Mel Brooks & Thomas Meehan

'Producers' pair bring 'Frankenstein' to Broadway

By ZACHARY PINCUS-ROTH

Though their legendary collaboration "The Producers" -- the phenomenon that won 12 Tonys -- closed in April, Brooks and Meehan have now co-written the book to arguably the most highly anticipated show of the Broadway season, "Young Frankenstein," based on Brooks' film.

The in-demand Meehan also has a potential sleeper hit in "Cry-Baby," based on the John Waters movie, which opened at the La Jolla Playhouse this month and will arrive on Broadway in the spring. Meehan co-wrote the book with Mark O'Donnell, who was also his co-book writer on "Hairspray," another Waters adaptation that this year had a second life -- or, actually, third life -- as a successful movie musical.

Point of view

"I'm calmer, quieter," Meehan says, comparing himself to Brooks. "He's more wildly extroverted. We are an odd couple. ... What he does with me is (say), 'I've got a great idea. What do you think?' And I'll say, 'It stinks.' I can tell him no."

On bouncing between two Broadway musicals rehearsing at the same time -- "Young Frankenstein" and "Cry-Baby" -- Meehan adds, "Going back and forth, it's like having a wife and a mistress."

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