Young Frankenstein to Close in January

It's Alive!?

Yeah, well, not for much longer.

You can add the woefully disappointing Young Frankenstein to the ever-growing list of shows that will shutter in January. Although Mel Brooks and his fellow producers have famously refused to make their numbers public, the show will have played only 484 regular performances, and with an estimated capitalization somewhere in the $20 million neighborhood, that probably means the the show will close at a considerable loss.

Tee hee.

I've made no mystery of my unmitigated disdain for this show. See my review of the cynical and uninspired show itself, as well as my prior and subsequent screeds decrying the sheer arrogance of the production team.

The hangar-like Hilton Theater is unlikely to remain vacant for long, as rumor has long held the the upcoming Spider-Man tuner was hoping to spin its Web within its cavernous hall sometime during the 2009-2010 season. The Spidey musical will reportedly feature direction and design by Tony winner Julie Taymor as well as a score by frickin' Bono and The Edge of U2 fame.

Yeah, another pre-sold, brand-name, would-be blockbuster aborning. But at least we know the score will rock, and the design will be nonpareil. And pre-sold blockbusters aren't necessarily a disaster in the making. Look for my review of the slightly flawed but pleasantly entertaining Shrek later in the week.

Comments

[Justin]

Chris your "tee hee" was evil. Something tells me you enjoyed burning ants with a magnifying glass as a child.