doug_stallings

I went to see Young Frankenstein on Broadway last night. The show is still in previews and officially opens in a couple of weeks. This is currently one of the hottest tickets on Broadway, though I booked my excellent seats on Monday evening.

Basically, it was a mixed bag. The show is pretty good but not as good as The Producers. I was fairly annoyed that the star, Roger Bart, didn't appear (his understudy was good but not great). Roger Bart is having back problems and has missed a lot of performances since previews began. While it's not uncommon for a star to miss weekday (particularly matinee) preview performances, I am still very annoyed by that when I'm paying top dollar for a very overpriced Broadway show.

So to my little review. The supporting players are excellent (especially Igor, Frau Blucher, Frederick's fiancee, and the Monster). The songs are mostly so-so, with just a 2 or 3 true standouts. The production is suitably lavish and definitely gets better in the 2nd act, which is a big positive. But I was a little disappointed. I think this will be very popular but won't be as big a hit as The Producers, and I'd hesitate to recommend someone pay full price to see it. It's fairly entertaining but nothing transcendent by any means (though even The Producers magic was based more on the chemistry between stars Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick than on the quality of the show).

By the way, there's another thread about whether or not this is suitable for kids. I'd say no. There are 3 relatively risque songs, but it's just not entertaining enough for kids. They'll enjoy Wicked or the Lion King more.

happytrailstoyou

I'm surprised. We saw Young Frankenstein when it tried out in Seattle and had a great time.

To not have Roger Bart in the title role is a huge loss. He is great.

Andrea Martin was not at our performance, and her understudy had a nice voice but not the comic chops.

I think children would love the show--especially Igor and the "scientific" apparatus.

NeoPatrick

Regarding the popularity of the show, I think there is one difference. While the film version of The Producers had a sort of "cult" following, Young Frankenstein has a huge following. That could easily add to its popularity. Of course, I don't mean to suggest that only those who know the films go to and enjoy the Broadway musical, but I think it's certainly caused advance sales for Young Frankenstein to be WAY above the original The Producers.

Dukey

Can we look forward to regularly-published "theatre reviews" from now on here, Doug?

doug_stallings

I'm not planning to become the new Ben Brantley of Fodors.com. But I thought it might help some tourists coming into the city who are trying to decide whether it's worthwhile to pay full price for this. Needless to say, I have a lot of opinions, so I'm always happy to share.

By the way, I ate at Film Center Cafe before the show, and I was really pleased. I hadn't been for a long time, and it's still good, still moderately priced (even cheap by Midtown standards), and still easy to get into early.

NeoPatrick

Doug, I agree with Film Center Cafe. It used to be sort of a "hole-in-the-wall" decor wise, but this summer I was pleasantly surprised by a much nicer upgraded look, and the food seemed even better than before.

Margo_Chester

We too enjoyded Film Center Cafe, although the night we were there (post theater) the music was VERY loud and it made conversation difficult. Good food though and reasonable prices.

fdecarlo

I'm annoyed whenever something great is redone as something good or mediocre, just to make a buck. 90% of music covers I've ever heard fall into this category, as do most remade films I've seen.

Andrew

I'm a huge fan of both the original "The Producers" and "Young Frankenstein" films. The latter was not only Mel Brooks at his peak but also Gene Wilder (who had the original film idea and co-wrote it) at his finest. I own "Young Frankenstein" on DVD but also was treated to it recently on a long flight to Europe.

I too have no interest in musical versions or remakes of these classic films. I guess I can understand making "The Producers" in a way because many people never saw the original film. But EVERYONE has seen "Young Frankenstein" (haven't they?). And without Gene Wilder, it's just not the same; it would be like making a musical of "Dirty Harry" without Clint Eastwood.

happytrailstoyou

I enjoyed the musical version of Young Frankenstein more than the movie except that I missed the wonderful Madeline Kahn OBM.

The musical is going to deliver a good time to sold out crowds for years to come.

I saw Hairspray and Young Frankenstein when they tried out in Seattle. Young Frankenstein made a bigger impression. It opens in NYC on November 8. Wait and see.