Yodelling Llama

Mel Brooks, seeing the cash cow that “The Producers” became, adapted “Young Frankenstein” as a stage musical. Seattle got dibs on the pre-Broadway run, which happened to coincide with D’s mother’s visit. So we’re going today.

The Seattle Rep has a thing for Edward Albee. When Deb and I went to see the Rep’s production of The Lady from Dubuque, the lobby was littered with advertising-as-art exhibits for past and future Rep productions of Albee plays. Four or five of them. Is there a Seattle-Albee connection I’m missing?

Dubuque is only the second Albee play I’ve seen in any form, and only the first I’ve seen staged. [I have seen, and loved, the Mike Nichols-directed film version of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.] While Dubuque is not exactly Albee’s most revered or famous work, I found it fantastic. There’s something about successfully drawing the humor out of death that affects and impresses me. Deb thought there too much shouting and anger to make the play an enjoyable experience. But I thought the anger invigorating. I also found the subtext satisfyingly obscured. Discovering who the titular character was (or at least postulating) using the clues (Oscar’s “thieves, murderers, relatives come to call, and house inspectors” speech was particularly helpful and delightful) presented an interesting couple of hours post-performance.

Lovely play, and highly recommended.