Review: Young Frankenstein
| Seattle audiences are generous with their standing ovations–too generous, I often think; when every performance gets one, how do you reward those performances that are truly outstanding? Young Frankenstein, which officially opened tonight after two weeks of previews, could use just a bit more tweaking but despite its minor flaws (a couple songs could use some reduction in length, a couple scenes could use some tightening of pacing), the play definitely deserved the standing ovation given to the cast, director/choreographer Susan Stroman and writers Mel Brooks and Thoman Meehan. |  |
The performances by the actors in the play were all top-notch: Sutton Foster (Inga) and Megan Mullally (Elizabeth) were the obvious audience favorites but I was most struck by Andrea Martin’s portrayal of Frau Blucher in which infused some major comedic depth into a character which could’ve been just a one-note joke. I especially enjoyed her number “He Vas My Boyfriend” which gave her a chance to show off her full comedic range. Roger Bart as Frederick Frankenstein is no Gene Wilder, to be sure, but he was charming and engaging in his own way and made the role his own.
If you’ve seen the movie, you already know the play’s plot and many of its big laugh lines; the cast and crew definitely deserve applause for making even the recycled jokes sound fresh. The songs are funny, fun and memorable but the opening number (”Frankenstein is Dead/The Happiest Town in Town”) and the madcap song-and-dance routine “Join the Family Business”, both in Act 1, and Act 2’s “Please Send Me Someone” are each about a minute or two too long. A couple of the first act scenes would probably be even funnier if they moved a little quicker, but these are minor quibbles. Young Frankenstein is great fun and I definitely recommend checking out before it leaves Seattle to make its way to Broadway.
Of special note is the set design: I’ll be shocked if set designer Robin Wagner doesn’t get a Tony nod next year Peter Kaczorowski, Jonathan Deans, and Marc Brickman–Lighting, Sound, and SFX designers, respectively–also did an outstandiing job of making everything feel “real”..
JUST SAW THE FINAL TWO PERFORMANCES OF YF IN SEATTLE.
HERE IS MY BRIEF COMMENTS AND THINGS MR. BROOKS SHOULD DO TO FIX THEM.
1. ROGER BART IS ADEQUATE, BUT NOT A STAR. NATHAN LANE WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER.
2. GET RID OF THE ANCESTORS NUMBER. STUPID AND WASTE OF TIME.
3.END ACT ONE AS THE LAB TABLE IS BEING RAISED, AND DR. FRANKENSTEIN CLAIMS “IT’S ALIVE!” IT IS AN HOUR AND 10 MINS IN AND PERFECT TO MAKE ONE COME BACK TO SEE THE SECOND ACT. START THE SECOND ACT WITH THE TABLE DESCENDING.
4.MOVE “TRANSYLVANIA MANIA” NUMBER TO THE END OF THE SHOW AND MAKE IT THE FINALE, AS THE SHOW CURRENTLY HAS NO FINALE.
5. CUT THE WEREWOLF AND DRACULA COMPLETELY! STUPID STUPID STUPID AND CHEAP MASK AND COSTUME!
6. CUT ROGER BART’S NUMBER WITH THE MONSTER IN HIS “CELL”..IT DOES NOTHING.
7. CUT THE REPRISE OF “HE’S LOOSE”
8. RECAST ROGER BART…AND THE SHOW WILL FLY…
JUST SAW THE FINAL TWO PERFORMANCES OF YF IN SEATTLE.
HERE IS MY BRIEF COMMENTS AND THINGS MR. BROOKS SHOULD DO TO FIX THEM.
1. ROGER BART IS ADEQUATE, BUT NOT A STAR. NATHAN LANE WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER.
2. GET RID OF THE ANCESTORS NUMBER. STUPID AND WASTE OF TIME.
3.END ACT ONE AS THE LAB TABLE IS BEING RAISED, AND DR. FRANKENSTEIN CLAIMS “IT’S ALIVE!” IT IS AN HOUR AND 10 MINS IN AND PERFECT TO MAKE ONE COME BACK TO SEE THE SECOND ACT. START THE SECOND ACT WITH THE TABLE DESCENDING.
4.MOVE “TRANSYLVANIA MANIA” NUMBER TO THE END OF THE SHOW AND MAKE IT THE FINALE, AS THE SHOW CURRENTLY HAS NO FINALE.
5. CUT THE WEREWOLF AND DRACULA COMPLETELY! STUPID STUPID STUPID AND CHEAP MASK AND COSTUME!
6. CUT ROGER BART’S NUMBER WITH THE MONSTER IN HIS “CELL”..IT DOES NOTHING.
7. CUT THE REPRISE OF “HE’S LOOSE”
8. RECAST ROGER BART…AND THE SHOW WILL FLY…
JUST SAW THE FINAL TWO PERFORMANCES OF YF IN SEATTLE.
HERE IS MY BRIEF COMMENTS AND THINGS MR. BROOKS SHOULD DO TO FIX THEM.
1. ROGER BART IS ADEQUATE, BUT NOT A STAR. NATHAN LANE WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER.
2. GET RID OF THE ANCESTORS NUMBER. STUPID AND WASTE OF TIME.
3.END ACT ONE AS THE LAB TABLE IS BEING RAISED, AND DR. FRANKENSTEIN CLAIMS “IT’S ALIVE!” IT IS AN HOUR AND 10 MINS IN AND PERFECT TO MAKE ONE COME BACK TO SEE THE SECOND ACT. START THE SECOND ACT WITH THE TABLE DESCENDING.
4.MOVE “TRANSYLVANIA MANIA” NUMBER TO THE END OF THE SHOW AND MAKE IT THE FINALE, AS THE SHOW CURRENTLY HAS NO FINALE.
5. CUT THE WEREWOLF AND DRACULA COMPLETELY! STUPID STUPID STUPID AND CHEAP MASK AND COSTUME!
6. CUT ROGER BART’S NUMBER WITH THE MONSTER IN HIS “CELL”..IT DOES NOTHING.
7. CUT THE REPRISE OF “HE’S LOOSE”
8. RECAST ROGER BART…AND THE SHOW WILL FLY…
This is a perfect example of what you say — Seattle audiences are way too quick to give a show a standing O.
Yes, the talent in this show is a cut above what we usually see in the repertory companies and two cuts above the traveling shows that usually hit the big stage.
But the show itself is flabby and flawed, not to mention an apish copy of the wonderful movie.
This show has a lot of promise with its crowd pleasing special effects and showstopping dance numbers. But with a thin book it needs to be severely tightened, especially in the first act.
This is a preview run, folks, and far from standing ovation material.
Just because if I say nothing I’m going to blow a gasket…
Roger Bart was fantastic. They ALL were fantastic. Something Mel Brooks was trying to make clear about making Young Frankenstein into a musical was that the movie and the show were two seperate entities, hence not casting Cloris Leachman in the role of Frau Blucher on the stage. But to say that removing Roger would make the show better is stupid, for one, and another makes no logical sense. He’s a part of the show as much as any other, and his portrayel of Frederick Frankenstein is genius.
I do agree about the length in some scenes and with most of Zee Gregga’s suggestions. But the relatives scene was not one of them. That part was AMAZING.