On Tuesday night, Sarah and I were lucky enough to score comps to this new musical. It's in the midst of tryout performances in Seattle before moving on to NY. Seattle is home to a lot of tryouts like Hairspray and The Wedding Singer. Why? I don't know. Before I get into the review I'd like to say that it was a enjoyable evening and I'm glad I had the opportunity to see this show before it hits Broadway. And now, my review.Although it was an enjoyable evening, the show, in my opinion, still has some tweaking to do. And tweak they will. That's what this whole run in Seattle is all about. Word has it that Mel Brooks is watching every performance with a critical eye. Someone we know saw it on Sunday and then on Tuesday and they said that they had already changed some things. It was, at times, hard to watch because the rhythms from the movie are not present in the musical. Nor will they be. It's unfair to compare Roger Bart's performance as Dr. Frankenstein with Gene Wilder's. Bart does a great job and he has to make the part his own. The same goes for all the other beloved characters as well. But that doesn't mean it's not hard on us who grew up worshipping and memorizing the movie.
Even though she had a relatively small part, Megan Mullally stole the show. Andrea Martin was hilarious as Frau Blucher. (anyone know why the horses whinny at the sound of her name?) Christopher Fitzgerald did an admirable job of imitating Marty Feldman's Igor from the original film. The rest of the cast did a good job but I can't say they were outstanding. Sutton Foster is talented but her Inga was a bit weak. Shuler Hensley is a talented guy but had little to do as the monster. Of course, Puttin' on the Ritz was his chance to shine but parts of it seemed a bit overblown. Fred Applegate was great as the Hermit but his Inspector Kemp was flat and boring, perhaps because he wasn't given enough to do.
This review is getting too long. I think I'll just link to a cool review I found on another blog. I agree with alot of what is said in it. That should cover it.
So, I'm glad I went, I'm glad it was free and I'm glad I can say I saw it before anyone in NY. (nanny-nanny-boo-boo) Also, Roger Bart walked right by me on the street. I can't complain.
Here are some pics from the show from Broadway World. Enjoy!
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5 comments:
I believe that the word "Blucher" is German for glue.
Actually, it isn't. I was lead to believe it meant "gelder of horses." That is also wrong. Go to this link for some insight.
http://german.about.com/library/blgermyth02.htm
And with even further research I have found that "blucher" also can mean a certain type of shoe.
Go figure.
Young Frankenstein is a dud.
Just saw it on broadway - a preview.
Matthew LaBanca played the lead and was fun and charismatic.
The rest of the cast is wonderful. Igor stands out the most.
Most of the over 50 (maybe 55) set loved the show.
I'm 42. I give it a C.
The jokes were horrible.
The sex jokes tiring, stupid and over gratuitous.
The songs were old and boring. Not a SINGLE memorable melody really.
The staging, dancing, and scenery was awesome. Didn't save much for me however.
Overall - it was a waste of time and money. I might enjoy it in 15 years.
Compare to Spamalot which blows it away. (remember the "below me" joke - that's funny and
creative. mel brooks throws stupid cliches around constantly and Mel - they aren't funny
anymore). The Producers which is timely and right on with its jokes, timing and songs eats YF
alive.
Even Drowsy Chaperone had the camp tunes but somehow has a charm and energy that blows YF away.
This musical is a dud. A complete dud. I never write reviews but I had to tell the world: Go to broadway and see MANY other musicals first.
I wish I saw Mary Poppins. I probably would have woken me from the dead - Young Frankenstein didn't.
according to the Young Frankenstein DVD extras, bluca does mean glue. Mel Brooks said he thought it was hilarious that most of the audience wouldn't know why the horses were neighing.
On a side note, just saw the traveling YF show in Boston...and it was really, really bad.
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