Review: Frankenstein: Resurrection"
Like father, like daughter…like Frankenstein.
An Immersive Scene Los Angeles Theatre Review
In Frankenstein: Resurrection, we are a hundred years removed from the death of arguably the worst parent in the world, one Victor Frankenstein. But if you know even a page of Mary Shelley’s venerable masterpiece, on which this gothic musical extension of the tale draws its inspiration, death doesn’t necessarily have to mean the end of life.
In this entertaining, if a touch familiar, what-happens-next story, currently on stage at the gorgeous Nocturne Theatre in Glendale, the former shock doc receives a bolt of new life himself to become the next-gen creature; the old model is now a surprising protector and voice of empathy, all while a fresh family of apparently mad scientists is determined to make the whole reanimating corpses business work much better this time around.
What could possibly go wrong?
A century earlier, after having told his fantastic tale of creating a monster piece by piece and chasing it to the frozen north to Captain Walton aboard an iced-in ship stuck in the Arctic, Victor Frankenstein (Justin Meyer) is now free to die a literary icon, which hypothermia handles quite well. Now, as the show begins, we are in 1865, and all that remains of the man who played God is a perfectly preserved corpse lying like a popsicle in the snow, waiting to be found. But he’s not alone, for his Creature (Jay Michael Roberts), his man-made son, whom the bad doctor called “vermin” on a good day, watches over him, keeping the animals and trophy collectors away until his creator may be found.
It seems the work of creating lifeforms from scraps has been much emulated since Frankenstein’s death, and one notable acolyte, the Parisian Doctor Septimus Pretorious (Jonah Lees), soon locates Victor’s body. He has big and brainy plans for his discovery. The creature, always in shadow – not easy when you stand seven-feet-tall – has something to say about that, and Pretorious never makes it off the ice floe. His team, however, does, and ships Frankenstein’s body back to France, where Pretorious had been practicing his own life-creating experiments. Now, it’s Pretorious’ brilliant daughter, Seraphina (Kayla Fast), who has taken up the call and promptly removes Victor’s brain to place into an almost-finished creature that her father left behind. After song, sparks, and a well-played “It’s alive,” the perfect irony is achieved - Dr. Frankenstein has himself become the creature who took over his name.
Meanwhile, with family dynamics at play, Seraphina’s younger sister, Elsa (Jett LaFever), who’s had recurring visions of her mother Mary’s (Jennifer Karraz) suicide, is now about to be shipped off to America by her boorish fiancé, Emile Deschamps (Brayden Hade). She also has a growing problem and a sudden fascination with the new creature wandering around downstairs in her sister’s laboratory. The creature of few words first seems melancholy until he gets his bearings and becomes convinced that Elsa is the reincarnation of his long-departed wife Elizabeth (Kylie Grogen). A certain seven-foot original protector is still lurking nearby, taking it all in while keeping a furtive distance away, unless being kind to a few needy residents of Paris.
But the city is about to experience an even bigger power surge. Before the tale is finished, lives will be taken, the nine circles of hell will be visited, metaphorically, loyalties will be revealed and the name Victor Frankenstein will once again be recognized as the one who started and perhaps will finish it all. The real monster will rise.
In Frankenstein: Resurrection, writer and director Justin Meyer has imagined an eerily-perfect central setting for his gothic musical – the infamous Paris Morgue, an actual place that existed in the 19th Century and became a major entertainment for Parisians and visitors alike who apparently just couldn’t get enough of staring at a never-ending supply of dead bodies that were propped up and displayed behind windows for all to gawk at.
The book of Meyer’s musical is intriguing; it imagines what would happen if Victor Frankenstein himself was reanimated — not the creator this time, but the creation. It’s a clever twist. Would the man-turned-monster now finally realize the absurdity of playing God, or would he instead become the manifestation of the monster he already was, but now with new strength and a fresh operating table to continue his nefarious work?
Meyer places Victor exactly where he needs to be to get a taste of his own medicine — in the hands of another creator, one with more compassion than he could ever muster for his own creation. Meanwhile, a love story seems to be sparking up as well. When Elsa’s to-be-wed questions her about her health and suggests she should see a doctor, she responds, “Perhaps I should.” It’s more a reflection of her growing connection with the reborn Victor than about her well-being. What will happen when obsession and horror combine?
What happens for the audience is an enjoyable time at the theatre with a fresh take on the Frankenstein legacy, blending Hammeresque horror, gothic vibes, a few gloriously gory special effects, and plenty of song and dance. The story may feel reminiscent for those who saw last year’s wife-reincarnated theme from in Dracula, but the lore of long-lost love returning again never really gets old. The show favors the romance over the horror and also slips in a strong message about standing on your own through Elsa. A heartfelt highlight comes in Act Two with a flashback where we witness an early glimpse of the sisters’ loyal bond that still holds loyal years later, followed by a touching father/daughter tableau that explains the true reason the Pretoriouses are trying to create life from death.
Overall it all works well, but if the story has one wrinkle, it’s an overabundance of heroes. It seems like there are a lot of heroes here doing a lot of saving, usually of Elsa, and without just one saving protagonist it’s a little challenging to figure who’s in charge of things. Of course, in the end, Elsa can only really be her own hero of her destiny. The one benefit of having multiple heroes, however, is that you’ll easily have someone, or two, or more, to root for.
The score, created by composer Chris Thomas - with additional lyrics by Meyer - is pleasant to the ear and leans to the rock opera-meets-classic musical theatre variety; you’ll hear soaring and melodramatic pieces and melodies that are evocative of gothic musicals like Phantom which, are sung well by the versatile cast – particularly in the Act One finale, “A Ghost Without A Grave,” which soars on Meyer’s rich baritone voice as Frankenstein. “The Worms Crawl In,” a deliciously and darkly-funny duet sung by the sisters, sounds like a theme-song for a Tim Burton film and was a real crowd pleaser as well. The empowerment solo-turned-trio, “What’s Best For Me,” is a powerful dig-your-heels in ballad that offers a real moment for LaFever as Elsa to shine.
While the pre-recorded music that’s crooned live does the score justice and certainly fills the room, we did somewhat miss the presence of a live band to play those creations, as was evidenced so well in last season’s Dracula. There’s nothing that can replace a live orchestra, or even a smaller ensemble, for every night the delivery is unique and notes hang in the air in ways that simply cannot happen with canned music. But the score here is big, broad and likely would have required a large orchestra to convey the scope this show goes for, not to mention, where would you put them?
The cast of thirteen, easily playing three times as many roles, does yeoman’s work overall. Standouts on opening night were LaFever as Elsa, with a heart-breaking performance and a riveting singing voice, along with a textured and fine portrayal by Fast as Seraphina, especially when she relishes the fact that she’s actually created life. Meyer plays his Victor quietly and saves his big moments for his musical numbers, and the balance works nicely. As the original creature, Roberts breaks through his creature suit with quality work that is both thoughtful and formidable as is called for. We would have welcomed seeing even more of him, especially musically. The talented ensemble is an especially busy group, some playing up to up to six roles in acting, singing and dancing, the last of which is a visual treat thanks to Melissa Meyer’s inventive choreography choices
Scenic Designer Jay Michael Roberts uses pretty much every inch of the Nocturne’s theatre-in-the-round design to capture the Arctic, the morgue, the lab, a drawing room, and the streets of Paris, with platforms, rollaways, and with the hard-working cast assisting in the movement of many mobile apparatuses. It all works overall, although things start to feel a bit sluggish by the second or third time the parlor furniture is slogged back to the stage, then off again. Risers and stairs add helpful elevated playing spaces, but one more small permanent set would help much here — if only there were room for it without losing seats. A really nice and macabre touch is Roberts’ eerie use of bodies (don’t worry, not real ones) displayed around the walls of the theatre, a reflection of what the actual La Morgue De Paris must have felt like.
Costumes, and, even more-so, creature creations by Tanya Cyr are, again, stellar. Whether creating a hoop skirt that rivals the green of Ireland or an internally glowing creature suit, the work is a show in itself. The body-suit musculature, hand-crafted for the original creature, is a highlight. Sound and lighting, by Justin Meyer and Matt Merline, respectively, were on point on opening night, and if you see enough shows you already know that’s oftentimes a rare victory at premieres.
You’re always going to get a professional and polished Broadway-level production on the Nocturne’s mainstage, and this one is no different. We especially recognize the company’s guts in consistently creating new works, which Meyer2Meyer do with more regularity than any other large venue in the Los Angeles region. Supporting a new piece like Frankenstein: Resurrection means we’re likely to see that creative and needed trend continue.
Nocturne Theatre
324 North Orange Street
Glendale, CA
Now thru November 1, 2026
Tickets: $27.50-$73.50
Afternote: Although I didn’t mention it in my last review of a Meyer2Meyer production, each show I’ve seen there is kicked off with what might be the most hilarious warm-up puppet you’ll ever encounter. Well, okay, the only warm-up puppet you’ll ever see. The furry creature behind the tech window is there to riff through the house rules that come with most shows, but the way he does it is brilliantly funny, putting the audience in just the right mood for the bigger show to come. Well done to whoever you are, though I think I’ve almost figured it out.
