Texarkana Repertory Co. will soon be "Puttin' on the Ritz," to reference an Irving Berlin song title, with a production of the wildly comedic musical "Young Frankenstein."
If you know the classic Mel Brooks screwball horror comedy film of the same name, you know what this musical is about: the frightful hijinks that ensue when Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder in the movie, Chase Livingston in TexRep's production) inherits his family's Transylvania estate.
For TexRep, it's a snazzy way to start their season, appropriately titled after that famous Berlin number, which appears in the movie and musical as one of the most famous funny duets in movie history.
TexRep performs "Young Frankenstein" at Texarkana College's Stilwell Theatre May 6-8 and May 13-15 with 7:30 p.m. shows Fridays and Saturdays and a 2 p.m. matinee Sundays.
Director Michael Cooper describes it as a huge show for TexRep. They've topped out at about 24 cast members for this production, smaller than "Mary Poppins" but still a big one for the company.
Essentially, expect an experience similar to Brooks' big screen vision. "It's the movie, and there are iconic things in the movie, lines that if you know the film people are going to love and probably react to," Cooper said, referencing lines like "Stay close to the candles. The stairway can be treacherous."
"But for people who don't know, it's about a doctor he calls himself Frederick Frankenstein," Cooper said, emphasizing how the last name is pronounced like "Frankensteen."
This Frankenstein pronounces his name differently than his infamous ancestors did, to differentiate himself, but then through a series of circumstances he ends up creating his own monster, just as his grandfather did.
"And then mayhem ensues," Cooper says. "It's got some great songs. It's a very Broadway kind of show."
The humor in this show includes a lot of innuendo handled in a funny way. The director likens it to a good Pixar film that the kids enjoy but has racy lines that sail right over the kids' heads for the adults to understand.
"It plays on two levels. There's a lot of double entendre," Cooper said. It's Mel Brooks humor, he says, and a whole lot of fun.
Brooks wrote the music and lyrics, co-writing the book with Thomas Meehan. The musical, which premiered in 2007, won an Outer Critics Circle Award and garnered multiple nominations for Tony Awards and Drama Desk Awards.
Other principal actors in this cast include Taylor Coleman as Igor, Ruth Ellen Whitt as Frau Blcher, Stacy Mayo as Elizabeth, Hailey Mahone as Inga and Zac Shipe as Kemp. It's a blend of newer faces and TexRep vets.
What does Cooper enjoy about this sort of production?
"It's a chance to let go and getting a bunch of kids to dance who haven't danced on stage before but who now are tapping because we're doing 'Puttin' on the Ritz,'" the director said. "Just the energy that comes with a show like this."
Cooper says the cast gets the humor. They've even seen the movie. He hopes the show is as funny as they seem to think it is. There are some iconic moments in the movie, so you must do them that certain way in the musical production, which kicks off TexRep's 26th season.
"That's part of the humor of the piece," Cooper said, noting now is the time to get a new membership for this exciting season.
Livingston is enjoying this production. For him, it's his biggest TexRep role.
"I get to bring acting, dancing and singing all together into one," Livingston said, noting it gives him a chance to improve his skills. He feels the confidence coming to him. He's been tapping for the first time, too.
"I'm a big fan of the movie," Livingston said. Seeing it gives him basic insight into the characters. He aims to stay true to those classic lines. And he likes the music, pointing out his own interest in how the brain works. The show even has a song called "The Brain."
"The first time I listened to the music, I knew right away, 'I want to be Frederick, I want to be Frankenstein,'" Livingston said.
(Tickets: $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors, $5 for TC students and faculty. For reservations, call 903-831-7827. More info: TexRep.org.)