As far as I’m concerned, Mel Brooks is a genius. This doesn’t mean he’s perfect–I’ve tried and tried but except for a couple random bits, I’m just not amused by To Be or Not to Be, but more often than not his work has me laughing at his masterful blending of precision-strike social and pop culture satire, clever wordplay, and broad physical comedy. This is why even though I’m not a huge fan of the movie-turned-musical as a whole, I’m very excited about the world premiee of Young Frankenstein at the Paramount Theater in August.

photo by Erin Baiano/Paul Kolnik Studio

The show is completely brand-spanking new–so new, in fact, that the cast photos don’t even show the actors (Roger Bart, Megan Mullally, Shuler Hensley, Fred Applegate, Andrea Martin, Christopher Fitzgerald, Sutton Foster) in their make-up yet; Seattle gets the world premiere engagement starting August 7th and running through before the show moves on to New York, opening on Broadway October 11 and at the Hilton Theater on November 13.

If you haven’t seen the 1974 film this play is based on, make sure you add it to your rental queue, pronto. But don’t let the movie’s ready availability stop you from going to see the movie, with all its credentials I don’t see how it can turn out anything other than great. The play’s book is by Brooks and Thomas Meehan, with music and lyrics by Brooks. Five-time Tony winner Susan Stroham directs and choreographs the play,which tells the story of Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, a New York brain surgeon/ professor, who inherits a castle and laboratory in Transylvania from his grandfather, deranged genius Dr. Victor Von Frankenstein. Does he continue to turn his back on his family’s troubled past or does he follow in his forebearer’s footsteps? (Here’s a clue: one of the songs is called “The Transylvania Mania”.) A loving poke in the eye of Golden Age Hollywood monster movie convention, Young Frankenstein is also a classic satire of perception, deception and the disconnect between the way we see things and the way they really are.

The show opens August 7 and runs through September 1; Tues, Weds, and Thurs at 7:30 pm, Fri & Sat at 8:00 pm; Saturday at 2 pm, and Sunday at 1 and 6:30 pm. Tickets available online through the Paramount’s website and are $25 - $75 before fees.