“The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein,” presented in its local premiere at the Schuster Center by the Victoria Theatre Association’s Good Samaritan and Miami Valley Hospitals Broadway Series, lacks the comedic ingenuity and melodic strength of Brooks’ historic, lucrative 2001 adaptation of “The Producers,” but it’s still a highly entertaining, impressively designed show that remains faithful to the classic 1974 film.

Adapted in 2007 by Brooks and Thomas Meehan based on Brooks’ Oscar-nominated screenplay co-written by Gene Wilder, “Young Frankenstein” tells the funny if slight story of New York brain surgeon Frederick Frankenstein (pronounced “Fronkensteen”) who travels to spooky Transylvania to claim his inheritance. Along the way, with able support from his trusty sidekick Igor, sexy assistant Inga and his legendary grandfather’s ex-lover Frau Blucher, Frederick heeds his ancestors’ advice and creates a monster. Naturally, his monstrous handiwork wreaks havoc across the countryside, eventually kidnapping and falling in love with Frederick’s glamorous fiancée Elizabeth.

The nostalgic appeal that stems from being reunited with the film’s clever jokes and sight gags (such as the gigantic door knockers, revolving bookcase and horse whinnies at the sheer utterance of Blucher’s name) is a huge plus because Brooks and Meehan have difficulty expanding and sustaining the plot’s momentum over two and a half hours. They particularly opted not to spoof musical theater conventions a la “The Producers” or provide a deeper backstory for the characters. In fact, there really isn’t anything fresh that revitalizes this tale besides its original songs, solely composed by Brooks, which are merely serviceable rather than sensational. In turn, as in the film, the finest moment belongs to Irving Berlin’s “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” brilliantly conceived by director/choreographer Susan Stroman and sharply recreated by choreographer James Gray. The imaginatively show-stopping number, worth the price of admission and just as good here as it was on Broadway thanks to a razzle dazzle ensemble, nearly rivals Stroman’s exuberant staging of “Springtime for Hitler” from “The Producers.”

Director Jeff Whiting, working with Stroman’s fantastic original design team consisting of scenic artist Robin Wagner, costumer William Ivey Long, lighting designer Peter Kaczorowski and sound designer Jonathan Deans, dutifully recreates her witty, vaudevillian vision and coaxes first-rate performances across the board. A.J. Holmes is a perfectly high strung Frederick with an appropriately astute Gene Wilder sensibility. The scene-stealing Christopher Timson portrays Igor with terrifically impish enthusiasm. The lovely Elizabeth Pawlowski is an adorably sweet Inga. Pat Sibley, an effortless comedienne with great timing, is a delightfully authentic Frau Blucher. The imposing Rory Donovan effectively juggles the Monster’s humorous and threatening characteristics. Lexie Dorsett, suitably swanky and divalicious as Elizabeth, hilariously emphasizes the innuendo within “Deep Love.” Britt Hancock shines in the dual roles of Inspector Kemp and the Hermit. As Victor, Frederick’s grandfather, Wright State University alumnus Jerome Doerger notably leads the jubilant “Join the Family Business.”

“Young Frankenstein” isn’t on par with “The Producers,” but it’s a naughty roll in the hay intended to tickle your funny bone as only Brooks can.

The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein continues through Oct. 9 at the Schuster Center, Second and Main Streets. Performances are Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Act One: 75 minutes; Act Two: 55 minutes. Tickets are $37-$92. For tickets or more information, call Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630 or visit www.ticketcenterstage.com

Wright State University opens its 37th season with an emotionally compelling production of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman,” the 1949 Pulitzer Prize-winning tragedy about the downward spiral of a hapless breadwinner and his hopelessly dysfunctional family.

Guest artist Scott Stoney of the Human Race Theatre Company – who co-directed and appeared in the fantastic WSU/Human Race regional premiere of “August: Osage County” last season – simply delivers one of his most electrifying performances as the iconic Willy Loman, the terribly flawed patriarch wallowing in the depths of despair whose specific inability to salvage the past and reshape his murky future fuels the gripping potency within this three-hour memory play. From the moment Stoney sluggishly steps into the spotlight with two suitcases and an exasperated weariness in his eyes, Willy’s incredibly multifaceted persona captivates with aplomb. Without resorting to histrionics or detrimentally appearing larger-than-life, Stoney consistently produces visceral shockwaves as Willy’s prickly stubbornness, volatile uproars and heartbreaking regret palpably connect without letting go. However, it’s not just the flashy, intense scenes that are impactful. Late in Act Two, in a sublime, tear-jerking moment conceived by Greg Hellems in his impressive straight play directorial debut, Stoney gently reciprocates a loving embrace that speaks volumes in advance of Willy’s subsequent epiphany. It is a touching hallmark of this production and an image you’ll never forget.

Equally superb guest artist Lee Merrill, a WSU musical theater professor with extensive opera and musical theater credits across the country, marvelously epitomizes the devoted selflessness of Linda Loman, the good housewife willing to stand by her man and embrace his shortcomings even when she’s rudely berated. In Act One, Merrill splendidly heightens the meaningfully profound dialogue encompassing Linda’s legendary assertion that “attention must be paid.” Toward the conclusion, she wonderfully sheds Linda’s coy demeanor with thrilling rage and is completely devastating in the gut-wrenching final minutes that still packs a wallop after all these years.

Stoney and Merrill are winningly and respectively supported by Patrick Ross and Zach Schute as Biff and Happy Loman. Ross, utterly convincing as a star high school athlete ruined by his own immaturity and the earth-shattering horror of his father’s infidelity, dynamically conveys Biff’s fiery temperament and soul-searching insecurity. Schute is an amiable fit as the philandering Happy, who assumes the role of mediator during frequent family arguments that erupt here with strikingly combative, fist-pounding fury.

Hellems’ firm cast, clothed in Mary Beth McLaughlin’s fine period costumes, also includes Mathys Herbert (sharp and endearing as Biff’s childhood friend Bernard), Jenyth Rosati (effectively seductive and aggravating as The Woman), Jason Collins (first-rate as Charley, Bernard’s father and Willy’s financial saving grace), Andrew Quiett, Tyler Edwards, Tess Talbot, Justin King, Chelsey Cavender, Lauren Bernstein and Ben Street. Scenic designer Don David’s angled concept and Nicholas Crumbley’s moody lighting are atmospherically ideal.

Powerfully relevant in the midst of our current economic crisis, WSU’s “Death of a Salesman” splendidly wounds with a brutal honesty that will leave you breathless.

Death of a Salesman continues through Oct. 2 in the Robert and Elaine Stein Auditorium of the Creative Arts Center at Wright State University, 3640 Col. Glenn Hwy., Fairborn. Performances are Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Act One: 70 minutes; Act Two: 83 minutes. Tickets are $17-$19. For tickets or more information, call (937) 775-2500.

The bizarre, hilarious and intriguing life of legendary eccentric soprano Florence Foster Jenkins, Manhattan’s most reliable musical laughingstock from 1912-1944, takes center stage in Stephen Temperly’s 2005 two-hander “Souvenir,” an unforgettable play with music receiving an outstanding local premiere courtesy of the Dayton Theatre Guild.

Subtitled “A Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins,” “Souvenir” inherently fascinates as it warmly if hurriedly chronicles the childlike naïveté, unyielding determination and non-existent talent of its extremely unique leading lady. Jenkins, a wealthy, musically inept socialite, firmly believed she was a remarkable vocalist even though she possessed an embarrassingly awful sound. Mistaking laughs for cheers, she assumed all was well as her popular charity recitals inside the Ritz Carlton ballroom left audiences baffled, delighted and hungry for more. Jenkins’ rise as a phenomenon ultimately led to her 1944 sellout concert at Carnegie Hall, which solidified her spot in the annals of pop culture and particularly left Marlene Dietrich in hysterics.

Personality and psychology factor into the allure of this intimate tale, but musicianship is the key ingredient that binds every element. Temperley smoothly frames the action in flashback from the vantage point of Jenkins’ devoted pianist Cosmé McMoon, a fledgling composer. Struggling to pay his rent, Cosmé agreed to assist and instruct, but remained perplexed and wary of his employer’s mystique. At one point, he admits Jenkins’ folly “was so stupendous you had to admire its scale.” Still, how far was too far? He eventually accepted the reality that she would never be the marvel imagined in her head, but delicate disagreements surfaced regarding their shared love of music. In fact, Cosmé believed notes were “absolute” while Jenkins felt they were merely “guideposts.” In theory, Cosmé is correct, but Jenkins’ view is valid, particularly by today’s debatable standards as pop singers such as Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion and Jennifer Hudson relish the overuse of melisma, a melodic embellishment in which a series of notes are sung on one syllable.

Under Saul Caplan’s humorous yet tender direction, Reneé Franck-Reed and Charles Larkowski wonderfully and affectionately deliver performances so instinctive you’d think Temperley wrote the play specifically for them. Appealingly costumed by Robin Farinet, Franck-Reed, who has notably appeared with the Dayton Opera, Human Race Theatre Company and Cincinnati’s New Stage Collective, brilliantly tackles the crucial believability of singing off-key with terrible pitch and no sense of rhythm. Hearing a fine soprano like Franck-Reed seamlessly destroy classics by Mozart and Verdi is a thrilling hoot. Still, the chatty charm, oddball delusion and striking innocence that kept Jenkins endearing as a consummate non-professional is not neglected in her marvelously grounded performance, which grows heartbreaking when Jenkins finally grasps the truth at Carnegie Hall. Larkowski, in a very engaging Guild debut, blends perfectly with Franck-Reed. In addition to providing terrific accompaniment and sincere narration, he sharply conveys Cosmé’s deep insecurities while fulfilling his pivotal role as Jenkins’ primary motivator, comforter and protector.

“To abuse my voice would be unthinkable,” Jenkins proudly declares in one of many witty exchanges. Thanks to a beautifully crafted finale that reveals the music inside her mind and the dynamic duo of Franck-Reed and Larkowski, it is certainly unthinkable for you to miss this absolutely captivating production.

Souvenir: A Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins will continue through Sept. 25 at the Dayton Theatre Guild, 430 Wayne Ave. Performances are Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 5 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Act One: 55 minutes; Act Two: 40 minutes. Tickets are $11-$18. For tickets or more information, call (937) 278-5993 or visit www.daytontheatreguild.org

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