AURORA | The crew at the Vintage Theatre has never been short on ambition.
The theater’s current production of the musical “Young Frankenstein” follows in the troupe’s long tradition of tackling massive shows in relatively humble settings. In this case, the Vintage kicks off 2014 with a musical comedy that debuted in 2007 with a budget of millions of dollars, loads of special effects and a series of giant sets.
The Vintage production may work on a smaller scale, but it’s lost none of the show’s bawdy spirit and incisive wit in the translation to the 150-seat Nickelson Auditorium. Director Deb Flomberg and a huge cast get to the heart of this demanding show based on the classic 1974 Mel Brooks film, and they pull it off with some dazzling effects of their own.
Indeed, “Young Frankenstein” feels like a watershed production for the Vintage troupe. Flomberg has pulled off a large-scale coup for the company, a first since the Vintage moved to Aurora two years ago.
The plot follows the example of the film fairly closely, with added music. The comedy tracks Frederick Frankenstein as he accepts his legacy as the grandson of the famous mad scientist. That evolution comes when Frankenstein travels to his ancestral castle in Transylvania, meets his grandson’s lab assistant and discovers the draw of the family business. His shame at being a Frankenstein quickly disappears. He works to recreate his grandfather’s most celebrated and reviled experiment, reanimating dead tissue and creating a monster of his own.
Helmed by Seth Maisel (Frederick Frankenstein), Mark Shonsey (Igor), Kristi Siedow-Thompson (Inga), Shahara Ray (Elizabeth) and Mike Kienker (The Monster), the cast helps make the scope of the show feel much larger than the confines of the Vintage Theater’s main auditorium. Maisel’s frantic and frenetic portrayal carries plenty of comedy, and Thompson brings some impressive vocal chops to her role as Inga. Aided by impressive makeup work by Aurora special effects guru Todd Debreceni, Kienker shines as The Monster. His 7-foot stature doesn’t get in the way of his physical comedy or his big dance number. With his precise physical comedy and brilliant wordplay, Shonsey offers one of the highlights of the show with his performance as Igor. Barbara Porreca as Frau Blucher and Patrick Brownson as Inspector Kemp are also standouts. The orchestra led by music director Hunter Hall keeps up with the dense and diverse score by Brooks and Thomas Meehan.
The performances, direction and music come together in a dynamic and compelling fashion.
First, there are the challenges tied to the story itself. Mel Brooks’ tale of Frederick Frankenstein and his monster takes place in the wilds of Transylvania. Key scenes unfold in the catacombs of a mad scientist’s castle. Revolving doors, massive laboratories, backcountry roads in the wilds of eastern Europe — the comedy includes all of these settings.
Set Designer Douglas Clarke meets those demands with an impressive amount of fluidity. There are a few moments when the scale of the theater itself makes some of the more ambitious effects awfully difficult — it’s tough not to catch sight of a stagehand behind the revolving door, a dropped prop is liable to roll to the feet of the audience members in the front row and a thunder clap effect may come a bit late. Such moments were rare, and for the most part, Clarke’s set met the considerable demands of the script.
Sets and makeup are only part of the challenge here. “Young Frankenstein” carries a specific brand of comedy, one that’s hardly easy. This is Mel Brooks, and the jokes demand a certain timing, rhythm and tastelessness. Pulling off that humor amid the wild effects and demanding sets isn’t simple, but Flomberg and her cast get it done. That makes the occasional stagehand spotting and missed thunder cue hard to notice.
“Young Frankenstein”
Runs until Dec. 2 at the Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St.
Tickets start at $31.
Information: 303-856-7830 or online at www.vintagetheatre.com.
3.5 stars