Movies that morph: Can Fronkensteen come alive on stage?

Remember the show "Nick & Nora"? No, you probably don't.

"Young Frankenstein," the Mel Brooks film comedy making its debut as a stage musical this week at the Paramount (warming up for a Broadway opening later in the fall), is the latest in a long and ever-expanding tradition of movies transformed into live theater. Broadway, it seems, has caught the remake bug that's afflicted Hollywood for some time. While some of these retreads can cause the material to sparkle anew (such as Brooks' delightful stage remake of his movie "The Producers"), others have flopped quickly.

The 1974 movie, based on Mary Shelley's novel "Frankenstein" (so loosely that Shelley's surely rolling — or giggling — in her grave), already has its own armies of fans: Just say "It's pronounced Fronkensteen," or trill "Roll, roll, roll in ze hay" or hum "Oh, Sweet Mystery of Life ... " to see their eyes sparkle. It's a goofball romp, acted with hammy glee by a cast of great comedians, led by Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, Teri Garr and Madeline Kahn (who, in just a few eyebrows-to-the-ceiling scenes, steals the movie).

The makers of "Young Frankenstein" are hoping to ride the wave of the movie's popularity — and to find the success enjoyed by a number of recent movies-turned-musicals. Currently on Broadway are "Hairspray" (now supplemented by a snappy second movie), "Legally Blonde," "Xanadu" and "Spamalot" (based, goofily, on the movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"). Even documentaries are getting in on the act: "Grey Gardens," which closed July 27 on Broadway after a nine-month run, was based on an acclaimed 1975 nonfiction film by Albert and David Maysles.

In recent years, stage productions of "Sunset Boulevard," "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," "Footloose," and "The Full Monty," all based on popular movies, have enjoyed moderately long Broadway runs. But a movie's reputation is no guarantee of stage acclaim. Some of the biggest flops in recent Broadway history were based on movies — and very good movies at that. "Nick & Nora," based on the wonderful "Thin Man" movie series of the '30s and '40s, lasted precisely one week on Broadway in 1991. A musical based on "The Red Shoes," one of the great masterpieces of 20th-century filmmaking, closed after just a few days in 1993. And last December, a musical version of the likable John Cusack romantic comedy "High Fidelity" turned up on Broadway — and left, 10 days later.

Even for those that succeed, the movie's shadow hangs over the production — it's right there on the DVD shelf, so why go to the theater, particularly as ticket prices climb to the skies? David Spade, on television's "The Showbiz Show," recently cracked, " 'Legally Blonde' the musical opened on Broadway last weekend. It's a can't-miss for anyone who'd like to see the movie again for 200 bucks."

Aside from its name recognition, "Young Frankenstein" arrives on stage already comfortably on first base: Brooks has trod this ground before with "The Producers," which recently closed on Broadway after a well-attended six-year run. (The subsequent movie based on the stage musical, however, was a flop — the Brooks magic only extends so far.) "Frankenstein" reunites the "Producers" creative team, with Brooks writing book (with Thomas Meehan), music and lyrics; Susan Stroman directing and choreographing; and designers Robin Wagner (sets), William Ivey Long (costumes) and Peter Kaczorowski (lighting).

But while "Frankenstein" the movie shares a Brooksian zaniness and broader-than-a-barn-door comedy style with "The Producers," its translation to the stage seems potentially more problematic. "The Producers," with its "Springtime for Hitler" musical-within-the-movie, already seemed to follow the musical comedy map; you could almost see where the big numbers would fall. By contrast, "Young Frankenstein" seems less suited for opening-up. Filmed in stylized, shadowy black-and-white (in imitation of the early mad-scientist movies it's spoofing), its cast is small, mostly confined to a castle and well-versed in the kind of physical shtick that's hard to see from the second balcony.

Movies excel at bringing us close in; stage musicals succeed by making everything bigger. But will the characters of "Young Frankenstein" survive the stretch? How do you duplicate on stage, for example, Feldman's manic eye-rolling as the suspiciously hunchbacked assistant Igor? Is it sacrilege for anyone to attempt to duplicate the screwball sexiness (and gasping-for-breath German accent) of the young Garr? And will the immortal line "He vas my BOYFRIEND!," tossed out by a scenery-chewing Cloris Leachman as the grim housekeeper Frau Blücher (insert a horse whinny here), be as funny when it's turned into an entire song?

Maybe so; "Spamalot," not exactly a model of subtlety and restraint as a movie, works wonderfully when shouted (and sung) to the rafters. And "Young Frankenstein" has a strong fan base (particularly, I've noticed, among those who were teenage boys when the movie came out) who should be curious to see how it survives the translation.

Whether "Young Frankenstein" is a hit onstage or not, many more movies-turned-musicals are on the way: "Catch Me If You Can," "Desperately Seeking Susan," "Shrek" and "The Little Mermaid," among others, are in various stages of development. Like books turned movies, some will capture the flavor of the original and some won't. But it's comforting to know that, like the book, the movie's still there on the DVD shelf, always ready for a revisit. And by the way, that's Fronkensteen.

Moira Macdonald: 206-464-2725 or mmacdonald@seattletimes.com