Young Frankenstein: Beth Leavel, Michele Ragusa and Kelly Sullivan to become the new leading ladies

Beth Leavel, Michele Ragusa and Kelly Sullivan become the new leading ladies of Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein this summer at the Hilton Theatre, joining original cast members Roger Bart, Shuler Hensley, Fred Applegate and Christopher Fitzgerald.

Kelly Sullivan will assume the role of Inga on 8 Jul; Tony winner Beth Leavel (Drowsy Chaperone) will become Frau Blucher on 22 Jul and Michele Ragusa takes over the role of Elizabeth on 5 Aug 2008.

Young Frankenstein's original acclaimed trio of divas is in their final weeks of performances. Sutton Foster's last performance is 6 Jul, Andrea Martin - Tony-nominated for her performance - completes her run 20 Jul, and Megan Mullally will depart after the 3 Aug 2008.

The musical opened at the Hilton Theatre on 8 Nov 2007, following previews from 11 Oct and is currently booking through to 4 Jan 2009.

The show opened to mixed, but mostly poor reviews: "If "YF" screams anything, it's shtick!" (NY Theatre Guide); "Leaves you with a monster-size headache." (NY Times); "Isn't the joyous celebration one hoped for." (NY Daily News); "The Broadway musical at its dizziest, glitziest and funniest." (NY Post); "The only thing in stitches is the creature's face." (NewsDay); "Not a great musical, nor even a particularly good one." (Star-Ledger); "It's alive � but just barely." (USA Today); "Bloated, robotic, astonishingly unfunny behemoth has been cobbled together from spare parts" (Time Out NY); "Shrill, misbegotten, deeply cynical enterprise."

Based on the Oscar-nominated 1974 film, Young Frankenstein tells the story of Frederick Frankenstein, a young neurosurgeon who inherits the castle of his grandfather, the famous Dr. Victor von Frankenstein. In the castle he finds a funny hunchback called Igor, a pretty lab assistant named Inga and the old housekeeper, frau Blucher. Young Frankenstein does not believe in the work of his grandfather, but when he discovers the book where the mad doctor described his reanimation experiment, he suddenly changes his mind...

Unfolding in the forbidding Castle Frankenstein and the foggy moors of Transylvania Heights, the show's score includes �We�re the Happiest Town in Town,� "There is Nothing Like The Brain," "The Transylvania Mania," "He Vas My Boyfriend" and the unforgettable treatment of Irving Berlin's "Puttin' On the Ritz."

Like Mel Brook's 12 times Tony Award winning show The Producers, Young Frankenstein features music & lyrics by Mel Brooks, book by Mel Brooks & Tom Meehan, and will be directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman.

The production also features the same creative team as The producers: Robin Wagner(Set Design), William Ivey Long (Costumes) and Peter Kaczorowski (lighting).

Leavel most recently received the 2006 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as 'The Drowsy Chaperone' in musical of 'The Drowsy Chaperone'. Other Broadway credits include Dorothy Brock in '42nd Street' (2001 revival), 'The Civil War' (1999), 'Showboat' (1994), 'Crazy For You'(1992). She made her Broadway debut in the original productioin of '42nd Street' (1980).

Michele Ragusa (Elizabeth) was last seen on Broadway as 'Penelope Pennywise' in 'Urinetown' (2001), other Broadway credits include: 'A Class Act' (2001); 'Ragtime' (1998), 'Titanic' (1997) and 'Cyrano - The Musical' (1993). Leavel was nominated for a 2007 Lucille Lortel Award for her performance in Primary Stages production of 'Adrift in Macao' (2007).

Kelly Sullivan (Inga). Broadway: 'Bells Are Ringing' (2001), 'Contact' (2000).