June 12 - June 29, 2013
in Bellport

The New York Times - June 21, 2013

          "YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN” at the Gateway Playhouse in Bellport becomes truly hilarious toward the end, when Dr. Frederick Frankenstein and his creation, a giant, green-faced Monster, pair up for a glittery soft-shoe to Irving Berlin’s “Puttin’ on the Ritz.” But even before then, the production is delightfully entertaining — not what one might expect given the critical drubbing the musical received after its 2007 Broadway opening.
         At Gateway, the show (the full title of which is “The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein”) hews to the Broadway version, with the original direction and choreography by Susan Stroman recreated by Jeff Whiting, who was her assistant choreographer on Broadway and directed the national touring production. It also uses the impressive Broadway set designed by Robin Wagner and the colorful costumes by William Ivey Long.
         Fortunately, it arrives without the heavy baggage of the Broadway production, which included ticket prices of up to $450 a seat, and lofty expectations following Mr. Brooks’s previous success with “The Producers.” Those elements contributed to the disappointed tone of many of the reviews. Still, the show (based on Mr. Brooks’s 1974 movie starring Gene Wilder, who also helped write the film’s script) stayed open for more than a year, later at lower prices.
         At Gateway, where the top ticket costs $69, the show proves to be — no, not a great musical, but an amusing diversion, especially for people not averse to hearing age-old gags that Mr. Brooks gleefully recycles in nearly all his work. Though Mr. Whiting may only be recreating Ms. Stroman’s dance steps and other staging, he does it with an airy, joyous touch. He is aided by a lively orchestra under the musical direction of Jonathan Parks, and deft lighting by Jose Santiago.
         Set mostly in Transylvania in 1934, the story revolves around Frederick, the grandson of Victor Frankenstein, the mad scientist who discovered how to breathe life into dead flesh. Visiting the family castle to settle his grandfather’s estate, Frederick — who insists that people pronounce his last name “Fronk-en-steen” — becomes intrigued by his ancestor’s experiments and decides to “join the family business,” as one of the songs puts it.
         Mr. Brooks wrote the show’s music and lyrics by himself and collaborated with Thomas Meehan on the book, which includes such outrageous but beloved elements from the movie as a hunchback’s shifting hump — right shoulder in one scene, left in another.
         John Bolton, who plays Frederick with a pencil mustache, an electrified hairdo and an insane gleam animating his face, is the linchpin here, surrounded by an excellent cast. All of them sing well and are attuned to the Brooks sensibility, which includes mugging and good-natured risqué behavior accompanied by double-entendres.
         Nathan Klau is especially personable as Igor, the hunchback who assisted Victor and is now eager to help the younger Dr. Frankenstein set up his laboratory. Lesley McKinnell does a fine job as Elizabeth, Frederick’s wacky fiancée, who later becomes enamored of the Monster. Tom Souhrada masters two roles, one of them as Inspector Kemp, who lost his left leg and right arm to a monster created by Victor (and who brings deadpan panache to the delivery of one of Mr. Brooks’s biggest groaners).
         Lara Seibert makes an adorable and sweet-voiced Inga, the young woman recruited to assist Frederick in his laboratory and otherwise, including for a “Roll in the Hay,” as a song delivered in a hay wagon describes their activity. Ms. Seibert understudied the role on Broadway.
         It must be difficult to bring the right balance of scary demeanor and sentimental core to the role of Frau Blucher, the castle’s housekeeper, whose looks are so severe that horses neigh whenever her name is uttered. Sandy Rosenberg is up to the task.
         Playing the Monster is at least as delicate a job, since the oversized hunk spends much of his time doing little more than grunting and moving stiffly. Brad Nacht imbues him with a strong and sympathetic personality, which makes his transformation into a tuxedoed song-and-dance man all the more welcome.

Read the original review: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/23/nyregion/a-review-of-young-frankenstein-at-gateway-playhouse.html?_r=0

Long Island Advance - June 20, 2013

Put on the Ritz, get your tix and love a monster
BY LINDA LEUZZI

          When Mel Brooks debuted “The Producers” in 2001, with its brilliantly irreverent scene after scene and its pair of perfectly matched actors starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, a thought balloon lingered in every theatre-goer’s mind. Could he top that one?
          Brooks did, knocking it out of the ballpark in 2005 at the Hilton Theatre with “Young Frankenstein,” based on the movie. But here’s the thing. While the tale about Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (pronounced “Fronk-ensteen”), who aims for a distinguished but predictable medical career before choosing a hysterical bend in the road after inheriting his infamous grandfather’s estate, was another Broadway smash, there’s a truism in this Gateway production.
          It’s actually better than its Broadway predecessor.
          Some shows display a frisson of theater greatness before the curtain goes up and this one starts full-tilt, with eerie music and thunder and lightning effects blasting from the get-go. A sign of things to come, there’s energetic twirling, tango dancing to “There is Nothing Like the Brain,” with lyrics about synaptic nerve connections. Witty humor like this is a fast-disappearing theater characteristic; so are roles like the laugh-out-loud Elizabeth, played by Lesley McKinnell. Elizabeth, the vamp who proclaims her love for poor Frederick, played by John Bolton, whose tongue hangs out with desire, is a hoot. She’s superb as the gorgeous, out-there, narcissist fiancée who doesn’t want her hair, nails, person touched before Frederick leaves on the ocean liner to Translyvania.
          Bolton, a Broadway regular, carries the day as the star straight man. His Dr. Frankenstein is a naïve, smart as heck, slightly insane, passionate character with a great voice who interacts seamlessly with a cast that is stellar. Stuck like glue to his master is the loony, loopy Igor, Nathan Klau, who worked with the original Dr. Frankenstein and doesn’t admit his distinguishing hump. He urges his younger master to take up the family business with a vaudeville side-step walk-this-way number and one-liners sometimes missed because the audience is laughing so hard.
          Klau is a non-stop treasure. Just think insane joy.
          The beautiful, happy-to-be-sexy Inga, played by Lara Seibert (she understudied for Sutton Foster as Inga in the original Broadway production), brightens up Frederick’s life as his new assistant. Her singing, lithe dancing and moves are amazing and fun. (Listen, even the mechanical horses are impressed by her jubilant bouncing during the hayride to the Frankenstein castle.) Sandy Rosenberg nails the dourly funny housekeeper Frau Blucher character; tongue-in-cheek, a little macabre, but not a bad person.
          Then there’s The Monster. How can an actor look green, grunt sentences, dance to an Irving Berlin song, then belt out a cultured Brit accent and an operatic voice? Brad Nacht, who played in Broadway’s “Billy Elliot,” should get a Gateway Tony for his portrayal.
          Jeff Whiting, the assistant choreographer under Susan Stroman during the Broadway run, who then directed the national touring production, directed this gem and the set is from the original show. Couple that with a luminous, rocking ensemble and a talented orchestra who get the zany essence of Mel Brooks’ take on a classic. Brooks was honored by the American Film Institute last Thursday night with a Lifetime Achievement Award. His amazingly top-notch prolific work (he was 75 when Broadway’s “Young Frankenstein” came on board) is as sharp as ever and Gateway honored it with this production. It’s pure and simple, a winner.

Read the original review (Login required): http://www.longislandadvance.net

Newsday - June 19, 2013

'Young Frankenstein' review: Broadway to Bellport
BY STEVE PARKS
(excerpts)

           "The Long Island premiere at Gateway Playhouse brings much of the Broadway original to Bellport.  Robin Wagner's set, scaled back for Gateway's cozier dimensions, frames the show's serial gags in Gothic cartoon-noir architecture, accented by William Ivey Long's loopy costumes. Director Jeff Whiting, who assisted Susan Stroman on Broadway, improves on the casting with a more credible title character (John Bolton is more relatable than Roger Bart was), plus a fine ensemble paced by dance captain Lauren Kadel.
          While the choreography is mostly standard, "Puttin' on the Ritz' is by itself worth the price of admission. (That may not have been the case on Broadway, where tickets went for up to $450.)"

         "The plot is simple enough. 
          Frederick is the American grandson of Victor Frankenstein, the scientist who generated life in a patchwork corpse he assembled in his laboratory. Upon Victor's death, Frederick ("call me "FronkenSTEEN") travels to Transylvania to sell the infamous castle. He's greeted by Victor's staff, including Frau Blucher, a comic heavyweight as presented by Sandy Rosenberg, who lustily proclaims that Victor was her "Boyfriend."
          Nathan Klau as Igor (pronounced EYE-gor) is the source of myriad running gags, including a hump that migrates from right shoulder to left. Lab assistant Inga, a limberly lithesome Lara Siebert, gives Frederick's snooty fiancee (gushing Lesley McKinnell) reason to cheat on her intended with The Monster, a huggable lunk as played by Brad Nacht.
          Most of the songs are as throwaway as the jokes lifted from Brooks' movie -- and just as predictable. But Inga's "Roll in the Hay" offers more charm than smutty innuendo, while The Monster's dancing-fool debut -- flanked by a nimble chorus -- is a showstopper, amplified by Jonathan Parks' band."
         
Read the full review (subscription required): http://www.newsday.com/young-frankenstein-review-broadway-to-bellport-1.5522811