By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“)
Following the record setting production of The Producers, Mel Brooks set his sight on bringing another of his film classics from the silver screen to the stage. That film was “Young Frankenstein,” co-written with Brooks and his star Gene Wilder, who first proposed the idea to Brooks.
But while Brooks still considers “Young Frankenstein” his greatest (although not his funniest) film, its adaptation into a musical has been far less successful and that’s puzzling. In addition to his composing the music and lyrics again, Brooks assembled the same team from The Producers that had won a still-standing record 12 Tony Awards including book writer Thomas Meehan (Annie) and director and choreographer Susan Stroman (Contact).
Meehan passed away in 2017 while still working on trimming the original book of the musical, especially in the opening scene, where he cut the song “The Happiest Town in Town” the “Entre’Acte” that began Act II and several others in order to move the action along quicker. A West End production opened around that time, transfered to another theater and closed in 11 months. But, it is that new book and list of songs that is being produced now at the Jefferson Performing Arts Center (JPAC) by the Jefferson Performing Arts Society (JPAS).
Directed by Big Easy Award winning director Leslie Castay (Irving Berlin’s “Holiday Inn”), the show stars award-winning musical director and former Broadway performer Michael Paternostro in the title role of Frederick Frankenstein.
Paternostro shows his easy manner in tackling a difficult role. He launches into “The Brain,” the very first number in the show and is most often the focus of the work, rarely seen off stage for the duration of the two acts. His singing continues to lead the way with a duet opposite Igor, played by the wonderfully energetic Scott Sauber, in “Together Again for the First Time.” The two of them engage in what might otherwise be seen as a vaudeville act, camping it up playfully for the audience.
The two of them then join in song with Inga (the talented Charlie Carr) in “Roll in the Hay.” A hilarious side aspect of that ribald number occurs with the interaction of the “horses” driven by Igor while Frederick and Inga cavort on the jaunty hayride.
As Igor, Sauber is a comic master, playing off Pasternostro’s straight man Frederick with absolute zeal and perfection.
Jennifer Delatte as Elizabeth, Frederick’s cold and chaste fiancée, provides a counterpart to Inga’s warm and welcoming feminine charms. Her “Please Don’t Touch Me” admonishes abstinence and is a cautionary hymn to virgins, prudes and the undersexed:
“You can stick me.
You can lick me.
You can pinch me til I’m blue.
You can bite me
And delight me til I’m blind.
You can savage me
And ravage me;
I care not what you do,
If the lovely filthy things you do
Are only in your mind.”
Another hilarious comic actor is Meredith Long-Dieth, who portrays Frederick’s grandfather Victor Frankenstein’s girlfriend, Frau Blücher. Aside from the running gag about her name, Frau Blücher has one major song in Act One: “He Vas My Boyfriend,” an uproarious anthem to sado-masochism and co-dependency.
Ken Goode, Jr. rounds out the main cast in a double role, first as Inspector Hans Kemp stirring up the local villagers in “Hang Him Til He’s Dead” and later as a blind hermit with his solo “Please Send Me Someone.” The veteran musical theater performer continues to prove he is not merely a capable player, but truly one of the best and most consistent in all the local theatre scene.
The ensemble also contains a very talented group of a dozen performers including outstanding featured performers and dancers Sasha Munchak, Danny Rubio and Camille and Frank Von Hoven. Whether acting as medical students at Dr. Frankenstein’s (“that’s Frahnk-en-steen”) teaching hospital or scared and enraged villagers about to storm the castle, they provide great support to the leads.
As the conductor, artistic director Dennis Assaf must be having a great time in the pit. With only a nine-piece orchestra, he elicits an amazingly rich and vibrant sound from his musicians that wonderfully enhances the performances on stage. It is a pleasure to hear such a fantastic score played to maximum effect with live players and conducted with aplomb by a maestro and kudos should also be extended to music director Ken Leach.
There’s not enough to be said about Jaune Buisson’s skills as a choreographer. Once again, she continues to impress as she serves as an architect of movement in the work, picking up on Susan Stroman’s original choreography, but making it her own. Two of the best pieces are the iconic “Puttin’ on the Ritz” number with Frederick, Igor, the Monster, Inga and the ensemble sending up Irving Berlin in a way never imagined by the composer or Fred Astaire for whom it was written. The ensemble excels as well in Act One’s closer “Transylvania Mania” with the entire company engaged in intricate and ccordinated dance moves on stage before intermission. (Brava, Jaune!)
The set design by Emery Foster is also amazing and shows her incredible skills at what is a relatively young age. Lighting by Stephen Thurber is also superb along with all-important sound design by Eric Porter. Costumes are well executed by Avery Colle and Amanda Bravender does an excellent job with wigs and makeup, especially for The Monster, Inga, Igor and The Hermit.
When the cauldron boils down, Young Frankenstein may not be the massive hit The Producers was, but it is still a major opus that deserves to be experienced without comparing it to anything else. It’s a wonderful sendup of a classic film comedy that will prove to be a great night (or afternoon) of musical theatre for most audiences (it’s probably not the right vehicle for the very young). Congratulations to JPAS for bringing this work to the stage and giving it the proper treatment with Castay at its helm.
Directed by Leslie Castay, Young Frankenstein, the Mel Brooks musical (2 hours and 30 minutes with a 15-minute intermission) finishes its run at the Jefferson Performing Arts Center, 6400 Airline Drive, on Fri., Nov. 4 and Sat., Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m. and a Sunday matinee on Nov. 6 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are available here or by calling 504-885-2000.
