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<\/a>From left: Jeffrey Weissman, Allison Rae Baker, Tim Setzer, Mary Gannon Graham<\/p><\/div>\n
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Reviewed by Suzanne and Greg Angeo<\/strong><\/p>\nPhotos by Eric Chazankin<\/span><\/address>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n You’ve\u00a0got to hand it to producer, director and comedian <\/span>Mel Brooks<\/strong>. At an age when most folks are content to rock on the porch, indulge in hobbies and visit the\u00a0grand-kids<\/span>\u00a0 86-year-old Brooks writes musical scores and produces hit Broadway shows. Brooks is a kind of raunchy Cole Porter, mixing wit and clever rhymes with simple catchy tunes. His musical \u201cYoung Frankenstein\u201d, based on his 1974 hit movie starring Gene Wilder, opened on Broadway in late 2007 to mixed critical reviews, but remains a favorite with audiences. The musical version closely follows the plotline of the film, paying tribute to old Hollywood horror films and the lavish musicals of the 1930s.<\/span><\/p>\n The current production by the Spreckels Theatre Company, at the Performing Arts Center’s Codding Theatre, is a fun-filled extravaganza with a professional polish. But what really puts this show over the top are the stunning visual effects, courtesy of Spreckels\u2019 exclusive new Paradyne system that allows projected images and animation to become part of the action onstage. This is the first show at Spreckels to make full use of this system, and Spreckels is the only theater in the Bay Area that has it.<\/span><\/p>\n The plot: Old Victor Frankenstein, the mad scientist of Transylvania Heights who created the infamous Monster, has died. The townsfolk say good riddance and throw a party. Suddenly Victor\u2019s grandson Frederick arrives from New York to settle the estate, leaving behind his deeply repressed but glamorous fianc\u00e9e Elizabeth. Frederick meets Igor, the hunchbacked grandson of Grandpa Victor\u2019s hunchbacked sidekick, also named Igor. Lovely and talented lab assistant Inga is there to lend a hand. Frau Blucher is a grim and mysterious presence at the Frankenstein castle; horses whinny in terror at every mention of her name. \u00a0Since apples never fall far from the tree, we soon have a brand-new Monster shambling around and causing mayhem. A local official, Inspector Kemp, is very suspicious of the whole affair. He stirs the villagers to action. There are over 20 zany, energetic song-and-dance numbers to fit each and every situation.<\/span><\/p>\n Tim Setzer, Allison Rae Baker<\/p><\/div>\n North Bay stage veteran <\/span>Tim Setzer<\/strong> (Frederick), recently seen on the Spreckels stage earlier this year in \u201cA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum\u201d, brings his usual effortless charm and comic flair to the title role. <\/span>Allison Rae Baker<\/strong> (Inga) has the perfect showcase for her triple-threat talents in numbers like \u201cRoll in the Hay\u201d. Her beautiful singing (and yodeling) is matched only by her dancing, which includes some tap numbers. It\u2019s not often you see yodeling and tap-dancing on the same stage.<\/span><\/p>\n Mary Gannon Graham<\/strong> (Frau Blucher) and <\/span>John Shillington<\/strong> (Inspector Kemp, Harold the Hermit) recently received Best Actress and Best Actor awards, respectively, from the Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle for their performance in \u201cSouvenir\u201d at 6<\/span>th<\/sup> Street Playhouse\u2019s Studio Theater. Graham is superb, giving the Frau just the right amount of prim, brooding dominance to contrast with those times when she really lets her hair down, like when she sings \u201cHe Was My Boyfriend\u201d. Shillington\u2019s Inspector Kemp seems to have much in common with <\/span>Peter Seller\u2019s<\/strong> Dr Strangelove: a clenched-jaw accent and certain problems with artificial limbs. In a second role, he lends an air of daffy poignancy to Harold the Hermit, a poor blind guy just looking for someone to be his friend. He\u2019s a pleasure to watch whenever he takes the stage.<\/span><\/p>\n Denise Elia-Yen<\/strong> (Elizabeth), another noted Bay Area theatre veteran, has two of what may be the best numbers in the show \u2013 \u201cPlease Don\u2019t Touch Me\u201d and \u201cDeep Love\u201d. She\u2019s roll-on-the-floor funny as the frustrated fianc\u00e9e who finally finds what she\u2019s looking for. <\/span>Braedyn Youngberg<\/strong> (The Monster) has perhaps the trickiest role; he completely transforms himself during the show. Youngberg shows off his versatility, especially in \u201cPuttin\u2019 on the Ritz\u201d, a real show-stopper.<\/span><\/p>\nTechnical Wizardry, Stellar Talent Abounds in \u201cYoung Frankenstein\u201d<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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