YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN: WHEN IN SPAIN, CALL HIM EL JOVENCITO FRANKENSTEIN
A GUIDEPOST Report
With filmmaker Mel Brooks penning the script, in collaboration with Thomas Meehan, the comedy musical, Young Frankenstein, debuted in 2007 at the Paramount Theater in Seattle, Washington. From there it went on to Broadway, then toured the United States. In 2017 Young Frankenstein made it to the West End, London, where it enjoyed a year of resounding success. The production is slated for a major UK tour starting September 2019.
On the 13th of November this year, El Jovencito Frankenstein opened at the Teatro de la Luz Philips Gran Vía, Madrid, coinciding with the bicentennial of the first publication in London of Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus.
On its first week on Gran Via, El Jovencito Frankenstein has shown all signs of becoming the season’s major hit.
What’s Young Frankesntein?
The musical comedy, whether produced in the United States, Europe or elsewhere, is based on the 1974 American comedy horror film Young Frankenstein directed by Mel Brooks and starring Gene Wilder as Frederick Frankenstein, the title character, a descendant of the mad scientist Dr. Victor Frankenstein, and Peter Boyle as the monster. The film is a parody of the classic horror film genre.
On opening night: large crowd! (From El Jovencito Frankenstein official Facebook page)
A critical favorite and box office smash, Young Frankenstein ranks No. 28 on Total Film magazine’s readers’ “List of the 50 Greatest Comedy Films of All Time”; No. 56 on Bravo TV’s list of the “100 Funniest Movies”; and No. 13 on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 funniest American movies. In 2003, it was deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” by the United States National Film Preservation Board, and selected for preservation in the Library of Congress National Film Registry.
It was later adapted by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan as a stage musical.
The Plot
Engaged to socialite Elizabeth, Dr. Frederick Frankenstein is a lecturing physician at an American medical school. He is exasperated whenever the subject of his grandfather Victor crops up and insists that his surname is pronounced “Fronkonsteen”.
On the death of his grandfather, Frederick learns that he is heir to the family estate in Transylvania and goes there to see. He discovers the secret entrance to Victor’s laboratory and after reading his private journals Frederick decides to resume his grandfather’s experiments in re-animating the dead.
He and the hunchbacked bug-eyed servant, Igor, steal the large corpse of a recently executed criminal. Frederick sets to work experimenting on the corpse. In the process, young Frankenstein created a monster out of the corpse.
At a theater full of illustrious guests, Frederick shows “The Creature”, dressed in top hat and tails, following simple commands. He even performs the musical number “Puttin’ On the Ritz” with Frederick. However, the show comes to an abrupt end when a stage light explodes and frightens the monster who is enraged and charges into the audience. The police capture and chain the monster.
In the laboratory, Inga, Frederick’s young assistant, attempts to comfort him and they end up sleeping together on the suspended reanimation table.
The monster escapes when Elizabeth, Frederick’s fiancée, showed up unexpectedly for a visit. He takes Elizabeth captive as he flees. Elizabeth falls in love with the monster due to his “enormous schwanzstucker”. Frederick plays the violin to lure his creation back to the castle and recaptures him. Just as the mob storms the laboratory, Frederick Frankenstein transfers some of his stabilizing intellect to the creature. As a result, he is able to listen to reason. The mob is placated.
Elizabeth marries the now erudite and sophisticated monster, while Inga, in bed with Frederick, asks her new husband what he got in return during the transfer procedure. Frederick growls wordlessly and embraces Inga who, as Elizabeth did when abducted by the monster, sings “Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life.”
Source: Various. Major: Wikipedia
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El Jovencito Frankenstein
Cast
Victor Ullate as the Young Frankenstein
Marta Ribera: Frederick Frankenstein’s fiancée Elizabeth
Cristina Llorente: Inga
Jordi Vidal: Igor
Albert Gràcia: Monster
Director & script adaptation: Esteve Ferrer
Production: Let’sGo/Iñaki Fernández
OFFICIAL VIDEO
