Jan 7th, 2009 · The recession has hit Broadway hard: Nine shows, including Young Frankenstein, closed this week, and four more have posted notices. Jeff Lunden talks to a veteran producer and a young investor to see how bad the outlook is.
Oct 26th, 2008 · Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolf Man — boring. Two weeks ago, we asked our listeners to invent some new monsters for Halloween. To respond to this week's homework, call the hotline at 202-408-5183 or e-mail us at homework@npr.org.
May 24th, 2008 · Actor, director, producer and comedian Mel Brooks talks about his new Broadway musical Young Frankenstein, the movie and potential stage production of Blazing Saddles, and his long and successful career.
Nov 8th, 2007 · Mel Brooks has adapted his 1974 movie Young Frankenstein for the stage. It opens on Broadway on Thursday night. After the huge success of his musical The Producers, Brooks hopes to score big again.
Sep 9th, 2007 · In her debut novel, Mary Modern, author Camille DeAngelis offers a contemporary spin on the Frankenstein myth. Her main character is a genetic research scientist who, unable to have her own child, clones her grandmother. But the creation soon torments her creator.
Aug 13th, 2007 · Writers are often influenced by their surroundings -- but Indonesian volcanoes? Some researchers say that Mary Shelley's Frankenstein may have been inspired by the icy and dark summer of 1816, caused by the ashy eruption of Mount Tambora.
Jan 7th, 2007 · During the Cold War, science-fiction tales of alien invasion mirrored society's fear of Communism, and monsters from Frankenstein to Godzilla have tapped into our unease about the boundaries of science. But a new type of genre fiction has plots centering around business and economics. A book by T. C. Boyle takes the subject of identity theft and treats it like a horror story. Several other writers are also turning their attention to our preoccupation with finances and business, and finding fertile ground.
Sep 26th, 2006 · Wild things usually lurk in Maurice Sendak's books, and his newest, Mummy?, is no exception. In Sendak's first pop-up book, a little boy encounters Frankenstein, the Mummy and other monsters as he searches for his mother. The acclaimed author and artist talks about why he creates worlds of danger for his young characters.