Young Frankenstein's Real Mad Scientist

Meet Sam Ellis, Broadway’s esteemed “technical wizard”, who is in charge of all the myriad effects in Young Frankenstein, which is rumored to have cost between $16 million and $20 million – about twice the price of the average Broadway musical. A big part of that budget was poured into making the adaptation “more zowie!” than the movie. According to a profile in Christian Science Monitor, some of Ellis’s responsibilities include overseeing:

A Tesla coil that emits 3 million volts of electricity in the form of spiraling red light, exploding sparks parks and neon lights that flash like a circus arcade.
A 24-foot-tall puppet that assembles itself from huge fiberglass body parts.
400 lights.
12 different set locations.
18 pieces of scenery that fly on and off stage.
Props such as automated trees that zip in and out on a motorized chassis.
12 stories of steps, fog machines and lightning bolts.

And that’s not even the entire job description, which Ellis says makes "me feel like I'm juggling croquet balls which hurt when they hit you in the head.” That’s understandable, especially considering a mishap he endured during another unnamed production, in which stagehands bobbled a 2,000-pound fish tank they were moving off stage. It shattered, causing “a mini-tidal wave and flooding the sound system.” Though considering yesterday's deliciously derisive Times's pan – headlined "Who Put the Trance in Transylvania?" – an accident like that might give the show a desperately needed jolt of surprise.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in Arts and Events on November 10, 2007 8:50 AM

Comments [rss]

BongoBoy

Even though the critics panned the show, its one of the only shows working Saturday due to the stagehands' union strike. The YF stagehands control the Tesla coils as well as all the other special stage effects ... it's why they are the best in the business.

That's puttin' on the Ritz!

Go IA!

Leon Freilich

NO TIME FOR FRANKENSTEIN

It's taken years but finally

The thing is ready to drop.

Young Frankenstein: the Musical

Is here--the sure-fire flop.

matty

it's a tesla coil. as referenced by commenter #1. and 6. and now commenter 7.

jbsibley

There is no such thing as a Tessler coil. Being a common misspelling does not make it correct.

angry_pickle

Many people are involved who never get the credit and respect the deserve so when it's time to put the foot down

I agree. In so many societies, people who actually do the work are given no credit; while the "visionary" talker/manager gain all the benefits and recognitions.

John Del Signore

Commenter 1: It is Tessler coil, which is how it is referred to in the CSM article. I googled it because it sounded wrong to me as well, but there is such an animal: http://www.dpchallenge.com/image.php?IMAGE_ID=42109

hchinaski

"Sam Ellis oversees the creation of smoke, fog, lightning, thunder, and 3 million volts of electricity." OVERSEES. Big difference.

That is from the Christian Science Paper that you linked to.

You think he makes those massive pieces fly in and out? You think he makes those pieces work so they don't kill someone? The workers do that, the stagehands. Not the producers who want to all the money for themselves, the workers in the shop and on the stage. Many people are involved who never get the credit and respect the deserve so when it's time to put the foot down, people wonder why. The working class is being crushed by giants and people just watch it happen.

hchinaski

He is responsible for ORDERING all these things. He is not RESPONSIBLE for installing these coils and making them work. There is a special team for that who have no connection to SE. He is not resposible for the 400 lights or the sets.....give credit where credit is do. The stagehands get the job done while other people make phone calls and point fingers.