Young Frankenstein is my favorite Mel Brooks film, and one of my favorite movies of all time. So when my husband pointed out Young Frankenstein the Musical in the Kennedy Center magazine I simply didn't have the strength to resist.
Luckily, my husband appreciates Mel Brooks, and so do a couple of our friends, so we were able to make quite a night out of it. With music and lyrics by Mel Brooks himself I didn't think we could go wrong.
The evening started with dinner at Brasserie Beck on K street. I ordered a fillet with green peppercorns and cognac sauce, and it was amazing. But the gateau of chocolate was nearly lethal. I wish I could remember the wine we ordered, but I wasn't paying close enough attention. In the end all I can really say is that I thought dinner was fantastic.
After a leisurely meal we drove to the theatre just in time to get settled before they dimmed the lights. The Kennedy Center is a great venue for the performing arts (even if their statue of Kennedy leaves much to be desired), and our seats offered a clear and comfortable view of the show.
Roger Bart (from "Desperate Housewives", apparently, but also Carmen Ghia in The Producers) plays young Frederick Frankenstein, the grandson of the late Victor von Frankenstein. A humble professor of medicine, Frederick fights his family legacy, even after he learns that he is the sole heir to his crazy grandfather's land and fortune. However, the pull of the "family business" proves too much, and Frederick finds himself singing and dancing down the same path of his deceased relatives.
Roger Bart is a fantastic Dr. Frankenstein. Pulling not only from Gene Wilder's original representation, but also seemingly from characters such as Leo Bloom of The Producers (or maybe his former part in the most recent film), Bart makes the role his own while still giving the audience a bit of the doctor that has long been familiar. Bart's Frankenstein is more of a showman than a mad scientist, and he skillfully translates the role from film to stage musical.
The rest of the cast, however, leaves something to be desired. No one else in the cast seems to evolve in their role, and resorts to shouting or exaggerating the dialog as if to play up the film references without actually acting out the part. Their portrayals left me longing for Teri Garr, Marty Feldman, and Madeline Kahn. However, Roger Bart's performance and Mel Brooks' musical compositions pull it through, making Young Frankenstein the Musical a delightful stage production, and a treat for every Mel Brooks fan.
"Deeeep, looooovvveee....."
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