Mountain Community Theater kicks off its 2016 Season with The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein, book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan, music and lyrics by Mel Brooks, and original direction and choreography by Susan Stroman. Directed by MCT President Daria E. Troxell, with music direction by Arindam Krishna Das and choreography by Whitney James-Heskett, the production opens Friday, March 25 and runs four weekends through Sunday, April 17 at Ben Lomond’s historic Park Hall. Friday and Saturday performances are at 8:00 p.m.; Sunday matinees are at 2:00 p.m.

Community Night is Thursday, March 31 at 8:00 p.m. when all tickets are 2-for-$22. (Note that there is no matinee on Sunday, March 27.) General tickets are $25; Senior and Student tickets are $20.00. The show is rated PG-13; some content may not be appropriate for young children. Tickets go on sale February 26. Click here for tickets and a fun teaser video!

Young Frankenstein is based on Mel Brooks’ 1974 comedy film of the same name. The musical opened on Broadway on November 8, 2007 and ran for 484 performances. It won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical in 2008, and was nominated for three Tony Awards!

The story follows Frederick Frankenstein (pronounced “Fronkensteen”), grandson of the infamous Victor von Frankenstein, creator of The Monster. Frederick travels to Transylvania to deal with his grandfather’s estate, meeting along the way Igor (pronounced “Eye-gore”), the grandson of Victor’s henchman, the lovely Inga (a yodeling laboratory assistant), and the mysterious Frau Blücher. Frederick is lured into creating another Monster, who ends up falling in love with Frederick’s fiancée Elizabeth. Musical numbers include “Please Don’t Touch Me,” “Transylvania Mania, “He Vas My Boyfriend,” “Surprise,” and, of course, “Puttin’ on the Ritz.”

This will be Ms. Troxell’s third time directing for MCT. She is the Resident Director for Little Peoples’ Repertory Theatre (LPRT), and has directed several times for Actors’ Theater 8 Tens at 8 in Santa Cruz.

Arindam Krishna Das has served as Music Director for several MCT productions, most recently for its 2014 popular production of Monty Python’s SPAMALOT. He has been the resident Music Director for LPRT for over 15 years. He has also served as Director and/or Musical Director for other local theater companies, as well as for high school productions in the area.

This is Ms. James-Heskett’s second time working with MCT, and she has worked with LPRT and SLH High as well.

The cast includes actors new to MCT as well as audience favorites: Benjamin Canant as Frederick; Scott Kravitz as The Monster; MarNae Taylor as Elizabeth; Morgan Peters as Inga; Galen James-Heskett as Igor; Karen Solomon as Frau Blücher; Gary Edwards as Victor von Frankenstein; Dave Halper as Inspector Kemp; Phillip Heskett as The Hermit; Abe Olson as Ziggy; and ensemble members David Finau, Dahlela Hennig, Jennifer Henning, Ron Maysenhalder, Sally Munro, Nicolette Nasr, Amanda Payne, and Jennifer Scicluna.

Mountain Community Theater (MCT), the longest-running community theater in Santa Cruz County, started in 1982 by a collective of actors. MCT is a member-run non-profit organization that relies on support from its performances, season subscribers, and royalties from its own company-created script, Miracle on 34th Street, the Play. For more about MCT and the saga of its amazing “Miracle,” click here.