‘Nonstop laughter’: Riverview presents ‘Young Frankenstein’ musical in Oakmont

Perhaps you’ve seen Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein” so many times that, to your wife’s dismay, you can quote right along with most of the script.

For a musical spin on the cinematic classic, Oakmont is the place to go.

“It’s amazing, the comedy added within the songs,” JohnPaul Bertucci said. “In our production, every song is going to have a ‘pop’ or something very climactic to it. There’s going to be something different, something that surprises you, brings a new element to the show instead of the predictable.”

He is directing Riverview High School’s production of “Young Frankenstein,” which Brooks and collaborator Thomas Meehan adapted for a 2007 opening on Broadway. About 90 seventh- through 12th-graders, representing a significant portion of Riverview’s secondary students, are participating.

And despite the passage of nearly half a century since the movie’s debut, they’re the ones who chose it for the spring musical.

“We have a student board, and we present them with a couple of shows and ask them to vote,” producer Laurie Sliben said.

Prior to this year’s ballot, she recommended that they try the film versions.

“I said, ‘Go home. Watch them both. You’ve got a weekend. Come back and tell me what you want on Monday.’ And they unanimously voted for this.”

The selection of “Young Frankenstein” turned out well as far as the director is concerned.

“What does it have that we need now? It is nonstop laughter. Every scene is ornery, funny, quirky, not long dialogue that’s boring. Everything has a punchline. Everything has a gimmick. Everything has something iconic to go with it,” he said.

“Yes, a lot of the movie scenes are in here. But there are a lot of unique scenes that they did when they wrote for Broadway that make it even more enriching and gives more character depth than the movie had, which makes it hilarious.”

This time around, learn more about Dr. Frederick Frankenstein — pronounced “Fronk-en-stein,” as portrayed by Johnny Bertucci — and his fiancée, Elizabeth (Julia Slagle). See the deceptively innocent “roll in the hay” suggestion by his assistant, Inga (Kylie Longstreth), turn into a full-fledged song.

And experience the tap routine to Irving Berlin’s “Puttin’ on the Ritz” expand beyond Frederick and the Monster (Drew Ogrodowski) to include Inga and manservant Igor (“Eye-gore,” played by Michael Pietragallo), and eventually a couple of dozen of Riverview’s finest dancers.

Of course, you still can expect a chorus of ominous whinnying every time someone mentions Frau Blücher (Hannah Harley), and for Elizabeth to fall for the Monster because … well, you can check that out for yourself.

And when you arrive, prepare for an appropriate mood.

“With the lighting, the atmosphere, the sound effects, you will feel you’re in Transylvania before the curtain even goes up. We want to set the mood from the moment you sit in your seat, something’s going on in this auditorium,” JohnPaul Bertucci said. “It makes it fun, right?”

Riverview’s production of “Young Frankenstein” is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. March 16-19, plus 2 o’clock Saturday and Sunday matinees, at the Tenth Street Auditorium, off Pennsylvania Avenue in Oakmont. For more information, visit www.rsd.k12.pa.us/Musical.aspx.