By SHARON EBERSON
Naughty can be oh so nice when it’s done with devilish wit, a knowing wink and catchy melodies, and few in my lifetime have mastered that combination as well as Mel Brooks and his partners in parody.
With Young Frankenstein, the musical version of the hit movie, the feeling is like being tickled mercilessly while listening to, say, Pavarotti performing a Puccini aria.
You are in the presence of genius, yet you can’t help but laugh your head off.
Of course, you need a cast that can pull off the madcap soul of such an endeavor, and Pittsburgh CLO’s Young Frankenstein boasts a “super-duper” seven. The downsized production ups the ante on hilarity by positioning in-your-face humor practically in your face, as talented actors immerse the Greer Cabaret Theater audience in Transylvania Mania.
The production in the intimate setting does not lack for bells and whistles, and the performances are an across-the-board treat.
A quick summary, for anyone not familiar with Mary Shelly’s horror classic, the Brooks/Gene Wilder movie and/or the Brooks/Thomas Meehan musical parody. It goes something like this:
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Dan DeLuca), a professor engaged to high-society tease Elizabeth (Susana Cordon), has inherited his grandfather’s Transylvania castle after disinheriting grandpa’s reputation as a monster-maker. To be clear about his feelings, Frederick pronounces his surname Franken-steen. In Transylvania, the doctor is greeted by would-be assistants Igor (Anthony Marino as Eye-gor) and the voluptuous Inga (Alex Sheffield) and later, at the castle, he is lured into this grandfather’s lab by the mysterious Frau Blucher (Theo Allyn).
You probably know what happens next. The wrong brain is put into a super-sized, reanimated man (Tim Hartman), the townspeople — including a blind Hermit and Inspector Hans Kemp (Daniel Krell in both roles) — are endangered, and hilarity ensues.
The Brooksian jokes, un-PC in the extreme, come at you fast, starting with the tongue-twisting The Brain. As Frederick Frankenstein, Peters Township native DeLuca possesses the vocal and physical chops, honed on Broadway, on tours and in regional productions. His inflections have hints of Roger Bart, who originated the doctor on Broadway, but DeLuca adds a disarmingly youthful charm to the role, while unleashing his inner mad scientist.
On opening night Friday, I got a particular kick out of DeLuca ad-libbing a pause to allow for a scene change, and trying mightily not to crack up when face-to-face with Marino’s Igor.
As in the movie and original Broadway show, the actor playing the puckish Igor is granted the opportunity to steal every scene they are in, and Marino does so emphatically, showcasing his many strengths with the physicality and timing of a comedic pro.
His Igor and the lithe DeLuca contrast with Hartman’s towering presence, in a role he seems born to play. With his grayish, ghoulish makeup (by Travis Klinger), Hartman’s expressions create a thing of monstrous beauty, emphasizing every moment of pain, sadness and joy, and lasciviousness, too.
Hartman moves with a dancer’s agility to boot, so if you are anticipating the rousing Putting on the Ritz, know that it is as ridiculous and glorious as you could hope for, with DeLuca and Hartman pulling out all the stops, joined by Marino, Cordon and Sheffield.
In the most un-PC of many un-PC choices, the young women of Young Frankenstein (Cordon and Sheffield are both recent Carnegie Mellon grads) are objectified to the max as temptresses and sexual fodder, while also doubling as scientists and villagers.
Cordon, who is becoming a PCLO regular, shines in a bawdy role that conjures the late, great Madeline Kahn, and sings the heck out of euphemistic songs such as Please Don’t Touch Me and Deep Love. Sheffield takes DeLuca’s Frankenstein on a suggestive roll in the hay and helps him Listen to Your Heart while yodeling up a storm.
There’s so much fun to be had by all, so it’s a treat to see Krell using his considerable talents in a broad comedy, when he so often plays more serious roles. As the one-armed, one-legged inspector and the lonely blind Hermit, he manages to keep a straight face, with hilarious results.
If you come anticipating the movie gags to be front and center, most are given their due.
For instance, the delightful Allyn’s darkly ditzy Frau Blucher comes complete with accompanying horses’ whinnies and belts a boffo He Vas My Boyfriend. There’s also a rollicking hay ride, Igor munching on Elizabeth’s fur stole, the clueless Hermit serving soup … Those all play well in a close-up setting.
The relatively small Greer stage is filled with wonders and practical effects, such as DeLuca’s Frankenstein getting caught in a revolving secret entrance. Scenic designer Bob Lavallee comes with director Joel Ferrell from Texas, where they previously staged a small-cast version of Young Frankenstein at Fort Worth’s Circle Theatre. Costumes – watch out for Igor’s movable hump – are by Alexander Righetti, along with videos by Kylee Loera.
The stage and venue may be relatively small, but the PCLO production is nonetheless beguiling, and the glee emanating from the performers is contagious. My advice: Go catch some of the laughter Young Frankenstein is generating. It’s good for what ails you.
TICKETS AND DETAILS
Pittsburgh CLO’s production of Young Frankenstein at the Greer Cabaret Theater, Downtown, runs July 19 – September 29, 2024. Tickets: visit https://www.pittsburghclo.org/shows/young-frankenstein or call 412-456-6666. PCLO offers a Ritz Package that includes premium seating.
Leave a ReplyCancel reply