The Neshaminy High School (NHS) musical cast stunned the audiences with Mel Brooks’ hilarious hit musical “Young Frankenstein” in the Theodore E. Kloos Auditorium Feb. 13-16. 

“Young Frankenstein” takes the audience on the journey of Frederick Frankenstein (Quinn Goldberg and Cole Marozsan) as he attempts to fulfill his mad scientist grandfather’s wish of bringing a corpse back to life. 

Throughout the musical, Frederick meets Inga (Rebecca Gutierrez and McKenzie Johnston), his lab assistant, Igor (Max Von Euw and Jacob Rice), and Frau Blücher (Abby Kindness and Alaina Rigney), all of whom help him almost succeed in his tricky experiment. 

Although the experiment works, the subject is given an “abnormal” brain. Frederick and his partners are forced to handle the monster (Brandon Price and Josh Carter) in town and teach him to navigate his life. 

With the audience turnout and feedback, it is evident that both casts succeeded in their mission of sharing the story of “Young Frankenstein” and portraying the talent in NHS’s drama and music programs. 

The cast began their work and rehearsals in December. They learned choreography and memorized music and lines. In less than two months, they perfected their performances. 

Senior Cole Marozsan stood out as Frederick Frankenstein in the Thursday Night and Saturday Night cast. His vocals and stage presence were hard to ignore as he took charge of his most prominent role. 

When asked about being directly in the limelight, Moraszan mentioned that the process could, at times, be “draining under the stage lights for that amount of time,” but that it was overall “so much fun.” When talking about his castmates, he mentioned how they made the process “a lot more enjoyable.” 

Sophomore McKenzie Johnston, who played Inga Thursday and Saturday Night,  also mentioned the cast and show’s impact on her overall. 

“You create many close relationships, and it connects people,” Johnston explained. “Theater brings people together.”

With a challenging repertoire, lively tap dance numbers, and comedic acting, the amount of time and hard work from all cast and crew involved didn’t go unnoticed. 

When watching the show, it is clear how much the directors, Kristen Nichols and Gina Chiolan, have put into the production. Each piece was perfected, from minuscule props to set design. The transitions between scenes utilized TV screens, character interactions, and other techniques so the audience never lost interest. 

Junior Abby Kindness, Frau in the Thursday Night and Saturday Night cast, mentioned how much the directors have helped her throughout the process. Kindness expressed how amazing “just being able to work with [Mrs. Nichols and Ms. Chiolan]” was for her and how they “made [her] think about things in such a different way that [she] never would have thought of before.”

Senior Quinn Goldberg, who plays Frederick Frankenstein in the Friday Night, Saturday Matinee, and Sunday show, also mentioned the directors’ passion for the show. 

“We know how lucky we are to have both [Nichols and Chiolan],”  Goldberg stated. “They’re so good at what they do, and they are also so passionate about what they do that it allows [the cast] to be just as passionate.”

The show was comedic, with the audience laughing at its promiscuous shock factors and risqué humor. However, the most memorable part of the show was seeing how much fun the cast was having, embodying their roles. 

Senior Jacob Rice, Igor in the Friday night, Saturday Matinee, and Sunday show,  was a crowd favorite as his comedic relief character brought life to the stage. 

When speaking on the role, Rice stated that he was able to “have a blast with it.” 

Although audience feedback is important to the cast, the experience and journey from rehearsing to performing are the most important. Abby Kindness put it best when she explained that the show itself was “one of the best things that have ever happened to [her] in this school.”