The West Coast premiere of the revised version of Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein ends its run at California's La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts October 9. Sally Struthers and A.J. Holmes lead the cast as Frau Blücher and Frederick Frankenstein, respectively. Performances began September 16.
Also in the cast are Sarah Wolter as Elizabeth, Trent Mills as The Monster, Maggie Ek as Inga, Wesley Slade as Igor, and Joe Hart as Inspector Kemp & The Hermit. Additional company members include Lexi Cross, Isabella De Souza Moore, Carl Draper, Cheyenne Green, Colby Hamann, Grant Hodges, Missy Marion, Ryan Perry Marks, Elle May Patterson, Austin Schulte, and Rodrigo Varandas.
The production, which incorporates changes made to the musical for its 2017 West End bow, features several encore performances, with Struthers having starred in the musical at Maine's Ogunquit Playhouse and Holmes in a 2011 non-union tour.
Featuring a book by Brooks and Thomas Meehan and music and lyrics by Brooks, the production features a recreation of the original direction and choreography by Susan Stroman, as facilitated by James Gray and Jeff Whiting, who previously brought new life into the show for the Ogunquit Playhouse. The production also features music direction and conducting by Benet Braun.
Brooks and Meehan’s musical based on the 1974 film classic opened at Broadway's Hilton Theatre (now the Lyric, home to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) November 8, 2007. Directed and choreographed by Stroman, the original production starred Roger Bart as Dr. Frankenstein, Megan Mullally as the doctor's love interest Elizabeth, Sutton Foster as assistant Inga, Shuler Hensley as The Monster, Andrea Martin as castle matron Frau Blucher, and Christopher Fitzgerald as Igor. The show ran 485 performances.
In 2017, Stroman and Brooks, along with co-writer Meehan, reworked the show for a new London production, which included new dialogue and lyrics. Some songs from the original were cut, and two new numbers were added.