Mel Brooks’ classic horror spoof was adapted into a successful musical on Broadway
To open its 80th season, The Theatre Group at SBCC presents Mel Brooks’ hilarious musical “Young Frankenstein.”
From the creators of the record-breaking Broadway sensation, “The Producers,” comes this monster musical comedy. Mel Brooks, adapts his legendarily funny film “Young Frankenstein” into a stage creation.
The story follows the grandson of the infamous Victor Frankenstein, Frederick Frankenstein (pronounced “Fronk-en-steen”) as he inherits his family’s estate in Transylvania. With the help of a hunchbacked sidekick, Igor (pronounced“Eye-gore”), and a leggy lab assistant, Inga (pronounced normally), Frederick finds himself in the mad scientist shoes of his ancestors. “It’s alive!” he exclaims as he brings to life a creature to rival his grandfather’s. Eventually, of course, the monster escapes, and hilarity abounds.
Every bit as relevant to audience members who will remember the original as it will be to newcomers, “Young Frankenstein” has all the panache of the screen sensation with a little extra theatrical flair added.
In 1974, Brooks — along with co-writer and star Gene Wilder — created “Young Frankenstein,” a loving parody of theclassic monster movies inspired by Mary Shelley’s novel. Shot in black and white and even using some of the original lab equipment from the 1931 movie, Young Frankenstein mimicked the visual style of old Hollywood horror while transforming it into absurdist comedy. The film earned critical and commercial success, was nominated for an Academy Award, and became a bona fide cult classic.
After having adapted his film, “The Producers,” into a Broadway musical that became a runaway success, Mel Brooks hoped to strike gold again. So, in 2007, he reunited with co-writer Thomas Meehan to bring Young Frankenstein to Broadway where it ran for 484 performances. Ten years later, the musical was significantly revised and restaged for a UK audience and opened in London’s West End to enthusiastic reviews and renewed acclaim.
The cast for The Theatre Group’s version of “Young Frankenstein” is led by Dillon Yuhasz as Frederick Frankenstein, Ryan Beaghler as Igor, and Kate Brody-Adams as Inga. The rest of the cast includes Sean O’Shea as the Monster, Addison Clarke as Elizabeth Benning, Tiffany Story as Frau Blucher, and Michael D’Emidio as Inspector Kemp, as well as Adrian Arias, Mary Bailey, Kevin Doyle, Amanda Elliot, Cynthia Erickson, Odette Finn, Tyler Gilbert, Will Muse, Giavanna Oliff, Margaret Prothero, Stella Reid, Evan Roush, CJ Smith, Logan Smoot, Chiara Stanziano, Naomi Jane Voigt, and Terra Sage Wallin.
The production is directed by Rick Mokler, with Michele Spears as choreographer, and David Potter as musical director.
Performances will be July 9-26, in the Garvin Theatre on SBCC’s West Campus, 900 block of Cliff Drive. Performance times are Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday @ 2 p.m. Previews on July 9 and 10 will be at 7:30 p.m.The Sunday, July 13, 2 p.m. performance will be live-captioned for the hearing impaired.
Prices:
- Previews are $20 general/$17 seniors and SBCC staff/$10 students,
- Thursday evening and Sunday matinee are $32 general/$27 seniors and SBCC Staff/$16 students,
- Friday and Saturday evening are $34 general/$29 seniors and SBCC staff/$19 students.
Tickets can be purchased by calling the Box Office at (805) 965-5935 or online at www.theatregroupsbcc.com
