The Hindu News Update Service

New York, Sept. 11 (AP): It was a sight you do not see too often in this age of telephone and Internet sales: a line at a Broadway theater box office.

By midmorning Monday, an estimated 150-200 people were waiting patiently to purchase tickets for ``Young Frankenstein,'' the Mel Brooks musical.

``How could it (the show) not be great?'' asked Beth Ratzer, who joined the queue after the box office opened at 10 a.m., ``although the ticket price is rude.''

Ratzer, a resident of Queens, was referring to the $450 (euro326) ``premier'' price for certain prime seats for the show, which begins preview performances Oct. 11 and opens Nov. 8.

But what had lured Ratzer was an ad promising the sale of a limited number of good ``center section'' seats for $120 (euro87) each _ plus the $1.50 (euro1.09) theater restoration charge.

Ticket buyers were limited to eight tickets. And some were there to sign up for a $25-(euro18) -ticket lottery (for front-row seats), to be held later Monday, for most of the show's first two weeks of performances. Thereafter, the lottery (not available for Saturday evening performances) will be held on the day of performance.

``Young Frankenstein,'' based on Brooks' 1974 film comedy, stars Roger Bart as the title character. Also in the cast are Megan Mullally (of TV's ``Will & Grace'') playing Elizabeth (the Madeline Kahn role in the film), Andrea Martin as Frau Blucher, Sutton Foster as Inga, Fred Applegate as Kemp, Christopher Fitzgerald as Igor and Shuler Hensley as the monster.

The producers of ``Young Frankenstein,'' Robert F.X. Sillerman and Brooks himself, have been reticent about revealing its box-office grosses. Last week, Sillerman said the musical would not publicly report its weekly Broadway grosses. It did not for the show's recently completed Seattle tryout.

Entertainment