HAPPY HALLOWEEN BROADWAY FANS!!!! This year has been still really creepy and weird for the entire world with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we’re still able to bring in the SPOOKTACULAR fun. Along with it being Halloween, it’s also 26 DAYS AWAY till this new altered edition of The 94th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. With Live Theater still shut down and the parade being done differently, we are able to still show our love for Broadway taking part in this legendary MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET every year. We have more Broadway showstoppers coming your way on our TOP 30 BROADWAY AT MACY’S COUNTDOWN.

At # 26 is another Halloween SPOOKTACULAR Broadway hit and this one…… IT’S ALIVE!!!!!! This very appropriate show is set in the spooky town of Transylvania. It’s the classic tale of a New York City medical doctor who arrives in the town discovering the process that reanimates a dead body, creates a wild monster, and attempts to prove to all the residents that his Grandfather was not a maniac. This is Mel Brooks’ screamingly funny tale of Young Frankenstein. It features an original score by Brooks along with a book by the late Thomas Meehan. It’s a musical adaptation of Brooks’ legendary 1974 black and white film of the same name.

From the 2007 NBC telecast, Tony nominee Christopher Fitzgerald as “Igor” (IT’S PRONOUNCED EYE- GORE) along with Tony winners Roger Bart as “Dr. Frederick Frankenstein”, Sutton Foster as “Inga”, Shuler Hensley as “The Monster”, and the cast bring the spooks of Transylvania to Herald Square. Here is the company performing the Act 1 toe-tapper (and the ultimate dance perfect for Halloween today) THE TRANSYLVANIA MANIA.

Young Frankenstein was first well received in 1974 as a major motion picture. It earned numerous Award nominations and wins (including several Golden Globes and Oscars). The idea of translating YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN into a stage musical was first conceived around 2004 by Mel Brooks following the success of his record-breaking 12 time 2001 Tony winning smash debut hit THE PRODUCERS (also based on one of his legendary films). Brooks immediately thought of YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN being his 2nd show. Development of the musical began in the Spring of 2006 which Brooks hired the same creative team he worked on with THE PRODUCERS. The team was led by Tony winning director and choreographer Susan Stroman. The first official staged reading of the musical happened in the Fall of that same year before continuing to be developed through a development lab workshop. The early workshop lab cast featured…..

Tony nominee Brian d'Arcy James in the titular role of "Frederick Frankenstein" (THAT'S FRONKENSTEEN),

Tony and Emmy winner Kristin Chenoweth as snooty, high class, and the sexy fiancé "Elizabeth Benning",

2 time Tony winner Sutton Foster as lab partner, love interest, and farmgirl "Inga",

Tony winner Roger Bart as lab hunchback "Igor",

Tony nominee Marc Kudisch as the wooden right armed and left leg "Inspector Kemp",

Tony winner Shuler Hensley as "The Monster",

and
the legendary Cloris Leachman reprising her iconic film performance as the mysterious housekeeper….. the one that all the horses are terrified of….. "Frau Blucher" (NEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIGH).

With the success of the early development labs, the show immediately was ready to be turned into a full scale production. Changes into the script were made along with several parts were recast including Roger Bart being moved up from playing "Igor" to the title character.

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN had its world premiere pre-Broadway tryout in Seattle, Washington at the Paramount Theatre in the Summer of 2007. It officially arrived on Broadway at the Hilton Theatre (now the Lyric Theatre) in the Fall of that same year where it played a complete total of 518 performances. Under the direction and choreography by Susan Stroman, the cast featured…..

Roger Bart as "Frederick Frankenstein",

Emmy winner Megan Mullally (later Michele Ragusa) as "Elizabeth",

Sutton Foster (later Emmy nominee Kelly Sullivan) as "Inga",

Tony nominee Christopher Fitzgerald (later Cory English) as "Igor",

Fred Applegate as "Inspector Kemp",

Shuler Hensley as "The Monster",

and

the legendary Tony and Emmy winner Andrea Martin (later Tony winner Beth Leavel) as "Frau Blucher" (NEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIGH).

The show received mixed to positive reviews but was well received by Theatergoers. The Broadway engagement had a reported $16 million plus budget. It also received some controversy on the top ticket sales price of $450 for Premium seating. The show also had an in-person lottery for $25 tickets in the front row 2 1/2 hours before every performance. Entries would be entered in front of the Theater before the drawings were held across the street from the former McDonalds on 42nd Street. The original Broadway cast album debuted at # 3 on the Billboard Top Cast Album chart in the beginning of January 2008.

The show only received 3 Tony Awards nominations in 2008 for Best Featured Actor in a Musical (for Christopher Fitzgerald), Best Featured Actress in a Musical (for Andrea Martin), and Best Scenic Design of a Musical (for Robin Wagner). However, it lost all the categories. However, it went on to receive the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical.

With the success of the Broadway production, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN embarked on 2 North American National Tours. It later made its debut in the UK hitting London's West End in 2017 which went on to receive 3 Olivier Awards nominations in 2018.

Plans were originally made for a 2020 Live TV production of the musical for ABC. However, everything has been postponed due to this continued time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Doesn’t that song make you want to let out your inner monster?!!!

#BroadwayAtMacysCountdown #LetsHaveAParade #BroadwayWillBeBack #Miracleon34thStreet #MacysParade



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Author: NYBroadwayTours