 Brooks and Meehan (the same team that crafted "The Producers") began work on the project in April 2006.An October 2006 reading of the first draft of the script directed by Susan Stroman (who had directed the earlier musical) featured Brian d'Arcy James as Dr. Frankenstein, Kristin Chenoweth as Elizabeth, Sutton Foster as Inga, Roger Bart as Igor, Marc Kudisch as Inspector Kemp, and Shuler Hensley as the Monster.Cloris Leachman, reprising her film role as Frau Blucher, also attended the table read, and at the time it was widely reported she would be offered the role of Blucher for the stage show.