The overture of The Addams Family: A New Musical Comedy, now on tour at TPAC's Jackson Hall through Sunday, January 8, begins with an instrumental version of the all-to-familiar theme from the popular mid-sixties TV series. That initial nod to the most famous in a long line of incarnations of America's first goth family assures the audience they're in for a night of musical theatre that's expectedly creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky.
In researching the show, in preparation for writing this review, I learned that one condition of the Tee and Charles Addams Foundation, which oversees the rights to the characters created by cartoonist Charles Addams when they first appeared in single panel cartoons within the pages of The New Yorker back in the mid-1930s, was that the story of the stage show not be based on previous plots from the 1964-1966 TV series, subsequent animated adaptations, TV specials or the more recent string of big-screen movie and direct-to-dvd releases.
The plot, which largely centers around a now-grown Wednesday Addams offering up full disclosure in regard to her pending nuptials with a somewhat normal boy, may be new, but the look and feel of the characters, sets and tone of the show is pure Addams through and through.
Rather than playing Gomez Addams as an American playboy, a la John Astin, who created the role in 60s series, Tony-nominated Douglas Sills (The Scarlet Pimpernel) plays the debonaire head of the Addams clan as a bit of a stereotypical machismo-filled eccentric of spanish descent, very reminiscent of the late Raul Julia, who starred as Gomez in 1991's big screen version and it's 1993 sequel. Broadway diva Sara Gettelfinger channels equal parts sweetly sinister Carolyn Jones (Astin's 1960's co-star) and provocative seductress Angelica Huston (Julia's big-screen co-star) as Gomez's 'cara mia', Morticia.
Sills, like the character he plays, takes charge of the family and the musical with each of his three featured numbers, Trapped, Happy/Sad and Let's Live Before We Die, a duet with Gettelfinger. Of the three, Happy/Sad, a sweet bit of musical advice to love-lorn daughter, Wednesday, is by far the most memorable.
Unfortunately for Gettelfinger, Morticia, as written for the musical, is, for the most part, a big stiff--literally in one of the show's many tongue-in-cheek musical numbers. Stiff, that is, until she is featured at the top of Act 2. During Just Around the Corner, a song, not surprisingly for an Addams, that reminds us all that death is just around the corner, or is that coroner?, Gettelfinger shows off her musical theatre triple threat of song, dance and spot-on comedic timing. Toward the end of Act 2, Morticia is full of life alongside Sills' Gomez in two fantastic numbers, Let's Live Before We Die and the seductive Tango de Amor.
During the dialogue preceding Let's Live Before We Die, Sills got a bit tickled and struggled for a brief moment to deliver his lines without giggling. The audience realized what was going on and got a good laugh out of the fact that even and Addams is human.
The two elder Addams', quirky Uncle Fester (Blake Hammond) and witchy Grandma (Pippa Pearthree), as well as the family's trusty monstrous monotone manservant, Lurch (Tom Corbeil) are perfectly cast. Each of these supporting roles gets their time in the spotlight, much to the audience's delight.
While Hammond's Fester steals every scene he's in, he's given full permission during Act 2's The Moon and Me. Being the Lucille Ball fan that I am, I couldn't help but think of Bea Arthur as second banana Vera Charles to Lucy's Mame, as Fester laments his lunar love.
Pearthree's Grandma may not get her own solo, but she does get the honor, or is that dishonor?, of being the first time I recall ever hearing anyone drop the S-bomb in a musical. Grandma, or Grandmama as she was called in the TV series, was never this hip, cool or stoned out of her gourd, and the bit about just who's grandma she is, is hilarious.
Usually relegated to Frankensteinian singular syllabic grunts, even Lurch gets a few well-deserved laughs. When guests first arrive at the Addams mansion, Lurch attempts to carry on a conversation, which sounds much like one of Charlie Brown's teachers. Near the end of Act 1, Lurch gets a handful of laughs thanks to a well-lubricated dinner guest--you'll just have to see it, as even I'm not giving away that one. Corbeil, a trained opera singer, also gets a chance to show off his true talents near the end of the show when the somber servant turns unexpected song and dance man.
The there's the two Addam's children, Wednesday and Pugsley. Cortney Wolfson as Wednesday offers just the right mix of emo chick-turned love-struck young woman while Patrck D. Kennedy, as Pugsley, devises a plot-changing scheme, all in the name of sibling revenge.
In addition to his ill-fated retaliation to Wednesday's newly announced relationship with a boy, Kennedy's Pugsley gets his chance to belt out a great solo during Act 1's What If. He may be the youngest member of the Addams' clan, and this may be his first national tour, but this kid's got quite the set of pipes. In addition to his scenes with his tortured and torturing older sister--totally relatable to those of us who are the baby of the family--Kennedy also shares some great scenes with his elder Addams', most notably a few laughs with his pot-smoking Grandma and a sweet, for The Addams', moment with mom, Morticia.
Now sporting a short bobbed haircut instead of Wednesday's trademark braids, and even taking fashion risks like donning a yellow dress when her boyfriend and his family come to visit, Wednesday is the character most changed from previous adaptations. Most, but not completely. Wolfson's Act 1 solo, Pulled, which the talented actress performed at TPAC last year as part of their 2011-2012 season announcement party, perfectly explains Wednesday's predicament of being pulled in a new direction by her unexplained feelings of love for her boyfriend. While her emotions are being pulled, Wednesday is seen literally pulling younger brother Pugsley in more than one direction, by way of a medieval torture device. Wolfson is a devilish delight, in true Addams form. She's got Morticia's looks, Gomez's romanticism and equal parts of Grandma and Fester's quirkiness. As portrayed by Wolfson, and brought to melodic life by way of her pitch-perfect vocals, Wednesday has a beautifully timid demeanor that blossoms by play's end. Oh, and in case you're wondering what happened to Wednesday's braids, the number explaining the new hairdo, like the hair itself, has been cut from the show since it's original 2010 Broadway debut.
Fans of former Addams' tales will be happy to know the show is full of references to other decidedly Addams elements, including clever cameos by the family's right-hand man, er, um, uh, assistant, Thing and even hairy, harried and always in a hurry, Cousin It.
In the role of Wednesday's new-found love, Lucas Beineke is Brian Justin Crum. Crum's piercing blue eyes and teen heart-throb good looks and caring demeanor are the perfect balance to Wolfson's brooding, braidless, bewitching Wednesday.
Former Tony nominees Martin Vidnovic and Crista Moore play Lucas' pent-up parents, Mal and Alice..get it...Malice...the show is full of such subtle darkly humorous references.
From his first encounter with Lurch, you can tell Mal's too-tight collar is longing to be loosened. During opening night in Nashville, Alice was brilliantly played by understudy, Victoria Huston-Elem. During Act 1's final number, Full Disclosure, and her solo Waiting, Huston-Elem wowed the audience with her uninhibited transformation from frustrated frau to vivacious vixen. I thoroughly enjoyed Huston-Elem's Alice, but have to admit, if she's this outstanding in the role, how good must Moore be?
With just enough familiar elements from The Addams Family series, movies, cartoons, et al, and the addition of new characters, a whole lot of macabre, twisted fun and some wonderfully whacky musical numbers--although none as memorable as the original 60s TV theme--The Addams Family Musical may not be your typical night of family-friendly musical theatre, but it's sure to scare up plenty of laughs and a new appreciation for your own dysfunctional descendants.
The Addams Family: A New Musical Comedy National Tour continues its Nashville performances at TPAC's Jackson Hall now thru Sunday with evening performances Wednesday and Thursday, January 4 & 5 at 7:30pm, Friday & Saturday evening performances at 8pm, a Saturday matinee at 2pm, and Sunday performances at 1pm and 6:30pm. For tickets or more information, CLICK HERE.
Be sure and sign up for email reminders when I've posted a new article, by clicking the "Subscribe to get instant updates" link located just below the headline in the above article. Check out ALL of my National Columns, as well as my Nashville-based Celebrity News Column via the links below:
CLICK HERE for my National Turner Classic Movies Column
CLICK HERE for my National CMT Column
CLICK HERE for my National Daytime TV Column
Comments