Customer Reviews

Young Frankenstein: The New Mel Brooks Musical

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Critical reviews of Mel Brook's new musical, "Young Frankenstein", have so far been mixed, but this seems to be somewhat of an expected backlash against Mr. Brooks. His first effort, 2001's "The Producers", was a runaway smash - winning a record number of Tonys and making any follow-up somewhat doomed. While I have yet to see the production (my tickets are for May), I find the score thoroughly enjoyable & a solid sophomore effort.

The amazing cast, led by Roger Bart, Megan Mullally, Sutton Foster, Christopher Fitzgerald, and Andrea Martin, sounds great. The score has a few weak links, but there are several terrific songs. Best tracks:

Please Don't Touch Me
Together Again
Roll In The Hay
Transylvania Mania
Listen To Your Heart
Puttin' On The Ritz (Irving Berlin's standard used in the 1974 film for which the musical is based)
Deep Love

So how do you follow up "The Producers"? From the start, no matter how well the play is performed, it will always be compared to Mel Brooks's last play. "The Producers" was a critical and commercial smash, and it's hard to give a favorable comparison.

That being said, I felt the songs were underwhelming, lacking the punch of Brooks' earlier works on stage and in film. The lyrics range from the corny to the predictable, but that is not to say the score is without highlights.

Obviously "Puttin' on the Ritz" is by far the most enjoyable song. It's not a song by Brooks, but rather Berlin, and it succeeds in this context primarily to the monster's famous attempt to sing the title line. Other catchy songs are Sutton Foster gamily yodeling "Roll in the Hay," Andrea Martin's "He Vas my Boyfriend," and Megan Mullally's "Please Don't Touch Me," putting a fun twist on the we're-not-in-love song.

The lyrics are filled with double entendres that feel old, as if we've heard them several times before, most noticeably in "Deep Love." It has a very Borscht Belt style to it.

It's not a bad score, just not a very good one. They must hope that the love audiences have for the original film will carry over to the play.

I guess Mr. Brooks wanted to repeat his previous hit (THE PRODUCERS)and emulate the successful parody achieved with SPAMALOT. These intentions have poor results in this musical which makes no honor to the classical movie directed by the same Mel Brooks.The songs are quite dull, the music sounds so old-fashioned and conventional that it seems you've heard all this - and better - before. I had great expectations with this album and I was convinced that the musical would be a sure candidate in the Tony race but, after hearing the album, I understand its absence from the nominees.

While far from the fiasco the NY critics claimed it to be, Young Frankenstein is a musical comedy bereft of big laughs. It is however, an entertaining old-fashioned show, albeit one with crude humor. Mel Brooks' score is an affectionaet homage to MGM musicals, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin and Doug Besterman's orchestrations are appropriately sumptuous and "old school". If you enjoy old fashioned scores, you will find a lot here to enjoy.

"Young Frankenstein" is the second Mel Brooks movie musicalized for the broadway stage by Mel Brooks and as such the humor doesn't rise much higher than the level of a precocious dirty-minded schoolboy but dirty-minded schoolboys can be funny and Mr. Brooks is the head of the crass(pun intended). I enjoy low-brow humor so all this is okay with me. If you take the liner notes at face value Mr. Brooks music and lyrics are intended in the style of his heroes Cole Porter and Irving Berlin-not even close-but Mr. Brooks manages some catchy tunes, in fact at times his music is funnier than his lyrics but they both come together like a tasty potluck dinner.

On CD Roger Bart seems to be a mellower Frederick Von Fronkensteen but his singing is fine and Christopher Fitzgerald as Igor, he with the movable hump, comes across so vividly you can almost picture his performance with your minds eye. Sutton Foster-I fell in love after "Thoroughly Modern Millie" and as Inga her "Roll in the Hay" is an invitation I'd gladly accept and her yodeling is so hot it would melt the snow caps of the Alps.

There are two tricky roles that are impossible to compete with, Cloris Leachman forever owns the role of Frau Blucher but Andrea Martin aquits herself quite well and her "He Vas My Boyfriend is a hoot and a half and I admire her ability to keep a straight face singing those nutso lyrics. The second role is that of Elizabeth, Dr Frankensteins ditzy fiance. Madeline Kahn can't be topped and wisely Megan Mullaly doesn't try to but brings her own personality to the role. I must admit I was kinda impressed with her singing on her big 11 o'clock number "Deep Love" despite the fact the double entendres and innuendos were about as subtle as a ton of bricks.

So if you want to dance the new craze "The Transylvania Mania" or are just as happy to be "Puttin' On The Ritz" the Broadway Cast Cd is there to assist you. Enjoy.

Absolutely love this soundtrack and have been passing it around work. I'm glad I got it before seeing the show as it made the show that much more enjoyable. Haven't stopped listening to it since. I bought a used copy and it arrived in great condition and well before the day of the show. I highly recommend that you get the soundtrack then go see the show. Incredible. Received some sour reviews from idiots comparing it to The Producers, but why people do that is beyond me. NEWSFLASH! It's not the Producers, its Young Frankenstein. Deal with it and enjoy it for what it is.

With the hugely successful adaptation of THE PRODUCERS turned into one of the biggest (and most profitable), most popular, and critically praised Broadway musicals of all time, it was a given that Mel Brooks would attempt to dive back into the well and turn some of his other movies into stage musicals. YOUNG FRANKENTEIN was the movie next chosen for adaptation. Unfortunately, though the show has comical musical numbers that allude and sometimes outright copy from famous composers, musicians, and performers of the past (Irving Berlin, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Danny Kaye, etc.), the show fails to be capture the imagination and wit that made THE PRODUCERS such a huge hit.

THE PRODUCERS was originally a story that Mel Brooks turned into a play which was so long that he made it into a film. The original movie, starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, wasn't exactly a box office smash, but was big enough to usher Brooks onto the Hollywood scene and would lead him to becoming one of the biggest comic powers of the 1970s. Still, until the late 1990s, THE PRODUCERS was an unknown film, except by Brooks' fans and movie buffs. It also had started out as a stage play and already contained two musical numbers. Therefore, that movie was a perfect pick for adapting into a stage musical. On the other hand, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN is one of Brooks' best-known movies, has remained hugely popular since its initial release, and is a parody of the classic black and white horror films of the 1930s. The movie also contain one of the best comedy musical song and dance numbers of film ("Putting on the Ritz"), but that's an Irving Berlin song, not a Mel Brooks song.

Despite all of these challenges, I still thought that YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN would be great. I was wrong. The musical isn't terrible, but I was terribly disappointed. Instead of being unique and original, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN ends up sounding like a poorly made copy. There really aren't any standout numbers on the soundtrack, but there are a few worth recommending and a few others that are half-way good.

2. "The Happiest Town in Town"--the big opening number. If all of the songs were as well done as this, then the show would have been as big a success as THE PRODUCERS.

3. "The Brain"--another early number. Full of words and witty humor. Once again, if most of the songs from the album were done along this vein, then the show would have been huge.
5. "Together Again"--a duet between Igor and Frederick. I don't think it's been acknowledged, but the song was definitely inspired by the Muppets "Together Again".

9. "Life, Life"--one of the few serious songs on the album. It's one of the best all around musical numbers in the whole album. I know Brooks is a comedy man, but from this song alone I would be interested in seeing him trying something a bit more serious.

11. "Transylvania Mania"--another big dance number that's just all around fun.

15. "Please Send Me Someone"--this song is kind of mixed. There is a beauty to it, that gets interrupted by bits of comedy. Once again, if the show had been serious, this could have been a very powerful ballad. Instead, it's ruined by its own comedy.

18. "Deep Love"--sex can make people want to sing.

I was really looking forward to "Puttin' On the Ritz", but the expansion of the song and dance number from what was done in the movie actually detracts from the scene rather than make it better.

Overall, though YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN isn't a terrible musical, it is a disappointment. There are glimpses of the Mel Brooks genius, but in trying to top the biggest Broadway musical success ever, he has given us a show that starts out strong, but ends up falling on its feet.

Sadly, the Young Frankenstein soundtrack is just not good. If you have seen the movie you will know everything that is going on, but because there is so much physical comedy the soundtrack is only laugh out loud funny if you can watch the movie in your head. The singers are winy, intentionally or not, its not nice to listen too. The lyrics are no where near as clever as The Producers in fact the innuendos are so over done its annoying. The only thing that is slightly enjoyable on the soundtrack is Sutton Foster, but even she can't do much. I was so excited to get the soundtrack but after a couple spins I was greatly disappointed. Of course collectors should get this, and maybe if you've seen the show, get this as a souvenir, but otherwise this is a pass. Favorite song (only because its Foster's Feature): "Listen to Your Heart."

My kids and I saw this play on Broadway last month. I bought the CD (which was significantly cheaper at amazon than at the theatre!) to sort of help keep the memories alive. I figured we spent a fortune on the tickets, what was a few more bucks for a memento? The CD works perfectly! It puts me right back in my seat on Broadway to experience the play all over again. The recording is clear and full. The characterizations of all the actors come through very well.

There aren't many bigger Mel Brooks fans than I am. Honestly, if I'm ranking my 20 favorite movies, in my mind, Mr. Brooks has 3-4 of those spots. I loved The Producers, so I've been anxiously following the lead-up to Young Frankenstein on Broadway, and now the soundtrack. This isn't as good as The Producers was, but its not bad.

For those who haven't seen the movie (Shame on you!), the story revolves around the last Frankenstein (played by Roger Bart), who is distancing himself from his family name by using a different pronunciation of the name as he is teaching in New York. When he learns of his grandfather's death, he goes back to Transylvania to settle the estate. While there, he meets Igor (Christopher Fitzgerald, whose performance is demanding of a Tony), Inga (Sutton Foster) and Frau Blucher (Andrea Martin). He realizes that is supposed to live up to his family name and goes about making a new Frankenstein monster (Shuler Hensley). Just as he's beginning to establish himself with Inga and in the town, his fiance' (Megan Mullally) arrives.

This is an A+ cast, with good material, but it almost seems like they are hesitant to take the show over at times. Each deferring to the other. No more is this present than in the performance of Sutton Foster. Foster is one of the greatest stars on Broadway in the recent years and is almost criminally underused in this production. Roger Bart does a good job, if slightly tame, in his performance. Mullally brings much of her television persona back with her and is good in small doses, but even in the small role can get a little over-the-top. One song, "Please Don't Touch Me", has really good potential but it ruined at the end by the screaming of a word describing a female body part over and over again.

There are good songs here. "Together Again" has a great feel and is very listenable and humorous. "He Vas My Boyfriend" is perhaps the funniest song in the show, with so many innuendos you need to listen a couple of times to pick them all up. "Life, Life" has a very good melody and advances the story exceptionally well. "Transylvania Mania" is a fun song to listen to, and the staging of this number is amazing if you get a chance to see the show. "Listen To Your Heart" is a very funny number, and really Sutton Foster's chance to shine in the musical. Much like the movie, there is a humorous rendition of "Puttin' on the Ritz", only this one much more melodic than in the movie.

I like this show, I really enjoyed it. However, the moments of brilliance that it has can get lost in some of the mediocrity that surrounds it. This should be a must-own for a musical or a Mel Brooks fan. For the rest, its without doubt worth a listen, but it isn't the highest brow of humor or the sharpest of lyrics. I give it 4/5, but its on the low end of that range.