Mel Brooks' Musical Comedy Young Frankenstein Comes To Life at Arizona Broadway Theatre, 5/23-6/22

It's Alive! Arizona Broadway Theatre (ABT) will produce the professional, Valley premiere of Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein on its Peoria stage May 23-June 22. Tickets for the production can be purchased now at azbroadway.org or by calling the ABT box office at (623) 776-8400.

The show features music and lyrics by critically acclaimed, Tony Award winner Mel Brooks, with the book by Mr. Brooks and Tony Award winner Thomas Meehan. Based on Brooks' Oscar-nominated hit 1974 film - his self-proclaimed masterpiece - the story is the wickedly inspired, and sometimes bawdy, reimagining of Mary Shelley's literary classic. Taking place in Transylvania in the year 1934, Dr. Frankenstein (played by Valley favorite Kurtis W. Overby) boldly decides to attempt the completion of his grandfather's masterwork by bringing a corpse to life. He succeeds, but not without scary and hilarious complications.

"Young Frankenstein, in my humble opinion, is Brooks' greatest achievement," said Tralen Doler, director of Young Frankenstein. "Brooks applied a scientific study of comedy to give us everything we could ask for in one package: familiar characters and a story turned upside down with perfectly crafted jokes that just keep coming."

Doler, who has directed La Cage aux Folles and Crazy for You, among other productions at ABT, leads Overby and a cast of alumni performers including Cassandra Norville Klaphake (Into The Woods, Sunset Blvd.) as Elizabeth Benning, Dr. Frankenstein's fiancée; Brad York (Into The Woods, The Full Monty) as Igor, the Dr.'s hunchbacked helper; Adam Vargas (Trailer Park, Grease) as The Monster; and Becca Gottlieb (A Chorus Line, The Drowsy Chaperone) as Inga. The complete list of all 19 performers can be found at azbroadway.org.

With returning scenic designer Jack Magaw (Trailer Park, Buddy Holly) supporting the talented cast through stunning visuals of the Transylvania laboratory and scenery, and memorable tunes including Irving Berlin's "Puttin' On The Ritz," Young Frankenstein's Valley premiere is set to start the theatre's summer season with a bang.

Tickets are on sale now for evening and matinee performances. Prices vary according to date, time and availability. For more information about Arizona Broadway Theatre, and to purchase tickets contact the box office at (623) 776-8400 or visit azbroadway.org.

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