BWW Reviews: The Fulton's 'Puttin' on the Ritz' with YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN

Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein" celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. The movie that made fun of the fun America has with the early Universal horror film and its ilk is itself a classic, like the movies it spoofed; the American Film Institute ranks it 13th on its list of the hundred funniest American films, below two of Brooks' other films -- "Blazing Saddles" and "The Producers" -- but above almost all of the Marx Brothers' films. Everyone knows it, and almost everyone loves it, including Brooks, who has deemed it his best film. And like "The Producers," it's a movie that lends itself to musical adaptation, also by Brooks, with book by Brooks and Thomas Meehan. Like the musical THE PRODUCERS, Brooks wrote both lyrics and music. Unlike the musical THE PRODUCERS, however, the musical YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN isn't a theatrical classic.

That's not to say it isn't a lot of fun, because, like the movie, it is. It's not perfect, and it's a huge production to be so much of a forgettable piece of fluff, but it's great fun as an evening's entertainment. It did cop eight Tony nominations in 2008, though it didn't win, and it's enjoyable if not memorable, featuring every one-liner and joke that audiences laughed at in the film. It's onstage at the Fulton Theatre in a riotously funny production directed and choreographed by Marc Robin, and it's an evening of pure escapism with no redeeming value that fans of the movie, as well as musical comedy lovers, should enjoy. And make no mistake - this is Mel Brooks, so it's purely musical comedy, with not an ounce of drama to sully its amusement value.

Jamison Stern is Dr. Frederick Frankenstein - pronounced "Fronkensteen," please, because he really wants no association with his family, especially his grandfather, Victor, who made that... well... we don't talk about that, do we? He brings a strong whiff of Gene Wilder's classic cinematic depiction of Frederick to the role, while still making it his own - and "his own" is funny indeed. When the estate in Transylvania is left to him, however, he feels obliged to depart home and career as a brain expert in the United States to go settle the estate, not realizing exactly what awaits him. His introduction in "(There is Nothing Like) The Brain" is a fine start to his presence on stage for the rest of the show.

Jessica Lee Goldyn is delightful as his deserted fiancée, socialite Elizabeth. Although she's best known to Fulton audiences, and to others, for her work in A CHORUS LINE, she says "I love doing comedy - I've just had so little chance to do it since Val [playing the character in A CHORUS LINE on Broadway]." She's certainly doing it here, and clearly enjoying herself on stage, especially in her introductory number, "Please Don't Touch Me," which features Elizabeth's dancing herself away from Frederick's heart; it's always a pleasure to watch Goldyn dance.

Ben Liebert plays Frederick's Transylvanian second fiddle, Igor (that's EYE-gor, thank you) with the flourish deserved for the greatest of all horror movie henchmen, minions, and lackeys. Though he and Stern have not worked together previously, they have some fine joint comic timing, particularly in their vaudeville-inspired "Together Again". Liebert does some especially nice physical comedy in this, and he's an actor to keep an eye on.

But what you really want to know is, what about the monster? The Monster is played by Herb Porter, who's surprisingly new to the professional stage. "Puttin' on the Ritz," starring Porter and Stern, backed by the ensemble, is everything a fan of the movie could hope for; it and "Transylvania Mania" (the closing number to the first act) feature some notable choreography by Marc Robin.

Missy Dowse is a sexy, fun Inga, who may or may not know her way around a lab but knows a thing or two about assisting Frederick one way or another, and Sandy Rosenberg is delicious as the sinister Frau Blucher, the Castle Frankenstein housekeeper whose name still scares the horses.

Local Fulton veteran Andrew Kindig plays one of the running jokes of the show, the village's idiot, as well as several other smaller parts. He's always great fun for audiences to see in comic character roles, and his main character's efforts to assist the local constabulary provide some silly, laugh-grabbing sight gags.

Be prepared for some very nice set design here, especially in the laboratory. It's everything you could want in a mad scientist's lair, complete with lightning on demand.

It's well worth catching YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN if you need not one but several laughs; it's an evening of pure comedy with no redeeming social value to interrupt it. It is, however, just as raunchy as the original movie, so it may not be the best choice for your whole family.

At the Fulton through the 30th - it's a shorter run than many Fulton shows, unfortunately. Contact www.thefulton.org or 717-397-7425 for tickets.

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