resume the family tradition of bringing dead flesh to life and has hired the comely Inga (Anne Horak) as a lab assistant. The trio set upon a bouncy hayride back to the Castle where we meet the housekeeper (castle-keeper?) the stern, stone-faced Frau Blucher (Joanna Glushak), whose last name mean 'glue' in German….each time her name is mentioned; the horses, on stage or off, whinny in fear. (This strikes me as a lot of work for an 'in' joke.)

After reading his grandfather's medical journals, Young Frankenstein is convinced that he can replicate his grandfather's experiment, changing it slightly to include the brain of the most intelligent man that ever lived in Transylvania.  Igor, is sent to collect the brain from, what else, the brain depository. On his way back to the castle Igor drops and steps on the small, ridged, brain.  Not wanting to disappoint his master, he substitutes another brain, which he believes is superior in that it is large and has no unsightly ridges.  Later we learn that Igor believes the brain came from a guy named Abby…Abby Normal.

The monster comes to life as super-strong blithering, but kind, idiot.  Dr. Frankenstein takes his medical experiment on the road, exhibiting his creation, with the help of Igor and Frau Blucher. The tour ends abruptly when the Monster kidnaps virginal Elizabeth (without her consent) and ravages her (with her consent) in a mountain cave.

The townspeople are convinced that the monster is dangerous and are determined to kill him. To save his creation from certain death, Dr. Frankenstein copies all of the contents of his brain into the monster's brain…making him a super-smart, super-sized, monster with a heart of gold that any girl would go for.  There isn't a sunset, but if there was, they would all ride off into it.

Roger Bart, who originated the role of Dr. Frankenstein on Broadway in 2007, is likeable;  he possesses a more than passable singing voice and enviable comic timing.  On press night, technical difficulties grounded the production to a 20 minute halt mid-way through act one.  During the unexpected break in the show, Mr. Bart came out on stage with Mr. English to explain what was going on backstage.  When the production resumed, the actors went back to the beginning of the scene they were in and Mr. Bart admirably ad-libbed a couple of  funny lines, which gained him the love and support of the audience.  During the break, the audience got to connect with the actor, as well as the character, and after the break the laughter was louder and the applause sustained longer.

Shuler Hensley is terrific as he reprises his the role of the monster.  Unfortunately, in this role, Hensley is under-used and doesn't have a fair chance to really show the audience what he can do.

Corey English does a fine job in the role of the puppy-like Igor.

The female leads are, unfortunately, secondary to the main plot.  This does not stop Beth Curry, Anne Horak and Joanna Glushak from each taking a well-deserved star-turn.

Brad Oscar, who joins the touring company, gets what amounts to two hefty cameos; one as Inspector Kemp and one as the Hermit. Mr. Oscar can do no wrong.

Susan Stroman's choreography and direction are outstanding. There are big production numbers which are danced to, mostly forgettable, music.  The dance ensemble is tight, executing Ms. Stroman's moves with grace and precision.  During the "Join the Family Business" number, Stroman has included a step-back-slide move that is so unique that I don't ever recall seeing anything like it.  The "11 O'clock" number is a clever show within a show, with music provided by the incomparable Irving Berlin.

The orchestra, under the direction of Bob Billig, swings.

In broad strokes; Young Frankenstein is two plus hours of Mel Brooks' humor; complete with innumerable bad puns, dick jokes, double-entendres and jokes for which you can see the punch line coming from miles away.  Some of the comedy material is really funny and some of it is Borscht-Belt bad.

The new music is, as mentioned above, is mostly forgettable.  This production should only be compared to the film version of the same name and not to previous Mel Brooks movie-to-musical productions.  Using that comparison, the musical holds up pretty well.

Young Frankenstein plays at the Providence Performing Arts Center through Sunday, October 4, 2009.  Tickets range from $48 -$78 and can be purchased at The Box Office, which is located at 220 Weybosset St., Providence, RI, by phone at (401) 421-ARTS or online at www.ppacri.org

Photo Credit: Paul Kolnik

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