DOMA Theatre Company's Young Frankenstein

Aug 23, 2014
Young Frankenstein

It's alive! DOMA Theatre Company is back with yet another Broadway smash hit musical. Young Frankenstein, adapted for the stage by the Tony award-winning team of Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan (The Producers) from the 1974 cult comedy film by Brooks and Gene Wilder, opens Sept. 26 at the MET Theatre in Hollywood.

Helmed by director Marco Gomez and musical director Chris Raymond (the duo behind last year's LA Weekly and Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle award-winning production of Dreamgirls), Young Frankenstein features all of the favorite scenes from the film - plus show-stopping numbers like "Transylvania Mania," "Together Again," "He Vas My Boyfriend" and "Puttin' on the Ritz" (music and lyrics by Brooks, choreography by Angela Todero). Young Frankenstein is a wickedly inspired re-imagining of the Frankenstein legend, complete with tap-dancing numbers, innuendo and outrageous accents. The story follows young Dr. Frankenstein (John David Wallis) as he attempts to complete his grandfather's masterwork and bring a corpse to life. Aided by his oddly-shaped, endearing helper Igor (Scott Seiffert) and his curvaceous lab assistant Inga (Susan Huckle), Young Frankenstein succeeds in creating a monster (Hector Quintana), despite the distraction of his madcap fiancee Elizabeth (Toni Smith). Also in the cast are Michelle Holmes as Frau Blucher (the very mention of her name makes the horses neigh, "blucher" being the German word for "glue"), Dan Spector as Inspector Hans Kemp, Bobby Reed as the Hermit, Bradley Kuykendall as Dr. Victor Von Frankenstein and Wesley Moran as Ziggy. Rounding out the ensemble are Elvira Barjau, Kevin Corsini, Carrie Daniel, Allison Jakubowski, Sandy Mansson, Johnny Ortiz, Bradley Settler and Lauren Tyni. "The first time I saw a production of Young Frankenstein, I didn't stop laughing from the minute the curtain went up," says Gomez. "I'm usually drawn to musicals that explore the dark side of humanity, so this is the flip side of that. Plus it has monsters!" Set design for Young Frankenstein is by John Iacovelli; lighting design is by Jean-Yves Tessier; sound design is by Julie Ferrin; costume design is by Brandy Jacobs; makeup is by Karen Sanchez; and props are by Hallie Baran. The production stage manager is Gabrieal Griego, and Marco Gomez and Dolf Ramos produce for DOMA Theatre Company. Young Frankenstein ran on Broadway from 2007 to 2009, where it received the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical, then toured nationwide through 2011. The 1974 film received two Academy Award nominations including Best Screenplay for Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder. The film is considered a cult classic with a following from legions of science fiction and comedy fans, and was chosen for preservation in the Library of Congress National Film Regis; it is listed as #13 of the American Film Institute's "100 Funniest American Films." DOMA Theatre Company has carved a name for itself by presenting large-scale, Broadway-style musicals in a small intimate setting at Hollywood's MET Theatre. DOMA's production of Dreamgirls garnered rave reviews including a Los Angeles Times "Critic's Choice," was named "Musical of the Year" at the LA Weekly awards, and received multiple Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle awards including the 2013 McCulloh Award for Revival. Young Frankenstein runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. from Sept. 26 through Nov. 16. Tickets range from $30-$34.99; seniors and students with ID pay only $20. The MET Theatre is located at 1089 N. Oxford Ave., Los Angeles CA 90029. For reservations, call (323) 802-4990 or go to www.domatheatre.com.