The comedian wit and genius of Mel Brooks are alive and effectively within the musical adaptation of his 1974 basic “Younger Frankenstein,” which simply opened at The Croswell Opera Home. Very similar to the film, which performed with visible and operating gags at a breakneck tempo, the present—that includes a ebook by Brooks (who additionally wrote the music and lyrics) and Thomas Meehan—packs the identical kind of satirical wallop from the opening quantity, reminding audiences why they beloved the movie within the first place. Whereas it’s not strictly essential to have seen the movie to understand the Croswell’s ingenious manufacturing (although it is best to), that background information enhances the expertise at pivotal moments all through the present. If something, it’ll make you need to run dwelling and watch the movie once more. It’s a beautiful companion piece.
This manufacturing can be an ideal marriage of fabric and director, as Croswell staple Mark DiPietro feels proper at dwelling with the humor, numerous comedic bits, and disciplined staging {that a} present of Brooks’ caliber requires. It’d look straightforward on the floor, however executing the kind of dialogue and double entendres casually peppered all through the script in a stay setting, versus a cinematic medium, is a tightrope act. If any of the actors falter, it dangers stifling the present’s momentum.
It’s evident that DiPietro has discovered the precise crew to anchor the ship. For instance, on opening night time, the present was interrupted by a rogue fireplace alarm because the actors sat on stage. In that second, the performers maintained their depth and composure; when the present was able to resume, it was as if that they had by no means stopped. This speaks to the professionalism and focus of everybody on stage.
The story mirrors the movie and is about the way you keep in mind it. Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (pronounced “Fronkensteen”), performed with ragtag comedic timing and power by the fantastic Steven Antalek, has simply inherited his grandfather’s citadel, full with its nooks, crannies, and, uh, Swedish lab assistants. He initially resists coming into the household enterprise (regardless of his ancestors passionately pleading with him in one of many musical’s energetic tunes) however finally finds himself drawn right into a mysterious experiment.
Working alongside the attractive Inga (Payton Miller, who boasts each a beautiful stage presence and spectacular yodeling abilities), his loyal servant Igor (Jordan Treger—who skillfully creates his personal identification whereas paying homage to the good Marty Feldman), and the mysterious Frau Blücher (Laura Sagolla, hilarious in her many deadpan deliveries), whose very identify causes horses to shriek, Frederick turns into obsessive about reanimating lifeless tissue and creating a big monster with the mind of a scholar.
In the meantime, Inspector Hans Kemp (Matthew Herr, fantastic) warns the villagers of Transylvania {that a} Frankenstein has returned, placing everybody on alert for what shenanigans he could prepare dinner up. This setup results in all types of hilarious hijinks and chaos, particularly through the Act One finale “Transylvania Mania,” the place Igor, Frederick, and Inga should persuade the townsfolk that their creation isn’t dangerous. It’s certainly one of a number of main sequences on this present the place the actors strike the proper stability of comedic ingenuity with out overdoing it.
They excel at making throwaway bits and sight gags far funnier than they’ve any proper to be, contributing to the general sense of whimsical pleasure {that a} present like this may foster. Rounding out this stellar solid is Micah Risher as The Monster, who navigates the stage and interacts with numerous characters, together with the blind Hermit (performed by a sport Steve Hillard) and Frederick’s fiancée, Elizabeth Benning.
As Benning, Kyrie Crist delivers a scene-stealing portrayal, triumphantly making her Croswell return after a short hiatus and showcasing her sturdy vocal chops in one of many present’s most memorable and hilarious numbers, “Please Don’t Contact Me,” which sees the actress singing—er, belting—a few sure a part of the higher feminine anatomy.
After all, no present tailored from “Younger Frankenstein” could be full with out “Puttin’ On the Ritz.” Choreographer Sarah Nowak doesn’t pull any punches, enlisting a rock-steady dance ensemble to offer Croswell patrons with an unforgettable musical interlude that’s as charming and entertaining as any quantity the theater has mounted this season. As the children say, they’ve the “ritzz.” Or is it rizz? I can’t keep in mind.
Raymond Novak and Wynne Marsh make an ideal conductor and vocal director duo; everybody sounds terrific, though they have been generally drowned out by a blatant sound problem that brought about one of many lead’s mics to provide steady suggestions, often pulling me out of the present. Nevertheless, the sound crew was capable of regain management of the state of affairs, and I doubt this will likely be a lot of a difficulty going ahead.
Whereas the music may not be significantly memorable except for the now-classic songs everyone knows and recognize, the characters and the laughs definitely are. The expertise assembled for this manufacturing is yet one more reminder of how lucky we’re to have entry to high quality stay theater. In the event you’re searching for one thing enjoyable and need to faucet into the spooky season, “Younger Frankenstein” has nearly all the things you would want: laughs, peril, and a few fairly large tits.
The Croswell’s manufacturing of YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN continues by means of Sunday, October twenty seventh. Tickets might be bought at Croswell.org.