Whee! Just got home from seeing the out-of-town previews for the new "Young Frankenstein" Broadway show, and I gotta get my thoughts down while it's still fresh in my mind! No real big spoilers here, unless you consider song titles a spoiler.
So I guess I'll start with the general comments! Fans of the movie will not be disappointed. Most of the classic moments and lines from the movie have made it into the show. I noticed a couple of gags that have been more bought up to date, and one that may become dated very quickly unless they change it soon (too much of a "news of the week" vibe). But for the most part, it was absolutely hilarious! The musical numbers are somewhat of a mixed bag - some are big show-stoppers, and some are very forgettable. I'll go a bit more into detail here later. The whole show seemed to start off a bit slowly - the opening number really wasn't a big attention grabber. And it took a couple of numbers before it really picked up. In terms of the pacing, it seemed like Act I was really loooooong, and Act II was really short. I'm not sure how long each of them were, but it felt like Act II was over in a flash, while Act I just dragged on. The curtain call was pretty cool - much more involved than most! It's a whole musical number in and of itself.
The staging was amazing! It relied pretty heavily on the use of special effects and lighting tricks, but definitely made the most of them. There's a few effects that totally knock your socks off. The lighting itself was pretty cool, but I think they went WAY overboard on the strobe light. Sometimes blindingly so. Epileptics, avoid this one. :P The show was loud, loud, loud! Many of the effects had accompanying sounds that were overpowering - during one musical number, you couldn't even hear Dr. Frankenstein singing because the sound effects were so loud.
The cast was perfect!! Here's a few of my biggest observations:
Roger Bart - A fantastic Dr. Frankenstein! I just love his voice. He really channeled Gene Wilder a lot! And in a couple of songs, I caught myself giggling at how much he sounded like Disney characters he's voiced - Hercules (in "Frederick's Soliloquy") and Scamp (in "Life, Life").
Megan Mullally - A total scene-stealer! Seriously, she was amazing. She played Elizabeth well, giving off a major Katherine Hepburn vibe (with occasional peeks of her Will and Grace character, Karen ;)). And dear lord, that woman's got a set of pipes! When she started belting at the end of "Deep Love," it really blew me away.
Shuler Hensley - Perfect as the monster! I really love his voice. LOVE.
Christopher Fitzgerald - I don't think they could find anyone better for Igor. Simply hilarious! He has great comedic timing, and lots of energy!
And now, onto the musical numbers:
Frankenstein is Dead/The Happiest Town in Town - Meh. Not enough oomph for an opener.
There is Nothing Like The Brain - Again, meh. Rather forgettable.
Please Don't Touch Me - The first really catchy number. Hilarious!
Together Again For the First Time - Not great, but not the bottom of the barrel, either. Kinda catchy.
Roll in the Hay - Freakin' HILARIOUS. Fantastic staging, too!
Join the Family Business - Another mediocre number. I was more impressed by the effects in its lead-in!
He Vas My Boyfriend - Good for giggles, but nothing big here.
The Law - I don't even really remember this one. I think was just a few lines.
Alone - Supposed to be an Elizabeth song, but we never saw it at all. I assume it's already been scrapped (it's listed in the playbill).
Life, Life - It's Alive!! High energy, big effects. IMHO, this should be the Act 1 ender.
Welcome to Transylvania - Cute little barbershop quartet number. The singing was fantastic!
Transylvania Mania - Very catchy, with great choreography! (this is the Act 1 ender)
He's Loose - Forgettable. :(
Listen to Your Heart - A couple of funny moments, but not much more.
Surprise - The song itself wasn't that great, but I think Megan Mullally pulled it off well. I think this song will really only work with a few actresses who do it just right.
Please Send Me Someone - HILARIOUS. Love it! :D
Man About Town - Short, forgettable, but works as a lead-in for the next number.
Puttin' On The Ritz - Complete show stopper. Seriously. Big number, lots of laughs, amazing dancers!
Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life - If you've seen the movie, you know this is just hilarious. XD
Deep Love - *snickers* Funny song, and Megan Mullally's singing here really was amazing!
Frederick's Soliloquy/Deep Love (Reprise)/Finale Ultimo - three different songs, but they kinda blend together in my mind. A nice finale!
Overall, I'd say this one is going to turn out VERY well! The audience was already very into it as it is now. There were numbers that didn't work so well, but nothing that couldn't be fixed between now and the Broadway opening. It stays true enough to the movie that long-time fans won't feel gypped. And there were few obvious gaffes. The only one I really noticed was a curtain that didn't come down in time, so you saw the stagehands working upstage while the scene was going on downstage.
I did stay after and stop at the stage door! Not for too long 'cause I didn't want to hold anyone up, but I got there quick enough to get a spot right on the rail! I got autographs from Roger Bart, Sutton Foster, Christopher Fitzgerald, and Megan Mullally before deciding to call it a night. All of them were very gracious, and OMG, Christopher Fitzgerald was short! XD (But cute!) No wonder he played a Munchkin! :P (He was the original Boq) He was really sweet, though. One of the funniest things was someone telling Sutton Foster "I have a signed photo of you over my bed!" and she replied (laughing) "that's kinda creepy!" :P Megan Mullally was really quiet, too. I've gotten so used to seeing her play loudmouth characters that it was amusing to see her so soft-spoken. She was really nice, though. :D Apparently Mel Brooks was there too (and has been attending every performance) but I didn't see him myself.
So, yeah! Awesome show, and I definitely recommend it!
So I guess I'll start with the general comments! Fans of the movie will not be disappointed. Most of the classic moments and lines from the movie have made it into the show. I noticed a couple of gags that have been more bought up to date, and one that may become dated very quickly unless they change it soon (too much of a "news of the week" vibe). But for the most part, it was absolutely hilarious! The musical numbers are somewhat of a mixed bag - some are big show-stoppers, and some are very forgettable. I'll go a bit more into detail here later. The whole show seemed to start off a bit slowly - the opening number really wasn't a big attention grabber. And it took a couple of numbers before it really picked up. In terms of the pacing, it seemed like Act I was really loooooong, and Act II was really short. I'm not sure how long each of them were, but it felt like Act II was over in a flash, while Act I just dragged on. The curtain call was pretty cool - much more involved than most! It's a whole musical number in and of itself.
The staging was amazing! It relied pretty heavily on the use of special effects and lighting tricks, but definitely made the most of them. There's a few effects that totally knock your socks off. The lighting itself was pretty cool, but I think they went WAY overboard on the strobe light. Sometimes blindingly so. Epileptics, avoid this one. :P The show was loud, loud, loud! Many of the effects had accompanying sounds that were overpowering - during one musical number, you couldn't even hear Dr. Frankenstein singing because the sound effects were so loud.
The cast was perfect!! Here's a few of my biggest observations:
Roger Bart - A fantastic Dr. Frankenstein! I just love his voice. He really channeled Gene Wilder a lot! And in a couple of songs, I caught myself giggling at how much he sounded like Disney characters he's voiced - Hercules (in "Frederick's Soliloquy") and Scamp (in "Life, Life").
Megan Mullally - A total scene-stealer! Seriously, she was amazing. She played Elizabeth well, giving off a major Katherine Hepburn vibe (with occasional peeks of her Will and Grace character, Karen ;)). And dear lord, that woman's got a set of pipes! When she started belting at the end of "Deep Love," it really blew me away.
Shuler Hensley - Perfect as the monster! I really love his voice. LOVE.
Christopher Fitzgerald - I don't think they could find anyone better for Igor. Simply hilarious! He has great comedic timing, and lots of energy!
And now, onto the musical numbers:
Frankenstein is Dead/The Happiest Town in Town - Meh. Not enough oomph for an opener.
There is Nothing Like The Brain - Again, meh. Rather forgettable.
Please Don't Touch Me - The first really catchy number. Hilarious!
Together Again For the First Time - Not great, but not the bottom of the barrel, either. Kinda catchy.
Roll in the Hay - Freakin' HILARIOUS. Fantastic staging, too!
Join the Family Business - Another mediocre number. I was more impressed by the effects in its lead-in!
He Vas My Boyfriend - Good for giggles, but nothing big here.
The Law - I don't even really remember this one. I think was just a few lines.
Alone - Supposed to be an Elizabeth song, but we never saw it at all. I assume it's already been scrapped (it's listed in the playbill).
Life, Life - It's Alive!! High energy, big effects. IMHO, this should be the Act 1 ender.
Welcome to Transylvania - Cute little barbershop quartet number. The singing was fantastic!
Transylvania Mania - Very catchy, with great choreography! (this is the Act 1 ender)
He's Loose - Forgettable. :(
Listen to Your Heart - A couple of funny moments, but not much more.
Surprise - The song itself wasn't that great, but I think Megan Mullally pulled it off well. I think this song will really only work with a few actresses who do it just right.
Please Send Me Someone - HILARIOUS. Love it! :D
Man About Town - Short, forgettable, but works as a lead-in for the next number.
Puttin' On The Ritz - Complete show stopper. Seriously. Big number, lots of laughs, amazing dancers!
Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life - If you've seen the movie, you know this is just hilarious. XD
Deep Love - *snickers* Funny song, and Megan Mullally's singing here really was amazing!
Frederick's Soliloquy/Deep Love (Reprise)/Finale Ultimo - three different songs, but they kinda blend together in my mind. A nice finale!
Overall, I'd say this one is going to turn out VERY well! The audience was already very into it as it is now. There were numbers that didn't work so well, but nothing that couldn't be fixed between now and the Broadway opening. It stays true enough to the movie that long-time fans won't feel gypped. And there were few obvious gaffes. The only one I really noticed was a curtain that didn't come down in time, so you saw the stagehands working upstage while the scene was going on downstage.
I did stay after and stop at the stage door! Not for too long 'cause I didn't want to hold anyone up, but I got there quick enough to get a spot right on the rail! I got autographs from Roger Bart, Sutton Foster, Christopher Fitzgerald, and Megan Mullally before deciding to call it a night. All of them were very gracious, and OMG, Christopher Fitzgerald was short! XD (But cute!) No wonder he played a Munchkin! :P (He was the original Boq) He was really sweet, though. One of the funniest things was someone telling Sutton Foster "I have a signed photo of you over my bed!" and she replied (laughing) "that's kinda creepy!" :P Megan Mullally was really quiet, too. I've gotten so used to seeing her play loudmouth characters that it was amusing to see her so soft-spoken. She was really nice, though. :D Apparently Mel Brooks was there too (and has been attending every performance) but I didn't see him myself.
So, yeah! Awesome show, and I definitely recommend it!
rub the lamp