Transylvania Mania is about to take over Hendersonville Theatre when Mel Brooks’ hysterical musical comedy Young Frankenstein hits the stage October 13-29.
Tickets are $21-30 and are available online at HVLtheatre.org or by calling the Box Office at (828) 692-1082. Groups of 10 or more receive a 10 percent discount.
It’s alive! When Frederick Frankenstein (pronounced Fronk-en-steen), an esteemed New York brain surgeon and professor, inherits a castle and laboratory in Transylvania from his grandfather, infamous 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? With the help of a hunchbacked sidekick, Igor (pronounced eye-gore), and all the characters from the hit film, Frederick finds himself in the mad scientist shoes of his ancestors as he brings to life a tap-dancing creature to rival his grandfather’s. In this wild romp of a musical, of course, the monster escapes and hilarity continuously abounds. Eye-popping special effects and show-stopping musical numbers, including “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” round out this monstrously fun show.
Young Frankenstein has all the panache of the screen sensation with a little extra theatrical flair added. The musical opened on Broadway in 2007 with a score by the beloved comedian; he also penned the book with Thomas Meehan. Susan Stroman directed and choreographed. It earned three Tony nominations, including nods for featured performers Christopher Fitzgerald and Andrea Martin. It also was awarded a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album, in addition to winning the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical. The production also starred Roger Bart, Sutton Foster, Shuler Hensley, and Megan Mullally.
Young Frankenstein is based on the Oscar-nominated Mel Brooks black-and-white 1974 film, which itself was inspired by Hollywood’s black-and-white “Frankenstein” pics of the 1930s. The 1974 film received two Academy Award nominations, including one for Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder’s script and was also nominated for a Writer’s Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Young Frankenstein was also the recipient of the two highest honors accorded films of science fiction: winning The Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation and The Nebula Award, given by The Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, for Best Dramatic Writing. In 2000, it was selected as No. 13 on AFI’s 100 Funniest American Movies of All Time and in 2003, Young Frankenstein was chosen for preservation in the Library of Congress National Film Registry.
“We expect lighting to strike again at HT after the amazing success of our summer musical, Rock of Ages. We have once more gathered an outstanding team of both professional and amateur performers, musicians, and designers from around Western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina to bring an amazing entertainment experience to Hendersonville,” said Victoria Lamberth, Artistic Director. “Young Frankenstein was the first movie I ever saw on BetaMax! It’s a comedy classic and one of the funniest American films of all time. The musical does a great job of capturing all of those hilarious moments from the movie, and then adds even more laughs with its clever songs. I guarantee our audience will really like this show.”
The cast of Young Frankenstein includes Rowan Bishop as Frederick, Tiffanie Boone as Elizabeth, Karen Covington-Yow as Fraü Blucher, Shanna Greenlee as Ziggy, Annika Knudson as Inga, Josh Luria as Inspector Kemp, Lyn Morton as The Hermit, Allison Starling as Igor, Matt Wade as The Monster, Mike Yow as Dr. Victor Von Frankenstein and Kailey Blasius, Brenda Craig, Gina McDaniel, Stan Peal and Lauren Powers as the Ensemble.
Young Frankenstein’s artistic team includes direction by Elizabeth DeVault, music direction by Patricia Sands, and choreography by Matilyn Hull. The artistic team is complete with Amanda McLoughlin as stage manager. The creative team includes Beth Norris (set and sound design), Maddie Anderson (lighting design), Amanda McLoughlin (costume design), Cat Dotson (makeup and wig design), Don Schwartz (set construction) and Rita O’Hara (prop artisan).
Young Frankenstein is supported by the Arts Council of Henderson County, the City of Hendersonville, Cleaning Machine Cleaning Management, the Community Foundation of Henderson County, Exceptional Papers, Inc., Incredible Towns of WNC, Mast General Store, Nora’s Off Main, the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, and WTZQ AM 1600-95.3 FM.
The show is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI) and is rated PG-13 due to adult humor and content. Hendersonville Theatre strives to provide quality productions that are entertaining and challenging to both the audience and the artists. Because we reach such a diverse audience, some audience members may find some subject matter, language, or situations objectionable. If you have concerns about a specific production, we encourage you to become familiar with the material before attending the performance.
Showtimes are 7:30 PM on Fridays and Saturdays and 3 PM on Sundays. Running time is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes with one 15 minute intermission.
Since 1966, Hendersonville Theatre has provided an inviting and nurturing environment for live theatre, as well as high-quality, affordable entertainment for the residents of Hendersonville and surrounding areas. Hendersonville Theatre is wheelchair accessible, with free parking behind and in front of the theater.
Hendersonville Theatre is located at 229 South Washington Street. For tickets or more information contact us at 828-692-1082 or online at HVLTheatre.org.