“It’s pronounced Fronkensteen!”
So insists Frederick Frankenstein, grandson of the infamous Victor Frankenstein, in the hilarious musical stage adaptation of the classic 1974 horror-comedy film Young Frankenstein, which will close out the Peterborough Theatre Guild’s 2025-26 season with 11 performances from April 17 to May 3.
Featuring music and lyrics by Mel Brooks, with a book by Brooks and Thomas Meehan, the musical is based on the film written by Gene Wilder and Brooks, who decided to create a musical version of the film following the success of his 2021 musical The Producers based on his film of the same name.
Orignally promoted as The New Mel Brooks Musical: Young Frankenstein, the show debuted on Broadway in 2007 and closed in 2009 after 485 performances, before heading out on two U.S. tours. A revised version of the show opened in London’s West End in 2017.
The plot of the musical is similar to that of the original film, which is a parody of the horror film adaptations from the 1930s of Mary Shelley’s groundbreaking novel.
When Frederick inherits his family’s estate in Transylvania, he finds himself drawn into the mad science legacy of his grandfather that he tried so hard to escape (including by pronouncing his surname as “Fronkensteen”).
With the help of hunchbacked assistant Igor (pronounced “Eye-gore”) and spirited lab assistant Inga, Frederick reluctantly follows in his grandfather’s footsteps — and soon discovers the thrill of bringing a creature to life.
VIDEO: “Puttin’ on the Ritz” – Young Frankenstein (1974)
Expect to hear classic exchanges from the film — such as when Igor reveals that the brain he acquired for Frederick’s creature was labelled “Abby Normal” — along with show-stopping musical numbers including “He Vas My Boyfriend,” “Transylvania Mania,” and Irving Berlin’s “Puttin’ On the Ritz” — a 1927 song that enjoyed renewed popularity when it was performed by Gene Wilder as Frederick Frankenstein and Peter Boyle as The Monster in the film version.
The Peterborough Theatre Guild production of Young Frankenstein is directed by Nate Axcell and produced by Margaret Pieper, with the leading cast featuring Tom Stanley as Frederick Frankenstein, Rainey Smith as Elizabeth Benning, James Burrell as Igor, Jocelyn Enright at The Hermit, Anna Hykawy as Inga, Lindsay Unterlander as Frau Blücher, Matt Kraft as Inspector Kemp, and Blair Waller as The Monster.
The creative team includes music director Justin Hiscox, choreographer Heather Boyd and assistant choreographer Laura Collings, stage manager Tina Barnes and assistant stage manager Ty McKeen, sound and lighting designer Andy Duncan, costume designer Brenna Goldie, and hair and makeup designer Shelley Moody, with photography by Jordan Lyall.
Young Frankenstein will be staged at the Guild Hall at 364 Rogers Street in Peterborough’s East City with evening performances at 7:30 p.m. on April 17 and 18, April 23 to 25, and April 30 to May 2, and 1:30 p.m. matinee performances on April 19 and May 3.
Tickets cost $42 for adults, $37 for seniors, and $27 for students, and are available by phone at 705-745-4211 or online at www.peterboroughtheatreguild.com/upcoming-plays/young-frankenstein.
Due to mature themes and content, Young Frankenstein is recommended for audiences 16 and older.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a media sponsor of the Peterborough Theatre Guild’s 2025-26 season.
