Comedy icon Mel Brooks puts ‘Frankenstein’ on tour

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Shuler Hensley plays the monster and Roger Bart plays young Dr. Frederick Frankenstein in the musical version of "Young Frankenstein," which comes Tuesday to Chicago. (Photo provided)

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“Call me Mel.” The voice on the other end of the phone is unmistakable: Raspy, assertive and irreverent.

It is a Brooklyn-born voice that has been making people laugh since his days as a “tummler” in the Catskills, in Grammy-winning recordings such as the “2000-Year-Old-Man,” on television and, of course, on film.

It’s a voice that has shaped America’s comedy culture, especially in his sometimes crude, often rude and very funny films, beginning with his classic 1968 raspberry-to-Hitler, “The Producers” (to which he memorably voiced: “Don’t be stupid/Be a smarty/Come and join the Nazi party”), as well as “Blazing Saddles” (1974), “High Anxiety” (1977) and “Spaceballs” (1987).

The 83-Year-Old Man, who lives in Los Angeles, is eager to talk about the touring production of “Young Frankenstein,” the musical version of his 1974 film (which starred Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, Cloris Leachman, Peter Boyle and Madeline Kahn). Roger Bart plays young Dr. Frederick Frankenstein and Shuler Hensley plays the monster, as they did in the Broadway production.

Talking about “Young Frankenstein,” why is scary funny?

“Scary has always been funny,” he says. “It’s too intense and so you try to escape through laughter. I remember when I was a little boy and I was afraid to sleep near an open window because I thought Frankenstein would come in and get me. My mother, who wanted the window open because it was hot, tried to turn it into a joke and said, ‘Now why would Frankenstein come all the way here to get you. He would have to take a boat, and then a train, and then transfer to a trolley where he would have to pay all these fares and then he would have to climb this old fire escape to get the fifth floor just to pick on you.’”

“Young Frankenstein” is Brooks’ second big Broadway musical to hit the road, following the mega-smash “The Producers” in 2001.

But they were not his only Broadway outings. He did some writing for a revue called “Leonard Sillman’s New Faces of 1952” and wrote the book for the short-lived 1957 musical “Shinbone Alley.” His first big Broadway show was 1962’s “All American,” with a score by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams (and which featured the now-standard “Once Upon a Time”). But the musical failed and closed after a week, despite the fact that it featured Ray Bolger as the immigrant professor of an American college.

After “All American,” Brooks returned to television (creating 1965’s hit “Get Smart!” series along the way). In 1968, “The Producers,” starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, was the first of a string of broad film comedies in which he also appeared.

It took nearly 40 years before Brooks tried Broadway again, but it was the record-breaking smash, “The Producers,” based on his first film comedy (and which earned him an Oscar for the screenplay).

The musical (Brooks wrote the music and lyrics, too) opened a few months before 9/11. “We didn’t perform for two days, but I’ll never forget when we re-opened. Nathan Lane stepped out to speak to the audience and said, ‘C’mon, we need to laugh again.’”

Writing “Young Frankenstein” was even easier, with Brooks working again with director-choreographer Susan Stroman.

“Fun comes from fun, and we had fun writing it together with Tommy Meehan. We worked in Stro’s apartment every few days,” Brooks says. “I would bring bagels from Zabar’s and divide them up into threes. Stro thinks (‘Young Frankenstein’) has a better score and lyrics. I think it’s good and it’s ... funny. I’m very proud of the production and the tour is going to be sensational.”

Brooks says a musical version of “Blazing Saddles” is possible and he even sees “Life Stinks” as a funny musical vehicle for Nathan Lane as the billionaire who ends up in the gutter.

“It’s timely but there’s not enough of them (billionaires) turning into bums,” Brooks says.

Less known is Brooks’ work as a producer. His company made such serious-minded films as “The Elephant Man,” “Frances,” “The Fly” and “84 Charing Cross Road,” which starred his wife, Anne Bancroft, who died in 2005.

And how is his octogenarian life now?

“I still eat All-Bran. It’s not chocolate pudding but it does keep me regular,” Brooks says. “If you eat too much of it keeps you too regular.”

The man who once said, “We have much to do, and less time to do it in,” keeps active by writing.

“You have to keep busy,” he says. “If not, you might take a nap for 30 years.” He takes special joy in his grandchildren and he is quick to say how his 4-year-old grandson has mastered “Swanee River.” “He gets down on one knee and everything. He also sings ‘Shine On Harvest Moon.’ Can you imagine? You’ve got to be 75 to know that song. I’m really proud of him. I’m proud of all my kids, too.”

When and where

What: “Young Frankenstein”

When: Tuesday through Dec. 13

Where: Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., Chicago

Tickets: $30 to $95

Reservations: 800-745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com

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