Young Frankenstein
Manatee Performing Arts Center Stone Hall Bradenton, FL
Lighting design for the 2013 production of Young Frankenstein at Manatee Performing Arts Center, directed by Dewayne Barrett.
About the Lighting Design
Young Frankenstein is an insanely cue-dense show. Between the electricity gags, the big production numbers, and Igor throwing the switch, the design had to land precisely every few moments for the entire length of the show.
The approach was musicality first. The big production numbers leaned into rock-musical-theater territory with full color and dynamic shifts. The electricity effects (sparks, surges, the actual moment of bringing the monster to life) were treated as their own micro-design problems, each with the precision the bit required to read. We even took advantage of the venue’s fluorescent work lights to help create chaotic and random effects.
- Music and Lyrics
- Mel Brooks
- Based on the Twentieth Century Fox motion picture
- Director
- Dewayne Barrett
- Scenic Designer
- Kirk Hughes
- Lighting Designer
- Mike Wood
About the Show
Grandson of the infamous Victor Frankenstein, Frederick Frankenstein (pronounced "Fronk-en-steen") inherits his family's estate in Transylvania. With the help of a hunchbacked sidekick, Igor (pronounced "Eye-gore"), and a leggy lab assistant, Inga (pronounced normally), Frederick finds himself in the mad scientist shoes of his ancestors. Frederick's hope is to endow his monster with the brain of a genius, but Igor drops the brain and substitutes it with one from someone named "Abby Normal". Through several great show numbers and a barrage of classic Mel Brooks shtick, Frederick manages to transfer some of his own knowledge to the monster.
Source: MTI
Production Photos
Press
joyfully over-the-top lighting effects