The Alliance Theatre presents Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein, which opens this weekend.
Here, cast members chime in about why they love playing these kooky characters.
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Annie Ermlick (Inga)
I play Inga, Doctor Frankenstein’s laboratory assistant. Inga is a high spirited county girl from Germany. She is affectionate, fascinated about science, and falls for “Zee Docktor,” and as she says, “Zee feeling is moo-chal.”
As Inga I have two awesome solo numbers “Roll In The Hay” and “Listen To Your Heart” plus a tap number “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” and a production number called “Transylvania Mania,” a quartet and many other songs. Let’s just say I am ‘sehr müde’ after a night with Zee Docktor.
The character is fun to play and I love working with accents. I really like the cast we have and the production team.
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Cara Giambrone (Elisabeth)
Elizabeth is a true socialite of the day. While she comes across as pretty shallow, I like to think that she’s just naive as to how the world really works. She really has no idea that other people don’t live in a world of entourages and parties
It’s very interesting playing a character who’s so iconic. When I first told friends I had been cast in this show, half responded by quoting lines from the movie – my friends knew my lines before I did! There’s definitely a challenge there as an actress. You want to put your own spin on the character, but you also have to incorporate some facets of the original – people are expecting it. I’m following the footsteps of actresses like Madeline Kahn and Megan Mulally – those are some pretty big shoes to fill!
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Lori Muhlstein (Frau Blucher)
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Scott Olson (The Monster)
Young Frankenstein has been unlike any other show I’ve done. The prosthetic for the monster and the 4 inch platform boots give a whole new meaning to acting when you have to sing, dance, growl, roar, set your thumb on fire, and trying to remember my lines. Come see the show and you’ll understand!
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Leslie Anne Ross (Director)
This show is funny. Very funny. We have tried to stay as true as possible to the original film and pay homage to the creative genius of Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder. There is a very tall, very green monster, a love triangle, a blind hermit, angry villagers, mad scientists, a priest and a police inspector who will all sing and dance their way into your heart. So come on out to Centreville, sit back and enjoy the hilarious world of 1930’s Transylvania and Young Frankenstein.
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John Totten (Kemp)
I have been associated with Alliance for over 10 years. Things change… The shows are more involved, sets more intricate, new talent arises, the venues change. And some things never change… the quality of the shows. The lasting friendships made among cast and crew. And the joy that is obvious while we are performing for an audience. I always seem to play a bad guy, and this show is no exception, but a bad guy that you can laugh at. This role cost me an arm and a leg.
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Show Synopsis
Young Frankenstein, Fredrick Frankenstein (Freddie), is a scientist working at a medical school in New York who learns that his great grandfather, Victor Von Frankenstein, has passed away and left Freddie his entire estate. Freddie travels to Transylvania to handle estate matters, leaving behind his fiancée, lovely New York socialite Elizabeth Benning Once in Transylvania, Freddie meets Igor, Frau Blucher and Inga who together begin the complicated experiment to animate lifeless flesh. In other words, they attempt to bring a man back to life.
There is a very tall, very green monster, a love triangle, a blind hermit, angry villagers, mad scientists, a priest and a police inspector who will all sing and dance their way into your heart. So sit back and enjoy the hilarious world of 1930’s Transylvania and Young Frankenstein.
Young Frankenstein plays from March 21-April 6, 2014 at The Alliance Theatre performing at Mountain View High School -5775 Spindle Court, in Centreville, VA. For tickets, purchase them at the door or online.
