First The Producers, now Young Frankenstein

A few weeks back, I saw Young Frankenstein on Broadway and Mel Brooks has done it again! He first used his hysterical (and often perverse) sense of humor to bring his own classic film The Producers to the Broadway musical stage – now its Young Frankenstein’s turn.

Embedded in our collective minds from the 1974 film – and used to great success on the stage –are tons of trademark Brooks’ sight gags and shtick:

• Igor (that’s pronounced EYE-GORE) asks Dr. Frankenstein (that’s pronounced FRAUNK-AN-STEEN) to “Walk this way;” and so he does, literally, dragging a foot and imitating Igor’s hunchback.


• The horses bray and whinny as if frightened by something horrible, every time someone mentions the name Frau Blucher.


• And speaking of Frau Blucher (heeeeeeeee) – she, of course, exclaims “He vas my boyfriend!” – in the stage show it gets its own musical number!


• Then there is the sight of the monster in tux and tails belting out “Puttin’ on the Ritz.”


• I won’t even get into the gag about a huge set of (door) knockers.

All those classic film moments and more translate brilliantly to the new stage musical version of Mel Brook’s Young Frankenstein.

If you are Brooks’ fan, you’ll love it.

If not, well then, you are just "Abby Normal."

We've got some leftover fun for one of you.

Text FRANK to TBPAC (82722) for your chance. You get this nifty Young Frankenstein doctor's bag,

but it's the stuff inside the bag that counts: T-shirt; creepy syringe-pen; Abby Normal squishy brain (good stress reliever, just give it a squeeze); keychain; fake Rx pad (it's just a note pad people. Don't get too excited.); and some revival "pills" (we assume it is some kind of candy).

-- Paul