Critics weigh in on “Young Frankenstein” in N.Y.
The new Mel Brooks musical “Young Frankenstein” had its world premiere in Seattle this summer, to mixed reviews but enthusiastic audiences. How did the show fare in its Broadway debut Thursday night at the Hilton Theater? Here’s a sample of reviews from New York. (Find a compilation of national reviews online at www.americantheaterweb.com).
A funny thing happened on the way to Broadway. Actually, not so funny. When it tried out in Seattle over the summer, Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein” had most of the elements in place to suggest a winning new monster musical was percolating in the lab. All it required was tightening and a little work to nurture its own personality, instead of just replicating the gags of Brooks’ 1974 film. Well, the editing has been minimal and the development even less. If the robust advance - reportedly north of $30 million - is any indication, audiences hungry for a big, splashy comedy might not care. But a show that could have been a blast ends up being just good enough.
- David Rooney, Variety (www.variety.com)
With lightning flashes, thunder crashes, fog creeps and electrical impulses zigzagging, Frankenstein’s Gothic noir came to life at the opening Thursday night. With this show, Brooks has outdone even his wildly popular “The Producers”… Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein” looks like a surefire smash.
- Malcolm Johnson, The Hartford Courant (www.courant.com)
Not a great musical, nor even a particularly good one, “Young Frankenstein” is a reasonably funny event and several performers are mighty fine. Don’t stampede to see it. Those titanic ticket prices will soon sink and probably in a year or two this attraction will even be available on the TKTS discount line.
- Michael Sommers, The (Newark, N.J.) Star-Ledger (www.nj.com)
Whereas “The Producers” felt naturally reborn as a Broadway musical, “Young Frankenstein” is more of a very expensive and expansive live re-creation of the movie’s most beloved moments, replete with a musical score that packs some orchestral excitement but not as much legitimacy. There are some laughs, several inventive lyrics and a few moments of inspired theatrical shtick (much of it involving Fred Applegate’s hermit). But at these prices, that’s really not delivering the goods.
- Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune (www.chicagotribune.com)
There is one truly exhilarating number, though you have to sit through most of the show before it arrives. It comes when Dr. Frankenstein introduces his show-business-trained creature to the world by having him perform Irving Berlin’s “Puttin’ On the Ritz” … This jolt of feeling isn’t enough to erase the impression that from its opening number, “Young Frankenstein” has never stopped screeching at you. This means that: (a) it has soon worn out its voice, and (b) it leaves you with a monster-size headache.
- Ben Brantley, The New York Times (www.nytimes.com)