Shuler Hensley, as The Monster, and Fred Applegate, in a nifty dual turn as a police inspector and a blind hermit, provide nimble support and are called on to carry two of the best-remembered scenes from the movie: the Monster’s hilariously disastrous slapstick visit with the hermit, and the one musical number actually in the film, “Puttin’ on the Ritz.”
Director/choreographer Susan Stroman pulls out all the stops for “Ritz,” which in the movie is just a simple (and very funny) gag. Here it is stretched out for ten minutes or so, with chorus lines of monsters and even room for Inga and Igor to join in. The number encapsulates what’s right and what’s wrong with Broadway’s version of Young Frankenstein. Everyone knows they have to be over-the-top here, and they make it even bigger, more excessive, than you might imagine. And it’s fun, but it’s also, in the end, just too much.
Sets vibrate and fly apart and whirl around, strobes flash, and the big dance numbers keep on coming and coming. The people behind this show are making a Herculean effort. But they might actually be better off relaxing a bit and just being funny. When they do that, and it does happen several times in 150 minutes, this over-amplified, overgrown theme-park ride of a show seems worth all the fuss.
Article comments
1 - Chris McVetta
Young Frankenstein is one of the best comedy films of all time - too bad (it sounds like) the play didn't bring "this monster" to life in the same fashion.
2 - Charles W. Smith
We must always keep in mind that the Broadway Musical genre, which is an American contribution to the world of theatre is, was and always will be about ENTERTAINMENT and nothing else. If it exhibits some intrinsic structural inequities and the spectators seem to enjoy it---so be it. These problems can, and you had better believe will be corrected. If American musical theatre is to survive we MUST pay heed to GOETHE's rules for for criticism--and be always constructive and never destructive, and try to be objective and not revel in the super-egotistical indulgence of hyper-subjectivity. Ticket buyers want to know what they will see and not what a critic thinks that they will think when they see it. If the scenery remains in it's place, actor's remember their words and the orchestra is not out of tune,and the audience enjoys the total effort, what else matters?
3 - handyguy
"We must always keep in mind..."
Oh, must we indeed? Thanks for this silly advice, which has little or nothing to do with the review I wrote.
4 - Faith
It is NOT the Producers, and it is NOT the movie, it is BASED on a movie. Just like you shouldn't care about my OPINION, I don't care about anyone else's. I have tickets, and I'll enjoy the effort...or I won't (but I doubt I won't, after all, it's Mel Brooks!)
5 - handyguy
Dear Faith:
I certainly hope you have a good time.
Did my review sound like such a vicious pan? It wasn't intended as such. The reviews in both the NY Times and the Wall St Journal yesterday also called it mildly entertaining but overproduced and too loud. If that sounds good to you, you'll enjoy it.
6 - Wm Kleimenhagen
At the end of the play the audience gave a standing ovation. That should tell you something of the quality of this entertainment. My wife and I found Young Frankenstein quite delightful and would recommend that you see this play when visiting New York City.
7 - handyguy
Every audience at every Broadway show every night gives a standing ovation.
European visitors find this odd, since they tend to consider a sitting ovation sufficient praise for 99% of performances, reserving a standing ovation for the rare truly great performance.
I'm glad you had a good time for your $120-plus, but don't be deceived that the Standing O proves anything.