The production will run through Sunday, October 9th.
La Mirada Theatre For The Performing Arts & Mccoy Rigby Entertainment will present the first show of their 2022-2023 season, the Southern California premiere of the newly-revised, London version of Mel Brooks' YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan, music and lyrics by Mel Brooks, original direction and choreography by Susan Stroman, choreography by James Gray, musical direction and conducted by Benet Braun and directed by Jeff Whiting. Mel Brooks' YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN will preview on Friday, September 16 at 8 pm & Saturday, September 17 at 2 pm (with a press opening on Saturday, September 17 at 8 pm) and will run through Sunday, October 9, 2022 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.
Check out an exclusive look at photos from the production below!
From the creators of the record-breaking Broadway sensation The Producers, we bring you legendary actress Sally Struthers ("All In The Family," "Gilmore Girls") starring as "Frau Blücher" in this electrifying musical stage adaptation of Mel Brooks' brilliantly funny film which will leave you in stitches.
Frederick Frankenstein, grandson of the infamous inventor Doctor Frankenstein, reluctantly inherits the family estate in Transylvania. With the help of a hunchbacked sidekick named Igor and lab assistant Inga, Frederick finds himself following in the mad-scientist tradition of his ancestor, creating a monster for this century. When the monster escapes, hilarity abounds. London reviewers called it "a love letter to American vaudeville" and "an evening of gloriously impure fun." Please note: For mature audiences - with a sense of humor! Contains mature humor, adult language, and sexual innuendo and situations.
Joining Sally Struthers as "Frau Blücher" will be A.J. Holmes as "Frederick Frankenstein," Sarah Wolter as "Elizabeth," Trent Mills as "The Monster," Maggie Ek as "Inga," Wesley Slade as "Igor," and Gregory North as "Inspector Kemp & The Hermit." The Ensemble will feature Lexi Cross, Isabella De Souza Moore, Carl Draper, Cheyenne Green, Colby Hamann, Grant Hodges, Missy Marion, Ryan Perry Marks, Elle May Patterson, Austin Schulte, and Rodrigo Varandas.
Jeff Whiting (Director) is a director and choreographer with work on Broadway, television, special events and concerts around the world. Broadway (Associate): Bullets Over Broadway, The Scottsboro Boys, Hair, Young Frankenstein, Big Fish. Upcoming: Love Affair, Crazy For You, Marie: Dancing Still, In The Light, Loch Lomond, The Imaginary, Tribu, Cookies, Invincible, Joan Crawford in Flesh and Blood. National Tours: Bullets Over Broadway, Hairspray, The Producers, Young Frankenstein, The Rockin' Road to Dublin, Louis and Ella. Off-Broadway and Others: Hairspray (NSMT), the world premiere of Fly More Than You Fall, The Lost Colony (Waterside), Cookies (NYMF), Single Wide (NYMF), the world premiere of Chasing Rainbows, and Gypsy (Capital). Special Events/Concerts: James Taylor Live at Carnegie Hall with Bette Midler, Sting, Tony Bennett, The New Victory Arts Awards with Sarah Jessica Parker, John Lithgow, and Disney's Magical Moments (Brazil).
BUSINESS: Jeff is the creator and founder of Stage Write Software, the standard method for documenting choreography, the Founding Artistic Director of "The Open Jar Institute," a premiere music theatre training program, and President of "Open Jar Studios," and was featured in a TED Talk sharing his philosophy on "Open Jar Thinking."
James Gray (Choreographer) recently directed and choreographed The Full Monty, choreographed Annie starring Tony Award-winner Karen Ziemba, and Oliver! at the Goodspeed Opera House. He choreographed the opening number for New York City Ballet's principal dancer Tiler Peck and Nev Schulman ("Catfish," DWTS finalist) at Lincoln Center. He also directed and choreographed Peg O' My Heart, the Musical at the June Havoc Theatre, NYC (Best Musical Award). James staged the Emmy Award-winning TV Special, "Mel Brooks - The AFI Lifetime Achievement Award," and choreographed the movie Humor Me starring Eliot Gould. Broadway: The Producers, Young Frankenstein, A Christmas Story: the Musical, Bullets Over Broadway, and Prince of Broadway with Hal Prince.
Benet Braun (Musical Director/Conductor) is a music director, pianist, composer, and songwriter. He has worked on Broadway national tours (Cabaret, Waitress, How The Grinch Stole Christmas), regionally at theaters such as the Sacramento Music Circus, Tuacahn Center for the Arts, Musical Theater West, 3-D Theatricals, McCoy Rigby Entertainment, and Capitol Repertory Theater, and is the music director for the Groundlings Theater and School in Hollywood. He is also the music director for Broadway at the Bourbon Room and the Ambush Cabaret. Benet received his MFA in Music Direction from UC Irvine.
The Design Team for Mel Brooks' YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN is as follows: Based on Original Scenic Design by Robin Wagner; Lighting Design by Jared A. Sayeg; Sound Design by Philip G. Allen; Pyrotechnic Design by Eric S. Elias; Costume Design by Erika Senase and Maggie Hofmann; Costume Coordinator, Donna McNaughton; Hair/Wig Design by Kaitlin Yagen; Properties Coordinator, Kevin Williams. The Casting Director is Lindsay Brooks. The Production Stage Manager is John W. Calder, III.
Photo Credit: Jason Niedle
A.J. Holmes & Company
A.J. Holmes and Wesley Slade
Maggie Ek, A.J. Holmes and Wesley Slade
Gregory North & Company
Company of Young Frankenstein
Wesley Slade, Trent Mills, A.J. Holmes, and Maggie Ek
A.J. Holmes, Wesley Slade, and Maggie Ek
Trent Mills & Company
Company of Young Frankenstein
Wesley Slade, Sally Struthers, A.J. Holmes, and Maggie Ek
Wesley Slade and Sally Struthers
Sarah Wolter
Wesley, Slade, A.J. Holmes, and Maggie Ek
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