Young Frankenstein to be televised in live musical event

Mel Brooks & Thomas Meehan comedy musical will be performed live on ABC later this year.

Are you ready to "join the family business"? The television network ABC has announced that Young Frankenstein will be the latest musical to be broadcast as a live television musical. Based on the 1974 film "Young Frankenstein" that was adapted into a 2007 Broadway musical, the tuner will be aired later this year, with casting and an exact television date to be announced.

Re-imagining Mary Shelley's horror novel, Young Frankenstein follows Frederick Frankenstein, a brain surgeon who inherits a Transylvanian castle and laboratory from his grandfather, who is faced with a decision to continue honouring his family's legacy or stay in Transylvania to continue mad experiments.

The original Broadway cast of Young Frankenstein starred Roger Bart as Frederick Frankenstein, Sutton Foster as Inga, Megan Mullally as Elizabeth, Shuler Hensley as The Monster and Fred Applegate as Inspector Kemp. Young Frankenstein officially opened at the Lyric Theatre on November 8, 2007, where it played through January 4, 2009.

Young Frankenstein recently staged its West End premiere, with Mark Shenton's five-star review praising its comedy factor, saying "it's stupendously silly and shameless all the way through, too, but that's also entirely the point. Its sole function is to be a laughter generator; and as such, it is thoroughly successful, as I just couldn't stop laughing." 

The upcoming televised live adaptation of Young Frankenstein follows a line of musicals which have been screened on television, including The Little Mermaid, Grease, Hairspray and Jesus Christ Superstar.

^{(Photo by Paul Kolnik)}