Chattanooga Times Free Press - ChattanoogaNow
The play that’s monstrous fun
Actors at Cumberland County Playhouse will keep their audiences in stitches when the monstrously funny Mel Brooks comedy “Young Frankenstein” opens Friday, Sept. 13, in the Crossville, Tennessee, theater.
“I think we’ve found a perfect title for the Halloween season,” said director Britt Hancock, who was featured in the U.S. tour of “Young Frankenstein” in 2011.
“It’s a wonderful musical adaptation of a beloved classic — and it’s sure to delight the same type of audiences that made 2016’s ‘The Addams Family’ a sold-out smash hit.”
“Young Frankenstein” is based on the Mel Brooks film, which is an affectionate parody of the classic 1930s horror film.
Frederick Frankenstein, grandson of the infamous Victor von Frankenstein, is surprised to discover he has inherited his grandfather’s castle in Transylvania. Leaving behind his position as Dean of Anatomy at a prestigious New York medical school and his fiancé, Elizabeth, Frederick sets sail to settle his grandfather’s estate as quickly as possible.
After meeting hunchback sidekick Igor and breathtakingly attractive lab assistant Inga, Frederick arrives at his ancestral home. But once there, Frederick’s sleep is troubled by a nightmare in which Victor returns from the dead to convince Frederick to carry on the family experiments.
Through the machinations of enigmatic housekeeper Frau Blücher, he discovers the secret entrance to his grandfather’s laboratory and ultimately creates a monster of his own, much to the dismay of the villagers. Eventually, of course, the monster escapes and hilarious mayhem ensues.
The original Broadway production was nominated for three Tony Awards and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album, in addition to winning the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical.
“Young Frankenstein” will run through Oct. 24. It is rated PG-13.
Tickets can be purchased online at http:// www.ccplayhouse.com/ tickets or by calling the Playhouse Box Office at 931-484-5000.