PicksInSix Review: Young Frankenstein - Mercury Theater Chicago

Mercury’s “Young Frankenstein” High-Flying Fun!
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Ronald Keaton

The brilliance of the 1974 film Young Frankenstein comes from the ability of Mel Brooks its director and screenwriter (with Gene Wilder) to alternately pay tribute to Hollywood’s past, while parodying scenes from great films. The stage musical version of “Young Frankenstein”—with music and lyrics by Brooks and book by Brooks and Thomas Meehan—now playing at the Mercury Theater Chicago under the direction of J. Walter Stearns and musical direction of Eugene Dizon, delivers a high-flying fun night with all of that same pathos and side-splitting comedy thanks to some spirited performances and a hard-working ensemble of endless invention.

As the story goes: Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (the great and versatile Chicago actor Sean Fortunato) is fighting the family legacy to make his own name, right down to the pronunciation – “Fronk-en-steen.”  He’s a university professor and lecturer who is constantly denigrating his grandfather’s work, calling it the “ravings” of a lunatic mind.  Now that his grandfather has passed away, he is called to Transylvania to settle the family estate. He leaves behind a fiancé Elizabeth (a fine comic performance by Lillian Castillo), who is a truly spoiled girl that he really doesn’t love, it seems. There is a fun song – “Please Don’t Touch Me”— at the pier where Frederick is about to depart that showcases the terrific ensemble that is immensely valuable in this production.  While Elizabeth is distressed that he is leaving right before their wedding, she accepts the inevitable.

Frederick arrives in Transylvania, meeting Igor (Ryan Stajmiger in an energetic turn), hiring a tall demure assistant named Inga (the lovely and talented Isabella Andrews) and meeting the boss of the house, Frau Blücher (Mary Robin Roth, who steals every scene she’s in – cue the horses).  Frederick is convinced, in time, by reading his grandfather’s record on his work – a book entitled “How I Did It” – and assumes the responsibility to replicate the recreation of life at last.

The Monster (the wonderful Andrew MacNaughton, who makes a role with nifty footwork and practically no dialogue a truly enjoyable experience, because he’s enjoying it himself) comes to life and runs to the countryside and freedom.  Jonah D. Winston is an articulate Inspector who rouses the hoi polloi to action against the Monster. There’s an unforgettable scene with the blind Hermit (Samuel Shankman in great voice – “I was going to make espresso…”)

In this production, the ensemble leaves a strong mark on the story, particularly when choreographer Brenda Didier is putting them through their paces.  Playing everything from Elizabeth’s “staff” to the citizenry of Transylvania to passengers at the pier to tap-dancing fools and supporting the Monster and Frederick and, well, everyone else in a finale of impressive tap dancing that’s fit for the Ritz!

I’ve always been a huge Mel Brooks fan but that’s not a requirement to enjoy this stellar laugh-out-loud night of frivolity that’s playing through December 31.  

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | RONALD KEATON received an Equity Jeff Award for the performance of his one-man show CHURCHILL. www.solochicagotheatre.com  Coming soon, his new solo play “Echo Holler.” www.echoholler.com

PHOTO|Liz Lauren

Mercury Theater Chicago
presents
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
3745 N Southport Avenue
through December 31, 2023

WEBSITE

TICKETS

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PicksInSix Review: THE PRODUCERS Paramount Theatre

“GOOD LUCK! GOOD LUCK! GOOD LUCK!”

This much you probably already know, but it bears repeating: “The Producers,” Mel Brooks’ raucous, no-holds-barred musical send-up of the iconic 1967 film starring the immortal Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, hit Broadway like a tornado in 2001 after sold-out previews in Chicago. That production starred Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, and received 12 Tony Awards, including best actor in a musical for Lane (nominated with Broderick) and best director and choreography for Susan Stroman. I was in the St. James Theater for the first Broadway preview performance on March 21, 2001, and remember the experience like it was yesterday: walking up to the box office at curtain, snagging a single ticket and settling into the stage-left box high above the stage for one of the most stunning and electrifying evenings I ever had in a theater.

That memory loomed large until Saturday evening at Paramount Theatre, when an exuberant opening-night audience, eager to see just how a time capsule of musical comedy would play in its natural, large-scale habitat, was treated to a gorgeous, non-stop comic gem. The Jim Corti-directed blockbuster stars the enormously talented duo of Blake Hammond and Jake Morrissy as Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom, who cook up a scheme to bilk wealthy widowers of their money so they can retire to Rio after their surefire flop crashes and burns. With all that is happening–and there is something special at every turn in the fast-paced, musical-comedy romp–Hammond and Morrissy own this show. Hammond’s opening exultation number, “The King of Broadway,” elevates the entire company, and his fervent solo turn, “Betrayed,” is a capstone moment of the night. Morrissy is a triple-threat talent whose comic range fits perfectly in the role of the meek accountant who finds confidence along the way, especially with Elyse Collier’s Ulla, whose amazing musical assets are in a full bloom all their own—especially in her big and boisterous number, “When You Got It, Flaunt It.”

As for the story, in an odd twist of fate, or rather, turn of a phrase, success is sealed in the cleverly framed lyrics of “It’s Bad Luck to Say Good Luck on Op’ning Night,” as Max, hoping for the worst, shouts, “Good Luck! Good Luck! Good Luck!”–the musical equivalent of referring to the “Scottish play” by its real name. In the end, the message is to follow your dream. For some that’s being a Broadway producer and lunch at Sardi’s every day. For others, it’s wearing a brat and grill headdress or singing, “Haben Sie gehört das deutsche Band?”

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Director Corti and choreographer Brenda Didier delightfully skewer the business of show at every opportunity, with a direct hit in the show’s big number, “Springtime for Hitler.” Sean Blake’s insanely over-the-top Roger DeBris, whose entourage includes the wistful Carmen Ghia (Adam Fane at his best) leading a band of minions in “Keep It Gay,” is perfect. Blake’s furor-raising turn in the musical-within-the-musical is inspired. And, you will marvel at Ron E. Rains’ manic Franz Liebkind, the Nazi sympathizer, playwright and pigeon-keeper extraordinaire.

“The Producers” boasts an impressive roster of more than 20 of Chicago’s brightest musical talents in multiple roles who all deserve mention here, including: Nathan Mittleman, Sawyer Smith, Jason Richards, Jenna Coker-Jones, Matt Casey, Sara Reinecke, Haley Jane Schafer, Erica Evans, Allyson Graves, Christopher Kelley, Miranda Borkan, Bethany Christine Elkin, Kaitlin Jempson, Bernell Lassai III, Ivory Leonard IV, Eben Logan, Jessica Palkovic, Brandon Pisano, Elena Rios, Anthony Sullivan Jr., Marco Tzunux and J Tyler Whitmer. 

The crisp and finely tuned 21-piece orchestra is conducted by Tom Vendafreddo, who also serves as music director. The impressive and colorful William Boles set design and ingenious Jordan Ross costumes–on full and glorious display in Morrissy’s brilliant “I Want to Be A Producer,” and the show-stopping, “Springtime for Hitler,”–are flat-out spectacular, as is the sound design by Adam Rosenthal, Jesse Klug’s lighting and projections by Mike Tutaj. Much more will leave you laughing in the aisles at the big, beautiful Paramount Theatre—but only until March 17th, so you should line up now or risk breaking a leg or two in the stampede to get into this one!    

PHOTOS|Liz Lauren

PARAMOUNT THEATRE
Presents
THE PRODUCERS
through March 17th
23 East Galena Boulevard, Aurora

WEBSITE
TICKETS
(630) 896-6666

For more reviews, visit: Theatre In Chicago

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