Young Frankenstein is Alive in Washington, DC

The classic Mel Brooks monster movie, Young Frankenstein, has been recreated into a monstrous new musical play, direct from Broadway.  And over the holiday season, Young Frankenstein the musical, is playing in Washington, DC at the Kennedy Center.

The story follows the talented Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Fronkensteen) as he attempts to escape his family’s dubious past but still complete his grandfather’s masterwork – resuscitating a corpse.

Together with his bent-over and bumbling assistant Igor (Eye-gor), his sexy lab helper Inga, and his overbearing fiancé Elizabeth, the doctor attempts to recreate life.  But when success comes, a slight error made when selecting a brain for the corpse results in scary and hilarious complications paired with a few fun songs.

“Puttin’ On The Ritz,” has never been quite so humorous as when Gene Wilder as the Doctor and Peter Boyle as the Monster, both dressed in tuxedos, first made screen audiences laugh.

The in play, Tony Award winners Roger Bart as Dr. Frankenstein and Shuler Hensley as the Monster are reprising their original Broadway roles.

The original Frankenstein story is based on the story by Mary Shelley, first published in 1818. It’s undergone multiple revisions, twits and been made into several plays and movies over the years.  The first film version was the 1931 version of Frankenstein, staring an unknown British actor of the time named Boris Karloff.  The film transformed him into an instant Hollywood star and helped the grow the new film genre — the horror movie.

Young Frankenstein
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Opera House
2700 F Street, NW
Washington DC. 20566 (map it)

Dates and Times – December 15, 2009 – January 10, 2010.  

Tickets – $25.00 – $150.00 and are available online or by phone at 202-467-4600.   The $25 tickets are only available at the box office (limit 2 tickets per person.) 

Nearest Metro Subway Station -  Foggy Bottom/George Washington University (23rd and I St.) – Blue and Orange lines, then a 3-block walk.

If you take the Metro, you can hop on the free Kennedy Center shuttle bus that runs every 15 minutes Monday – Friday (9:45 am – Midnight, Saturdays 10:00 am – Midnight, and Noon – Midnight on Sundays.)

Parking - Paid parking is available at the Kennedy Center for $17.00.

Images – courtesy of Young Frankenstein – Young Frankenstein – First National Tour – Shuler Hensley and Roger Bart, photos by Paul Kolnik