Word: mel
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Young Frankenstein Broadway's Hilton Theatre; opened Nov. 8Can lightning strike twice? Plenty of sparks fly in Young Frankenstein, Mel Brooks' follow-up to his big hit The Producers. But this time the gags are lamer, the songs (again by Brooks) more generic, and there's no Nathan Lane--though the monster's big moment, doing Puttin' on the Ritz in top hat and wails, almost saves the show. Almost...
...When Mel first talked about Young Frankenstein, I never thought it would happen. It wasn't until after Anne's death that he really started to write. It was a release from his grief, and I think the writing saved him. When he lost Anne, he lost everything. Mel sees the audience laugh each night, and it infuses him with a big breath of life...
...Mel egged me on to continue working on The Producers after Mike's death, and after Anne died, I encouraged him to work on Young Frankenstein. A show that is so filled with humor is a great antidote to grief. To laugh and to hear the sound of laughter is healing...
...When Mel walks down the street, people call out to him as if he is a best friend because he made them laugh. Just as people ran to The Producers after 9/11, I think they'll run from the evening news to see Young Frankenstein. During the Depression, people loved to go to musicals and the movies to escape...
...ends of Mel's movies, there's always some sort of indication that he's coming back. So at the end of this musical, there's a little nod to that possibility...