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The first time I saw the show was during its early previews, I recall that I was already then impressed by the show, humming the beautiful music as I walked home with a smile on my face. I then returned some nights before the show’s opening, to see what changes they had made and because I had been so impressed by it the first time. I was not disappointed. With a new ending, some minor and some rather major changes, the show is nothing less than a gem. The last time I saw the show was only a few nights ago, Monday night to be precise, I took someone with me this time instead of going on my own as I had before. I remember sitting there in the theatre, the expectation and the adrenaline mixing with the excitement of seeing this beautiful piece of musical theatre. I have seldom loved a show like I love this one. The cast consists of very talented men and women, people who you can feel put their hearts into what they do on that stage. You are drawn into it too; you feel their pain, their joy and their love. What makes this show so special? Frankenstein creates something that we seldom see on the modern stage, a piece of honest story telling where you are the one to judge the characters, there is no bad-guy/good-guy in this musical, here there is only a very thin line between right and wrong, sometimes, there is no line at all. This is not mindless entertainment but what I have missed in modern theatre for many years. You are forced to think, you are not given a firm statement as of what to believe and who to like and who to dislike. You are forced to use YOUR imagination instead of relying on other people’s thoughts.
This is why the story of Frankenstein has been so successful throughout the years, it is a serious story, it’s a tragic tale, it is honest and even a bit frightening. It makes you think. In this musical, every character has good sides and bad sides, their choices is what moves me and many others, that despite the past they can and do make choices proving them to be as real as you and I. The magnificent cast (featuring Hunter Foster; Steve Blanchard; Christiane Noll; M. Bruno; J. Stanek; S. Erlenborn and others) delivers not only beautiful voices and great acting, they also bring honesty to the characters, this does not only concern the three major characters but also the minor ones. They do not make excuses for who their character is, they show us who they are and in doing so create a character that is believable. Frankenstein has music that will haunt your mind after you leave the theatre and you will not be sorry about that. Critics have said that the music is of the same kind as that of Les Misérables, Jekyll and Hyde and so on. What I then wonder is why they present it as something negative. Many people adore the music from those musicals, for a new musical to be put in the same category as these shows can hardly be anything less than a compliment, we are after all talking about musicals that are considered to be among the best by a number of people. The critics’ favourite thing to criticize has been that the show is too serious. May I remind you all that there is a parody based on a movie that is based on the Frankenstein novel playing a few blocks away. We already have a comedy about Frankenstein and his creation/monster/creature, we don’t need another Frankenstein comedy. I do however believe that there is room for two Frankenstein musicals in NYC. They both deserve a good audience and a good run, I hope they get it. Ida Mörk | 
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