Young Frankenstein

OK, so I finally made it to Young Frankenstein, mainly because I just wasn’t willing to pay full price. Luckily for me, but not so much for YF, I didn’t even have to wait a year before it found its way onto TDF.

Though it’s not as bad as the reviews made it out to be, it’s certainly not on the level of The Producers (although even Producers was a tad over-rated if you ask me). The best YF could do was elicit an occasional chuckle. The mezz, where we had choice third row aisle seats, was only 2/3’s full. At that rate, it’s doubtful they can hold on much longer given the size of the cast and the set/special effects. The bottom line is it’s just not that funny. Maybe some of the jokes play well to the over 70 crowd, but someone please tell Mel that it’s 2008. Double entendre “knocker” jokes just don’t go over anymore (the crowd audibly groaned after that punch line). Frankly, most current TV sitcoms display better writing.

Otherwise, kudos to the hard working cast for a fairly tight performance that hasn't yet shown signs of long-run-itis. And what the physical production lacks in creative design (other than the "Roll In the Hay" sequence), it made up for in sheer size and pyrotechnics - although perhaps that isn't exactly a compliment. The score was adequate at best and boring at worst. Songs were mostly one joke punchlines carried out over three useless versus and rarely did they move the plot forward or illuminate much about the characters. Stroman's choreography and staging showed glimpses of creative fire, but were mostly just adequate as well. Although I must point out the terribly staged/choreographed number where the ghosts of Victor's dead relatives haunt his dream. It literally seemed like she threw some vaguely Slavic dance steps into a hat, picked them out randomly and strung them together. From all that, it may seem like I hated the show, but I really didn't have a strong feeling for or against it. It just sort of filled two hours. It was overwhelmingly mediocre.

Ah well. It seems I'll again be suffering through a period of "I hate musicals." I was taken by this gloomy affliction last year as well, after seeing a slew of mediocre to bad musicals. Hopefully, upcoming performances of Billy Elliott, White Christmas and Shrek will prove a quick cure. If not, I'll have to start hitting the plays and the opera house again for a theatrical pick me up. I guess the jaded theatre queen in me is starting to rear its bitter head more and more often these days as I near, gasp, middle age. Or maybe Broadway's rank commercialism really is starting to effect its quality. Or maybe musicals are just plain STUPID! Why ARE the cowboys dancing!?!? Oh dear, I think I just had an outer body experience. Anyway, I'm sure I won't be giving up musicals anytime soon, so I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed that things will improve.