The cast of “Young Frankenstein” are working hard for their show dates April 14-17 and April 21-24.

The “Young Frankenstein” cast has been rehearsing since mid January preparing for the upcoming show in a few weeks.

As opening night approaches, the director, Don Grant Zellmer, has total confidence in the cast stating, “They are the dream cast to work with.”

The cast are determined and have positive attitudes during rehearsal; they practice scenes as long as it takes time to achieve the perfect show.

For this production there are a large number of community members as well as IVCC students involved.

“It’s great to see so many community members working so closely with all of our students. That cooperation really makes us proud to be called ‘your community stage,’” adds Theatre Technical Manager Matt Boehm.

With a group of actors and actresses that are familiar with one another, they get along famously.

“There are many returning cast members,” Zellmer said. As a cast they know exactly the style Zellmer is searching for and as a director he is aware of how to work with the cast to produce the best show possible.
Zellmer decided on “Young Frankenstein” as IVCC’s spring musical, because it is hysterical, plus the rights have recently become available, so it is a new show to community theatres.

The musical follows the grandson of infamous Victor Frankenstein as he travels to Transylvania to claim his inheritance.

With quirky sidekicks, such as hunchback Igor and leggy Inga, Frankenstein soon finds himself in the mad-scientist footsteps of his ancestors, enraging the townspeople.

As a director, Zellmer expressed his excitement for this production saying, “It is a show that I can have fun with since there is a lot of physical comedy as well as timeless jokes.”

Since Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein has a vast fan group and the title is well known, IVCC theatre hopes to attract new audience members, as well as the same devoted audience members that have attended past productions. Zellmer believes the show will bring in a large number of people and lasting publicity to the IVCC theatre department.

This witty production has been a challenge for the director and cast, but they are accepting the challenge and doing a stellar job.
Zellmer is pleased with the progress the cast is making, and says, “I am proud of how nicely everything is coming together.”

Members of the cast are running lines, rehearsing their music for hours, and practicing their stage directions, producing laughs from their fellow company. With the show’s many punchlines, the cast must run through them multiple times, because it is hard even for them not to crack up. With a little aid from special, effects the terrifying and humorous Young Frankenstein will be on stage soon.

The show features popular songs like “He Vas My Boyfriend,” “Puttin’ On the Ritz,” and “Surprise.”

The show will be performed at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 14-Saturday, April 16 and Thursday, April 21-Saturday, April 23. Sunday matinées at 2 p.m. will be April 17 and 24.