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"It's Alive! It's Alive!!!"
Aug. 25th, 2007 11:26 pmSo, no review of the last episode of "Masters of Science Fiction" yet, as I haven't seen it. Instead, Amythyst and I went to the Thee-ay-tah tonight! We saw a little show having its pre-Broadway tryout here in Seattle, a little thing called "Young Frankenstein," by Mel Brooks. And we did, indeed, have a good time.
The disappointment of the evening, however, was that Andrea Martin (who plays Frau Blucher--neiiiighhh!!!!) wasn't playing tonight. However, her understudy had the proper Cloris-Leachmanesque ability. I missed seeing Ms. Martin (who I had been very excited to see), but her absence didn't hurt anything.
The show is....well, let me say that, unlike the Producers, if you've seen the movie, you've seen the show. Essentially. It's a very faithful adaptation, possibly even too faithful! Roger Bart does his best Gene Wilder impression, Sutton Foster did sort of do more than Terri Garr, Frau Blucher (neiiighhh!) was essentially a Cloris Leachman riff....I will say that Megan Mullally did make Elizabeth her own, while still paying tribute to Madeline Kahn. Everyone was wonderful...and it was a lot of fun....but, well, it clung so closely to the movie (to the point where characters got laughter before they'd done anything because we knew what they were going to do) that comparisons are inevitable. And, much as I enjoyed the musical, the original movie is better.
None of this should be taken as a suggestion not to go see the show if you get a chance--it's really fun! Most of the songs are great and very funny (I thought there were a couple that needed a little work), the acting is good, the choreography is wonderful and the sets and effects are absolutely fantastic. Just don't expect any of the surprises that came in other adaptations like the Producers or Spamalot. In this case, Young Frankenstein is advertised and Young Frankenstein is what you get!
Ultimately, a good evening out! And worth braving the PAX-going crowds to make it through for food and the show. :-)
The disappointment of the evening, however, was that Andrea Martin (who plays Frau Blucher--neiiiighhh!!!!) wasn't playing tonight. However, her understudy had the proper Cloris-Leachmanesque ability. I missed seeing Ms. Martin (who I had been very excited to see), but her absence didn't hurt anything.
The show is....well, let me say that, unlike the Producers, if you've seen the movie, you've seen the show. Essentially. It's a very faithful adaptation, possibly even too faithful! Roger Bart does his best Gene Wilder impression, Sutton Foster did sort of do more than Terri Garr, Frau Blucher (neiiighhh!) was essentially a Cloris Leachman riff....I will say that Megan Mullally did make Elizabeth her own, while still paying tribute to Madeline Kahn. Everyone was wonderful...and it was a lot of fun....but, well, it clung so closely to the movie (to the point where characters got laughter before they'd done anything because we knew what they were going to do) that comparisons are inevitable. And, much as I enjoyed the musical, the original movie is better.
None of this should be taken as a suggestion not to go see the show if you get a chance--it's really fun! Most of the songs are great and very funny (I thought there were a couple that needed a little work), the acting is good, the choreography is wonderful and the sets and effects are absolutely fantastic. Just don't expect any of the surprises that came in other adaptations like the Producers or Spamalot. In this case, Young Frankenstein is advertised and Young Frankenstein is what you get!
Ultimately, a good evening out! And worth braving the PAX-going crowds to make it through for food and the show. :-)
