Young Frankenstein: The New Mel Brooks Musical [CAST RECORDING] [EXPLICIT LYRICS] [SOUNDTRACK]

Mel Brooks (Composer), Thomas Meehan (Composer), Patrick S. Brady (Conductor), Roger Bart (Performer), Megan Mullally (Performer), Sutton Foster (Performer), Christopher Fitzgerald (Performer), Andrea Martin (Performer), Shuler Hensley (Performer), Fred Applegate (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: Roger Bart, Megan Mullally, Sutton Foster, Christopher Fitzgerald, Andrea Martin, et al.
• Conductor: Patrick S. Brady
• Composer: Mel Brooks, Thomas Meehan
• Audio CD (December 26, 2007)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording, Explicit Lyrics, Soundtrack
• Label: Decca Broadway
• ASIN: B000XH7GHU
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #18,313 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Unlike The Producers, the musical version of Young Frankenstein was not met with critical adoration when it opened on Broadway in November, 2007. Mel Brooks had followed the same formula, transferring all of his own source movie’s famous lines and plot points to the stage, but oddly, the cast album works better than the stage production, which is indeed often lumbering. Brooks’ songs are still fairly derivative but here, undistracted by director Susan Stroman’s flat staging, you can focus more on Doug Besterman’s excellent orchestrations and on the adept cast itself. As Dr. "Fronkensteen," Roger Bart is much less grating than on stage, for instance. As Inga, Sutton Foster exhibits some mad yodeling skills in "Roll in the Hay" and sounds like a classic Broadway babe on "Listen to Your Heart." Megan Mullally (Elizabeth) sells "Please Don’t Touch Me," "Deep Love," and "Alone" (a bonus track cut from the show), while Andrea Martin (Frau Blucher) kills with the Brecht-Weill pastiche "He Vas My Boyfriend." And yes, Irving Berlin’s "Puttin' on the Ritz" is included, complete with monster grunts and a long tap passage in this extended version. The show may not be worth the hype, but the recording is a pleasant surprise. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Product Description
ORIGINAL CAST RECORDING YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN MUSIC AND LYRICS BY MEL BROOKS -- IT'S ALIVE!

From the creators of the record-breaking Broadway sensation The Producers comes this monster new musical comedy, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, based on the Oscar-nominated smash-hit 1974 film. A wickedly inspired re-imagining of the Frankenstein legend based on Mel Brooks' classic comedy masterpiece, the story follows bright young Dr. Frankenstein (that's Fronkensteen) as he attempts to complete his grandfather's masterwork and bring a corpse to life. Together with his oddly shaped and endearing helper Igor (that's Eye-gor), his curvaceous lab assistant Inga, and in spite of his incredibly self-involved madcap fiance, Elizabeth, Frankenstein succeeds in creating a monster - but not without scary and quite often hilarious complications.

With such memorable tunes as "The Transylvania Mania," "He Vas My Boyfriend" and "Puttin' On The Ritz," The New MEL BROOKS Musical YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN is scientifically-proven, monstrously good entertainment...and the only place you'll witness a singing and dancing laboratory experiment in the largest tuxedo ever made. YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN features music and lyrics by the three-time Tony Award® winner Mel Brooks, book by Brooks and three-time Tony Award® winner Thomas Meehan, and is directed and choreographed by five-time Tony Award® winner Susan Stroman. The show stars Roger Bart ("Desperate Housewives"), Megan Mullally ("Will and Grace"),Tony-Award winner Sutton Foster ("Drowsy Chaperone"), SCTV's Andrea Martin and Christopher Fitzgerald ("Wicked").

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN opens at Broadway's Hilton Theater - Friday, November 9th!

Young Frankenstein Photos

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The Producers (Musical Highlights)	The Producers (2005 Movie Soundtrack)	The Producers (2001 Original Broadway Cast)
The Mel Brooks Collection	The History of the World, Part I	High Anxiety
Spaceballs	Blazing Saddles (30th Anniversary Special Edition)	Twelve Chairs

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not worth the money, April 28, 2008

By	K. D. Payne "Ravenskya the Princess of Horror" (Chattanooga) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

At one point I had written a long review in regards to this CD, Amazon didn't like it because they said it included too many "personal opinions" so here is my "New" review:

Orchestration - 2 stars - tinny sounding, karaoke-esque quality
Lyrics - 2 stars - Childish, stretching for rhymes, repetitious, un-funny
Vocal Quality - 3 stars - It was obvious that most of the actors "could" sing but were not used to their ability
Vocal Acting - 1 star - campy, corny, and accents that appeared and disappeared.

Final Review - 2 stars, this is a sad decline in the work of Mel Brooks.

14 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Follow-up to "The Producers", January 8, 2008

By	AJK (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

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

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars SO Disappointed, June 12, 2008

By	Character Productions "broadwaygirl" (st.louis, mo) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I purchased the CD with the hopes of clever and catchy tunes as we have come to expect from Mr. Brooks. I was sadly disappointed. Too much crudeness and not enough cleverness. I could barely make myself finish it once thru, much listen to it a second time. Yuk. and that's my professional opinion!