Bart, Mullally, Foster & More Set for Young Frankenstein's Fall Broadway Bow
Young Frankenstein reunites the Tony-winning creative team behind the 2001 smash hit, The Producers, with direction and choreography by Susan Stroman, music and lyrics by Mel Brooks and a book co-written by Brooks and Thomas Meehan.
Based on the Oscar-nominated 1974 film, Young Frankenstein is comedian Mel Brooks' re-imagining of the classic Mary Shelley story. When Frederick Frankenstein, an esteemed New York brain surgeon and professor, inherits a castle and laboratory in Transylvania from his grandfather, deranged genius Victor Von Frankenstein, he faces a dilemma. Does he continue to run from his family's tortured past or does he stay in Transylvania to carry on his grandfather's mad experiments reanimating the dead and, in the process, fall in love with his sexy lab assistant Inga?
After receiving a Tony Award in for his portrayal of Snoopy in You're Good Man, Charlie Brown, Roger Bart went on to originate the role of Carmen Ghia in The Producers, where he received his second Tony nomination and later recreated his role for the film version. While amassing TV and film credits in movies like The Stepford Wives and on TV in Desperate Housewives, Bart returned numerous times to The Producers on Broadway in the lead role of Leo Bloom.
Sutton Foster gained fame on Broadway scene with her performance in the title role of Thoroughly Modern Millie, for which she won the Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Astaire Awards. Since then, she has received two more Tony nominations, for Jo March in Little Women and as Janet Van De Graff in The Drowsy Chaperone. Her previous Broadway credits also include Grease, Annie, The Scarlet Pimpernel and Les Miserables.
Shuler Hensley won the Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Olivier Awards for his portrayal of Jud Fry in Oklahoma!, and is currently starring on Broadway as Kerchak in Tarzan. Hensley's New York stage credits also include The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables and The Great American Trailer Park Musical.
Fred Applegate played Max Bialystock in the Broadway, London, and National Tour productions of The Producers. He has also appeared on Broadway in The Sound of Music and on TV in Cosby, Night Court, Newhart, Growing Pains and 9 to 5.
Christopher Fitzgerald most-recently appeared off-Broadway in Gutenberg! The Musical!. On Broadway, he originated the role of Boq in Wicked and received a Drama Desk nomination for his work in Amour. He has also been seen on TV's Twins and in several films.
The production team will include three Tony Award winning designers of The Producers: set designer Robin Wagner, costume designer William Ivey Long and lighting designer Peter Kaczorowski. Sound design will be created by Jonathan Deans, with orchestrations by Doug Besterman and musical direction by Patrick Brady.
The announcement for Young Frankenstein's run comes on the heels of this week's closing notice for The Pirate Queen, which will leave the Hilton Theatre vacant. The announcement of the Hilton as Frankenstein's venue of choice marks a change from the previously announced St. James Theatre, where The Producers ended its run on April 22.
Prior to coming alive on Broadway, Young Frankenstein will play its world premiere engagement at Seattle's Paramount Theatre from August 7 to September 1.
Although tickets are not yet on sale for Frankenstein's Broadway run, you can sign up to be alerted by email when tickets do go on sale.