New York theatergoers will have their choice of monsters for Halloween this year: On Broadway, Young Frankenstein, the musical comedy version of Mel Brooks' hit film, begins previews on October 11 and opens November 8 at the Hilton Theatre. Off-Broadway, Frankenstein, a more serious musical retelling of Mary Shelley's epic story, will begin performances at 37 Arts on October 10 and open on November 1. The off-Broadway musical had been previously announced to play at New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse in September with Drew Sarich and Ron Bohmer as Frankenstein and his monster, respectively. No casting has been announced for the 37 Arts production, to be directed by Bill Fennelly.
Frankenstein features music by Mark Baron, book and lyrics by Jeffrey Jackson and an original story adaptation by Gary P. Cohen. It is being produced off-Broadway by Gerald Goehring and Douglas C. Evans, in association with Michael F. Mitri and David S. Stone.
As Broadway.com reported in March, when the Paper Mill production was announced, a concept CD of the Frankenstein score was released in 2002 featuring Shuler Hensley who's playing the monster in Young Frankenstein, Ivan Rutherford and Rita Harvey. The show tells the epic story of the rebel doctor who challenges the laws of nature and morality when he breathes life into his inanimate creature. Faced with intolerance and adversity, the doctor's creation also learns to rebel against world around him, ultimately destroying the very man who gave him life.
"Our goal was to create an adaptation that remains faithful to Shelley's original novel," Baron and Jackson said in a statement. "Frankenstein has inspired nearly two centuries of adaptations in almost every medium imaginable. While today's audiences may be most familiar with the film adaptations, we've gone directly back to the source. In deconstructing one of the most popular story of all time, we hope to offer new a perspective for contemporary audiences."
A play version of Frankenstein famously opened and closed at the Palace Theatre on Broadway on the same night: January 4, 1981. Featured in the cast, under the direction of Tom Moore, were John Carradine, David Dukes, John Glover and Dianne Wiest.
