A few years back the movie “The Producers” was reworked into a hugely successful Broadway play. And since this seems to be the era of “let’s redo everything” it didn’t surprise me that five or so years later, the stage play of “Young Frankenstein” was born.

YF (as we’ll call it from now on because I’m a lazy typist) is a movie I’ve come close to memorizing. While there are some dumb REALLY sophomoric jokes, there are more just really flat out FUNNY bit (“Pardon me boy, is this the Transylvania station?”). I also am a big fan of “Blazing Saddles” although again, there are many times that I wished Mel Brooks would NOT write as if he were a 12 year old boy who find it endlessly funny when someone farts or says “balls” or mentions that women have breasts. Brooks is often brilliant. There are the other moments when I find myself wondering how in HELL Anne Bancroft ever lived with the guy, and I suspect she, like Jessica Rabbit , would have said ”he makes me laugh”.

So when the powers that be picked Seattle for the out of town try-out of the Broadway play YF, we sorta to go (despite the crappiness of the theater’s handicapped seating.) We went last night.

It was… it was very good. I can’t tell if it will be a Broadway hit because I haven’t seen a play on Broadway in oh, 20 years? A revival of Eugene O’Neill’s LONG DAYS JOURNEY INTO NIGHT. I would have preferred MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN but it was Robards and Dewhurst and who knew if the chance would EVER come again?)

I haven’t seen a musical on Broadway in um, like 40 years? When I lived in Cambridge, I’m one of those who sort of stopped a long time back. I never GOT Andrew Lloyd Webber or Stephen Sondheim (except West Side Story but I really think that’s Berstein that does it for me. ) I feel at times very pedestrian for liking shows with music I can sing; I don’t get that from those guys. I feel wildly Unsophisticated for preferring THE KING AND I to INTO THE WOODS. At any rate, I don’t know what works and what doesn’t anymore. I watch the Tony Awards every year but that’s no help when you haven’t actually seen any of the shows. At least they separated out “revivals” so that new shows aren’t competing with the 5th incarnation of something from the 30s. Or 50s. or 90s.

I’ve never seen a show taken from a movie I like. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I was a tad peeved to learn that no one still around from the movie would be on stage. GRANTED, it’s not exactly a spring chicken of a movie – it’s over 20 years old. Peter Boyle, Madeleine Kahn and Marty Feldman are all gone. I wasn’t sure that this show could be presented without Feldman. And allegedly, I Cloris Leachman was more than a touch disappointed not to be offered the stage role of Frau Blucher (WHINNY!) a part that endeared her to many of us. YES, she’s 81 years old. Sheesh. She’s still BUSY working. Brooks himself is 82, but that doesn’t mean he knows what it’s like to be Leachman, for god’s sake. She deserved a shot.

So how was the show, Andi? It was, as I say, very good. The pacing worked, and the songs, musical theater style came whenever, which is the magic of musicals. The music (mostly) worked with a great number for Igor (“That’s Eye-gor”) singing how he and Dr F will be “together again for the first time”. There were some pointless dance bits – but that’s Broadway right? Ya gotta use the chorus. MANY favorite lines were woven into the script.” (“Put…..the candle….back”) and in fact Frau B got a super number entitled (say it with me now, fans) “HE VAS MY BOYFRIEND”.

The 12 year old bit – sigh – was the tacky “Deep Love” sung by Elizabeth which, lemme ask you, , is it still a double entendre when it’s so blatant, you roll your eyes? Single entendre? She sang a song about love which was deep and firm and well, you get it right? I just couldn’t find it funny. And that was the song for the best known “star” in the show, Megan Mullally, the reason I never watched “Will & Grace”. Oy vey.

I’m SO grateful to Brooks and actor Christopher Fitzgerald for keeping Igor’s accent. Feldman had a, I guess it was a London East End – very working class – accent and I hear his voice SO clearly. Fitzgerald was terrific, just did a great job in the part. He wasn’t channeling Feldman – none of them was – but they sure made a lot of us fans happy I think. Sutton Foster (is that not a GREAT name) as Inga looked (at leas from our way back seats) very much like young Teri Garr in her blond wig. She was fun, perky and looked great in her ranging from quasi-eastern European folk costume to evening gown wardrobe. The Monster (he never has a name) did a fine job, from his dance routine with Dr. F to his becoming a mensch late in the show. Andrea Martin, who honed her comedic chops with Second City (and boy did her appearance make Stu happy ) did a MARVELOUS Frau blucher. Where did she get that posture?

I was not especially blown away by Roger Bart, who played Dr. Frankenstein (“That’s ‘Frankensteen’”). I wanted to be, and really tried not to compare him to Gene Wilder, who inhabited the part in the film. I pondered this a lot and realized that I thought Bart’s timing was not really good. Comedic timing isn’t everything and he did fine with his lines, good musical numbers but at least twice I thought he jumped the gun. Maybe I’ve watched the film too often and am unfairly expecting all these folks to BE what the film was, but comedy pauses WORK. Waiting a beat or two sometimes before delivering the socko line is SO important and I felt the actor lacked that timing. He rushed into the set-up.

There were two bits I missed, but I realize that there was one less set to construct and oh my gods, when you’ve got a story that includes someone traveling from America to Transylvania, and a castle and a laboratory and the town square, The lab set was GREAT. Those actors doing the horses drawing the haywagon were very funny and well done.) As far as other staging issues? The strobe and explosion stuff was blindingly bright and I had to shut my eyes at one point as things were just too much. But this is the try-out, this is the off-off-off-OFF-off Broadway opener to iron out wrinkles in everythi8ng from lighting and sound to script changes. I don’t want to say “he’s no Gene Wilder” because no, he’s not. And he gets to be Roger Bart interpreting a role. Megan M got second/top billing when she shouldn’t have because it’s a minor part (Inga, for example is, like Bart and Fitzgerald on stage nearly every minute) but she’s the big name here and she was pretty darn good. I just….

I don’t know maybe HOW to react to this show. Had I never seen the film, I’m betting I would have liked it ever more because I wouldn’t be sitting here saying “he wasn’t as good, she could have, they didn’t…..” but the attraction of the show was BECAUSE I knew the film. I’m not sure that otherwise I would have gone. Based on the audience reaction when someone voiced a familiar line, I’m guessing that was true of a good percentage of the audience – the theater was jammed by the way. And they went wild at almost everything. Including entrances by the two leads, which apparently is yet another newish theater “trend” and totally unnecessary. And they gave a standing ovation to the top cast members which, as I have been reading, is nothing special anymore. Apparently ovations are commonplace. I didn’t get up, in large part because I was feeling pretty achy but a bit because it wasn’t GREAT. And standing ovations should be for GREAT, not for Very good.

Have you seen the new “producers” or have you seen a show that started as a movie? Stu and I are about to see “Hairspray” (from the movie which was the stage play turned into yet another musical….) but I don’t have the somewhat emotional ilnk to that one. Dunno why not. But while it’s unfair to say “he’s not X, she’s not Y” it seems unavoidable.

And yes, I laughed hard when Frau Blucher, in trying to be the Everything to Frederick that she was to his grandfather Victor, (some warm milk perhaps?) definitely pleased a Seattle audience when after trying brandy, warm milk and Ovaltine, offered in that ineffable accent “I could run out for a grande soy macchiato”). Awwww, thanks guys.