UPDATE: Win tickets to ‘Young Frankenstein’
UPDATE: Lots of interest in this contest, with 75 combined entries online and print. Our winners are Janell Manfredi and Linda Olson. Look for a preview story about “Young Frankenstein” in the Tuesday Life section along with a sampling of reader comments from this contest.
ORIGINAL ENTRY: The Beehive is roaring this week when it comes to ticket giveaways. On Monday we let you know about a chance to win tickets to NOCO’s big launch party Thursday at Fulton 55. And this morning we’re starting our giveaway for opening-night tickets for the national tour of “Young Frankenstein” Feb. 14 at the Saroyan Theatre.
To win tickets for “Young Frankenstein,” leave a comment on this post telling us your favorite Mel Brooks title, either a film or live-theater version. What is it about Brooks that makes you laugh? Any funny memories of the first time you watched your personal Brooks favorite?
These are paper tickets, so you’ll need to be able to come down to The Bee’s front lobby by 5 p.m. Feb. 14 to pick them up.
Deadline to enter is 3 p.m. Friday.
I’ll notify the winner via e-mail — so please leave a real e-mail address and please check it. Duplicate entries are not allowed. I reserve the right to pick another winner if you haven’t responded to a notification email in a timely manner. You’re ineligible if you’ve won anything from the Beehive in the past 30 days. Full rules on the jump.
Only readers who submit a comment on this post or by mail as detailed in The Bee’s print edition are eligible. Two winners will be picked at random. Recipients will be notified by e-mail or phone at the end of each giveaway period. No substitutions or transfer of winners/prizes. Prizes are not redeemable for cash. Some prizes may have due dates for redemption/use. Employees and immediate family of The Fresno Bee, fresnobee.com and any/all of the participating giveaway sponsors, are not eligible to win. By accepting a giveaway, recipient consents to allow the use of his/her name and/or photograph for advertising or similar promotions without further compensation. Winner releases all sponsors of liability regarding use and enjoyment of the prizes. Tax liabilities and insurance, if any, are sole responsibility of the winner. No purchase necessary to win.
Responses to "UPDATE: Win tickets to ‘Young Frankenstein’"
The only Mel Brooks film that comes to mind is Spaceballs and it is hilarious. I can’t imagine what Young Frankinstein is like. I’d love to catch it.
Young Frankenstein is awesome! I’d l
My favorite would be The Producers (film) with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick! AH! It was amazeballs!
My favorite Mel Brooks work is hands down Young Frankenstein, film and show. I’ve seen the tour before and I think they really took the great parts of the hall of fame film and added some major musical theatre juice to it! I remember watching the movie as a little kid, and hearing the horses cry every time Frau Blucher would speak. And of course the famously quoted, “What hump?”
Even though Blazing Saddles, The Producers and even his small little cameo in The Little Rascals rank among some of his best works, I will always remember Young Frankenstein being my favorite Brooks work. His quick wit writing and memorable songs really transcend through all ages for his movies. Not only that, but all of his works, both film and stage have too many quotable lines to count. His genius shines through with every song and line the audience hears. Love Mel Brooks and I’m so excited Young Frankenstein is coming to the Saroyan to put on the ritz!
I never get tired of watching Young Frankenstein. It is hilarious. Positively done in good taste. Mel Brooks was brilliant when selecting the actors. One of my favorite parts was after the last operation of the monster, Madeline Kahn was short changed when Dr. Frankenstein received all the monsters attributes. Bummer! No more singing for Kahn.
I would love to see the performance Feb. 15th.
Thank you for reading.
Blazing Saddles is a favorite of mine! One of those movies a friend hounded me about watching over and over again, once I watched it I understood.
My first Mel Brooks movie I saw was Blazing Saddels and I laughed so hard, even though I was a bit young to get ALL of the jokes!! But my most favorite movie of all time is Spaceballs!! I watched it a 1,000 times growing up and now my two children watch it and it NEVER gets old!!! The way he puts jokes together with the acting is fabulous comedy by far!!!
‘scuse me while i whip this out…
My favorite is Blazing Saddles. Great film, great comedy, great social commentary and the fourth wall breaking climax can’t be beat. If I come across just about any Brooks film on TV I will stop flipping and put that on, I never tire of them.
Spaceballs is one of my favorites all though I enjoy them all thourghlly. Mel Brooks makes me laugh because of unpredictability of what joke is coming. He makes fun of everything and every scene is a joke with various subtle humor throughout! His movies never get old. Hope I win because I would love to see this performance of Young Frankenstein. “Abby something… Abby uh.. Normal”
one of my fav. is young Frankenstein
Hope I Win so i can see it!
My favorite “works” being Spaceballs the Movie…Funny!
Actually Young Frankenstein is my favorite!
The 1968 Producers with Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel. I think it is Mel Brooks’ directorial debut. Winning would be a great birthday present, Feb. 14.
Blazing Saddles has to be my ultimate favorite!
Producers… If you got it, flaunt it!
Hah! I was just watching Young Frankenstein the other night! It was my first, and favorite, Mel Brooks film. I was telling my husband that I was in high school when my drama teacher showed this in class. I remember him fondly and thought he was pretty amazing back then. Now, …….years later I realize what a gem he really was!
I’ve made it my mission to own all of them on dvd (this was before they released the handy-dandy collection). I have all but “The Twelve Chairs.” My first experience was watching “Young Frankenstein” with my Dad when I was in Elementary School. I just remember the Puttin’ on the Ritz musical number cracked me up. “Blazing Saddles” remains my favorite, though. “Well my name is Jim… but most people just call me…Jim.”
Spaceballs is the funniest Mel Brooks piece without question. I actually saw the movie before I ever saw Star Wars, and I still thought it was hilarious! Since, I have enjoyed Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Classic comedy.
The Producers (the musical version). So funny!
My husband and I are big Brooks fans. He loves Blazing Saddles, but I actually really like High Anxiety. I get the song stuck in my head when I’m stressed and it makes me laugh. My favorite thing about Mel Brooks is that he can get away with anything. He makes serious things really funny. “Springtime for Hitler and Germany”? I mean, wow, the way his mind works is just genious.
History of the World Part 1!!! That movie is hilarious because Mel Brooks is a comic genius!
I remember watching Young Frankenstein with my Dad when I was young and never seen him laugh so much. So every time I watch it, it brings back a lot of fond memories.
I would have to say I have 2 favorites… one is the Producers and the other is Young Frankenstein. The first time I saw YF, I was with my boyfriends family. He and his family love this movie and we all laughed until our cheeks hurt! Now we all quote the movie at random times and it always brings a smile to my face!
Young Frankenstein – all time greatest!
I don’t want to date myself but I have been a Mel Brooks fan since my days living in Brooklyn and he was a writer for TV comedy shows, most notably Sid Ceasar’s Show of Shows and during his long-time partnership with another hilarious guy, Carl Reiner. Do you remember their routine on the 200o Year Old Man? That was my favorite. However, with each movie came a new favorite so now it’s hard to say what is my utmost favorite.
I guess if I had to pick, it would be for the 1968 version of the Producers with Zero Mostel.
Hope I win!
PICKING A FAVORITE BROOKS FILM OR PRODUCTION IS TOUGH. EACH HAVE THEIR OWN MERITS. THE ACTORS ALWAYS SEEMED TO BE AT THEIR ABSOLUTE BEST & MR. BROOKS IS A COMIC GENIUS. FROM HUMOR THAT YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT, TO HUMOR THAT SLAPS YOU IN THE FACE IT IS THERE AT ALL LEVELS….FROM THAT, BLAZING SADDLES, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD MOVIES, & BLAZING SADDLES…I SAID THAT TWICE…I LIKE BLAZING SADDLES!! THOSE WOULD BE MY FAVORITES. I TRULY HOPE “THE SCHWARTZ” IS WITH ME ENOUGH TO LET ME WIN THESE TICKETS, OTHERWISE I AM SURE SOME “HIGH ANXIETY” WILL BE IN THE NEAR FUTURE…
Young Frankenstein is our family’s favorite movie. Once to stay alert while driving in a midwest rain storm, together we recited the entire movie, lines, sound effects, music and all! Favorite scene, Gene Wilder singing “Puttin’ on the Ritz.” So happy this show is coming to Fresno!
I don’t want to date myself but I have been a Mel Brooks fan since my days living in Brooklyn and he was a writer for TV comedy shows, most notably Sid Caesar’s Show of Shows and during his long-time partnership with another hilarious guy, Carl Reiner. Do you remember their routine on the 2000 Year Old Man? That was my favorite. However, with each movie came a new favorite so now it’s hard to say what is my utmost favorite.
I guess if I had to pick, it would be for the 1968 version of the Producers with Zero Mostel.
Hope I win!
Mel Brooks has to go down as one of the most talented, hilarious writer/actors of all time. My sons and I are always quoting lines from this movie and still laugh over the horses that whinny at the front door of the castle–this combined with the incredible performances by Madeline Kahn and Gene Wilder still brings me so much laughter and enjoyment. I would be extremely excited and over the moon if I were able to see this performance here locally. It would be a sheer chance of a lifetime to be able to fill an evening with so much laughter along with friends I have had since kindergarden.
You have to remember that I’m only 26 so the first Mel Brooks film I saw was Men in Tights so it stuck as a favorite! Love all of his subtle, yet slapstick, comedy.
Young Frankenstein and the Producers are neck and neck for me.
Although I still quote lines from YF, so whatever that means.
Hump? What hump?
I first saw Young Frankenstein in the early 80′s when our high school chemistry teacher showed it in the auditorium ( a big deal for a PG movie at that time). A few years later it was the first movie we rented back when you had to rent the VCR and the movie.
I still bug my wife with lines like ‘Put, the candle…..back” and “walk this way” (Igor.) it still makes us laugh.
Great memories and a really funny movie to this day.
I grew up adoring Mel Brooks. Sure, 8 might not be an appropriate age to show a kid Blazing Saddles, but my dad played it anyways and one of my fondest memories of him is us watching it in a fit of giggles. My sister and I were obsessed with The Producers. I was the Bloom to her Bialystock. We would do the bit where Gene Wilder gets hysterical and gets slapped and water thrown on him over and over again, much to our parents’ dismay (we got water all over the carpet).
Now, older, I appreciate Brooks more than I realized: his art is wacky, but grounded. Zany, yet accessible. I’ve always considered committing your profession to the creation of laughter a noble choice. In that vein, Brooks is a hero and one of the most noble artists around. If our aim as artists and comedians is to bring a little light about, then Brooks positively shines.
“Life literally abounds with comedy, if you really look around you.”–Mel Brooks
My favorite Mel Brooks flick is Young Frankenstein. We saw it when it first came out at the old Manchester theater. There are so many funny scenes, lines,and sight gags. One of my favorites is when Igor goes to the brain depository to make an after hours withdrawal for the monster. The sign on the door instructs for after hour deposits to slip the brains thru the slot in the door.
There is a medical clinic near by that specializes in brain research, I can’t drive by without thinking of that scene and chuckling.
I’d say my favorite is “Dracula, Dead and Loving It”. I love the story of Dracula and this was the most amazing telling of it. Now that it and “Young Frankenstein” are on Netflix streaming I seriously watch one or the other every day!
I have been a fan of Mel Brooks since I was a little kid. from the “2000 year old Man” with Carl Reiner, thru his guest staring role on “Curb your Enthusiasm”
But, my absolute favorite movie of his is “Young Frankenstein”. Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, and Terri Garr.
I was kind of sad when I heard this play was coming to Fresno. I knew I couldn’t afford the tickets. If I had a chance to win tickets, wow, that sure would brighten my day. thanks for your consideration.
Nice knockers….
My favorite is ‘the producers’
One of my favorite memories of being at CSU Fresno (mid to late 70s) was the film nights. Once a month there was a film shown in the Student Union. This was back in the days before videos, before the internet, before netflix and hulu and all the ways that ensure we never have to wait longer than a few moments to relive every scene of every movie we’ve ever seen.
Each semester there would be one Mel Brooks movie shown, always to a packed house. We chanted every moment of Young Frankenstein, or Blazing Saddles, and if I say “walk this way” to my friends, they will still fall apart laughing.
And now we’ve all passed that tradition to a new generation of geeky kids who can chorus “Abby Somebody” with the best of them.
Young Frankenstein.
Young Frankenstein.
My first memory of Mel Brooks was not of one of his movies, but of a book of the movie Young Frankenstein. This was around 1974 or 1975. I was around nine years old and I found a copy of the book in the main branch of the Fresno Public Library in downtown Fresno. I sat down to read this book and to a nine year old boy this was the funniest thing I he had ever read. I could not keep myself from laughing out loud. This book was one of the reasons I fell in love with reading and for most things Mel Brooks. They don’t all have to be Dickens to be good. Just read. Taffeta darling.
Okay, so my husband is a Big-Time Mel Brooks humor fan. And our favorite is “Young Frankensteinâ€�…none other than one particular quote in that movie that has stuck with us for many years. You know how married couples who have been married for many years (we will be celebrating our 30th anniversary this year!) have their own little private jokes that a lot of people don’t get or appreciate (our daughters would roll their eyes whenever we would blurt this out). I can’t explain why we think this phrase is so funny…it just is! So here it goes (with a muffled voice) “PUT…ZE CANDLE…BACK!” So I would LOVE to surprise my hubby of 30 years on Valentine’s Day with tickets to the “Young Frankensteinâ€� musical…doesn’t that sound sooo romantic? giggle giggle
I loved Blazzing Saddles and Spaceballs!
I was introduced to the humor of Mel Brooks in the summer of 1974 at the UA Theatre! Three generations of my family and friends have viewed it over and over for almost 40 years on video,dvd and bluray. Young Frankenstein is a staple at the Shaffer household! Frau Blucher and the horses; Igor instead of Egor (Well they were wrong then weren’t they); “Walk this way”(Aerosmith). How many men have tryed to woo with “what knockers” only to be replied with “taffeta darling.” The list goes on and on so I guess I’ll just “put the candle back” and hope to see it once again on the big stage when the monster will be “Puttin on the Ritz!”
The PRODUCERS ….love the little old ladies in the walkers scene ….!
I really enjoyed Spaceballs as a kid. Only movie my mom went and saw with me where we both laughed hysterically. I would love to see the theater version of young frankenstein.
My favorite Mel Brooks film has to be Young Frankenstein. I love watching all the silly things that the actors say and do. Also, the songs are catchy and fun. One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when Igor makes his hilarious entrance on the train scene. Just the look on Gene Wilder’s face is just awesome. I wanna see this musical so bad.
Ugh, it’s such a hard decision between Young Frankenstein (“What knockers!!!” “Well, thank you, Doctor!”); Spaceballs (I’m a huge Star Wars nerd) and Men in Tights. Though probably Men in Tights wins the overall title for me: if nothing else, Patrick Stewart as King Richard… and the infamous sign of Rabbi Tuck advertising his “services” – NOW HALF OFF!
Young Frankenstein was my first Mel Brooks movie…hilarious!
Love The Producers and Mel Brooks humor!!!
Hitler on Ice-hysterical,legendary! I’ve enjoyed Brooks since Blazing Saddles, but History of the World, Part I is my fave!
Young Frankenstein is my favorite musical by Mel Brooks! I’ve seen The Producers but I find Young “Frankensteen” LOL so much more entertaining! My favorite musical numbers are The Transylvania Mania and Put on the Ritz!
The Producers is my favorite musical, and Young Frankenstein is my favorite movie……and I check my email all the time…..so, I would never miss an important email from you telling me I’m the winner!!
I haven’t got my wife anything for Valentine’s Day yet, so this would be perfect and cheap. Blazing Saddles, by the way.
Would very much enjoy and appreciate taking our granddaughter to see this production. I love it when things in Fresno start to feel as good as San Francisco or Los Angeles!
Would love to see this show I love the theater and Jeff Shaffer told me about this!
I was 12 years old when “Young Frankenstein” was released and to this day I believe it is the top comedy of all time. There are so many scenes that come to mind but one really stands out. Peter Boyle and Gene Wilder doing their dance number with Peter Boyle uttering “Gary Cooper” and “Super Dooper” just kills me and my Dad would laugh hysterically every time Peter Boyle would do that. Last year, my 80 year old Dad had a cardiac arrest which put him in a coma. On the 12th day he miraculously woke up and while in recovery one of the first things he said was “Super Dooper” just like Peter Boyle did in the movie. Unforgettable!!!
I love “The Producers.” Both the original and the musical are hilarious. It takes oodles talent to make a success out of the same story twice.
It’s Mel Freakin’ Brooks!!!! I dare anyone to watch Young Frankenstein and not laugh within the first 10 mins… That’s a challenge for ya. My favorite part HAS to be when they are transporting the covered body by wagon and the officer stops them… Gene Wilder should have gotten an Oscar for that scene alone!!!!
Brilliant!
My first Mel Brooks movie was Blazing Saddles. I loved the scence in which the sheriff is riding into town and the person on watch is trying to say that what race the sheriff is. I enoyed this film from start to finish and every silly foolish comment and innuendo. I so enjoyed this film that I have watched every film. I truly enjoy Mel Brooks characters in every film. great one liners like, “excuse me while i pull it out,”(Blazing Saddles) He’s Alive!(Young Frankenstein), my scharwtz is bigger than yours,” (Spaceballs) Count De Money, (Histroy of the World, Part III)