Writer: Success kept ‘Frankenstein’ from being a monster hit

By John Benson

After three-time Tony Award winner Thomas Meehan and Mel Brooks wrote the Broadway production of “Young Frankenstein,” it quickly became an out-of-control monster.

Only now that the movie-turned-musical is touring the country — including its Cleveland debut Tuesday through Oct. 25 — does it appear to be tamed.

It seems as though the problem, as illogical as it may sound, was the duo enjoyed too much success — and subsequent pressure — from its Tony Award-winning Broadway smash musical “The Producers.”

“I think because ‘The Producers’ was so successful, it hindered us with ‘Young Frankenstein,’” said Meehan, calling from New York City. “There was kind of a backlash against Mel in New York. It wasn’t true when we took [‘Young Frankenstein’] out to Seattle to try it out. It was an enormous success, and people were raving like crazy. Unfortunately, ‘The Producers’ made so much money that before we opened ‘Young Frankenstein,’ [the producers] said they wanted to charge $460 for a premium ticket. That upset us tremendously because it’s such arrogance when you haven’t even opened the show.

“There were a lot of things like that that created a big backlash culminating in a terrifically bad review from The New York Times. So we always felt that if ‘Young Frankenstein’ had come in just as it was, and there had been no ‘Producers,’ it would have been a huge hit.”

The show is based on the Oscar-nominated 1974 comedy that revolved around esteemed New York brain surgeon and professor Frederick Frankenstein, who inherits a castle and laboratory in Transylvania from his grandfather, deranged genius Victor Von Frankenstein. The result is a hilarious take-off on the classic 1930s horror films.

The production coming to Cleveland (and Pittsburgh in May) boasts Tony Award winners Roger Bart and Shuler Hensley reprising their original Big Apple roles of Dr. Frederick Frankenstein and The Monster.

“It’s like ‘Young Frankenstein’ with songs,” Meehan said. “For various reasons, there are different plot changes. You can’t just take a movie and put it on the stage without changing it. The scene with the blind hermit and the monster, that’s an example of where we took something that’s almost like a comedy sketch from a revue and we put it right in. Mel wrote a wonderful song for the hermit to sing, and it’s basically the same scene from the movie.”

He added, “There are wonderful dance numbers that everyone loves, including in the movie the monster does a little bit of ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz.’ That’s turned into a huge tap dance number. It’s the highlight of the show.”

Meehan confirms that anyone who remembers the movie “Young Frankenstein” for its classic lines — “Werewolf? There, wolf. There, castle;” “I am Frau Bl ºcher” (horse sound effects); and “Walk This Way” — will find plenty to laugh at.

“I think anyone who loved the movie will like the show,” Meehan said. “It’s very funny, very entertaining, and I’m very proud of it. I think if people go in wanting to have a good time, they’ll have a good time. The business we’re in is to entertain. It’s pop culture, not ‘Sweeney Todd.’”