I recently saw Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein on Broadway; I don’t know if it was the show itself or the dead body of Frankenstein’s monster but boy did it stink. The lavish Broadway production of Young Frankenstein is based on the beloved Mel Brooks movie of the same name. It’s the story of Fredrick Frankenstein (Or FRONKenstEEn as he likes to pronounce it) who takes over the work of his recently deceased grandfather, Victor von Frankenstein.

The story moves along nicely, and even if you aren’t a huge fan of the movie (which I am), you wouldn’t miss what’s going on. So where does the Broadway show go wrong? First off, casting. You just can’t mess with a great cast that brought you the movie. The comedic lines couldn’t match the perfection Gene Wilder delivered. Roger Bart played Fredrick Frankenstein on Broadway and he just didn’t seem to have the same charisma as Gene Wilder, and how can we blame him? Christopher Fitzgerald who played Igor in the Broadway show just didn’t have the eyes of Marty Feldman and in Christopher’s favor, the creepiness. Secondly, the music. It felt out of place and flat. Fred Applegate does a very commendable job playing the hermit and singing the song, “Please, Send Me Someone,” but the highlight is probably the “Putting on the Ritz” number at the end, which is amusing but not worth the wait. The best parts of this show clearly lie in the special effects and pyrotechnics. They do a really great job in that department, but it’s not enough to get you through an entire show.

On such competitive streets as 42nd & Broadway I can’t image a show of such low voltage staying much longer. The show was moderately enjoyable, but not $100 enjoyable, not New York City Broadway enjoyable. Now, I wouldn’t mind watching this show if it was included with the price of admission at my local amusement park. I would love to check this out while taking a break from riding the slip and slide or the 7 loop roller coaster. Also remember: don’t make the mistake of bringing your kids to this show–it is not kid friendly and there is enough sexual innuendo to make a gravedigger blush.

In a city where there is plenty of demand for your theater dollars, I would shop somewhere else. “Jersey boys,” “Wicked,” or the “Lion King” would give you more for your money. I think it would be best to let Young Frankenstein live in the movies and not Broadway.

Submitted by: Brian Wagner (MOJO Staff)