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A Glimpse Into A (Two Performance) Day In The Life of Zachary James
from Playbill.com, PHOTO EXCLUSIVE…
By Matthew Blank
24 Aug 2010
Zachary James, The Addams Family’s butler Lurch, armed with a digital camera, offers a glimpse into a (two performance) day in the life of a Broadway performer, from morning wake-up to final curtain.
Placing the cursor over a picture will pause it, and reveal the caption.
Thank you, Playbill.com, and Mr. James, for these great pics!
Drama Desk Coverage by Jimmy Merrill
Our special correspondent, Broadway journalist Jimmy Merrill, covers the 2010 Drama Desk Awards for NBC. Some great interviews! Look for Anne Hathaway, Viola Davis and Liev Schreiber. (Courtesy, NBC)
Jonas Brothers Visit The Addams Family
Nick and Kevin Jonas, along with little brother Frankie, visited another famous family this week – The Addams Family!
For more pics, visit broadway.com.
Nathan Lane on Vacation from The Addams Family
Nathan Lane will be on vacation from The Addams Family Musical next week, August 24 thru 29. We’d love to hear from anyone who’s seeing the show with Merwin Foard in as Gomez. 
Please leave your comments here.
Cast Change For “The Addams Family” Musical?
Saw this on Playbill.com under “Casting and Jobs” and found it very interesting. Anyone with inside info care to comment?
| Job Details | |
| Title | The Addams Family – role of Pugsley – Open Auditions |
| Category | Performer |
| Description | Broadway / Production Contract; $1605/week minimum Ongoing at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre Producer: Stuart Oken Directors: Julian Crouch and Phelim McDermott Choreographer: Sergio Trujillo Music & Lyrics: Andrew Lippa Book: Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice Music Director: Mary-Mitchell Campbell Casting: Telsey + Company/Justin HuffSeeking the following role only:Pugsley: Caucasian Male, 12 years old. Plump, adorable and funny. Enjoys being tortured by his sister Wednesday, he is unlike other boys his age. His singing voice needs to be big and unchanged.
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Nathan Lane on the set of Modern Family
Eric Stonestreet tweeted this picture of him and Jesse Tyler Ferguson on the set of Modern Family with guest star Nathan Lane.
Nathan Lane to Appear on “Modern Family”
I was so excited when I read this. If you haven’t seen “Modern Family”, now you have an excuse to tune in to TV’s funniest sitcom since “Seinfeld” (in my humble opinion).
Nathan Lane adds to ‘Modern’ family
by Gary Levin, USA Today Aug 1, 2010
Nathan Lane will guest star in ABC’s comedy hit Modern Family as Pepper, the flamboyant older friend of Mitchell and Cameron who was referenced last season.
He’ll appear in one of fall’s early episodes. Lane approached producers about doing the show, and executive producer Steven Levitan says he fits the part perfectly. But mostly, “we’re toning down on stunt casting; we don’t want to turn into a guest of the week. The audience loves our characters and we have enough of them” in the large ensemble.
That hasn’t stopped several big-name Hollywood stars from offering to play a part: “The network, if they found out, would be screaming at us to do it, but we’re not going there.” His biggest worry? “Not repeating ourselves. We’re scared of a sophomore slide.”
Executive producer Christopher Lloyd says other early episodes will involve an earthquake, “which triggers a crisis of confidence by Manny, of all people,” and an appearance by Cameron’s mother (yet to be cast), who rankles phobic Mitchell with her excessive “touching.”
A Peek Into Jackie Hoffman’s Dressing Room
To Grandma’s House We Go: Jackie Hoffman Shows Off Her Addams Family Dressing Room
By Broadway.com Staff , July 28, 2010
Photo by Jenny Anderson for Broadway.com
Broadway.com is no stranger to The Addams Family star Jackie Hoffman’s dressing room, as it often functions as the filming location for Hoffman’s popular Addams Family video blog. Hoffman welcomed us into her space at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre for an even more in-depth look at what makes Grandma feel at home. “Tchotchkes keep me going,” she says of her room, which includes everything from photos of her own family to gifts from Broadway pals. Take a look!
“That’s my husband, to make me think it’ll be comforting when I have no work. ‘Oh, I have a life and that’s apparently what’s supposed to really matter.’”
“Mary Testa, another Broadway great, gave this to me. Her friend was Nancy Grace’s assistant and it says [in a dead on Nancy Grace impression], ‘Dearest Jackie, keep the faith, friend. You bring joy to so many. PS: O.J. did it!’”
“This is my father. He goes with me to every show so he can see me on the Broadway. He died before I got into Hairspray and did the Broadway thing, so at least he goes to the dressing room. It’s his Mad Men photo at his office…always with the pipe. It lasted perfectly until recently there was another fucking photo stuck to it and I had to [makes ripping noise].”
“This is the CD Jackie Hoffman Live at Joe’s Pub to remind me I have something outside of [The Addams Family].”
“My aunt Judy gave me this. It looks like a Beatrix Potter mouse, but I’ve called it a bear, and it says ‘A gift for someone special.’ She’s literally the funniest woman ever. Even with all the professional and non-professional funny people I know, she’s the funniest by far.”
Nathan Lane To Perform At The White House
Monday, July 19th – The President and First Lady will continue the White House music series celebrating the arts and demonstrating the importance of arts education by featuring Broadway music and its prestigious performers.
The Tony-winning performers are actor-singers Nathan Lane (two Tonys), Audra McDonald (four Tonys), Idina Menzel, Tonya Pinkins and Karen Olivo (one each, for “Wicked,” “Jelly’s Last Jam” and “West Side Story,” respectively), and pianist Marvin Hamlisch, a Tony winner for his score to “A Chorus Line.” Working behind the scenes is Jerry Mitchell, Tony-winning choreographer (for the 2004 revival of “La Cage aux Folles”), who will guide 20 Washington, D.C., dance students in a segment from “Hairspray,” another show he choreographed.
Also performing are Brian d’Arcy James (”Shrek: The Musical”), Chad Kimball (”Memphis”) and Assata Alston, a 12-year-old from Queens, N.Y., who recently debuted at Jazz at Lincoln Center.
The White House announced Friday that Elaine Stritch and “Hairspray” veterans Danielle Arci and Constantine Rousouli have been added to the show; Stritch is a Tony winner (for her one-woman show, “Elaine Stritch at Liberty”), bringing the ensemble’s collective career Tony haul to 12).
Presumably, critics who slammed the president and first lady last year for wasting taxpayer money when they flew to New York for dinner and a Broadway show (August Wilson’s drama “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone”) won’t complain about Broadway coming to them. Obama-watchers can catch the president’s show-opening remarks live on Monday at 4 p.m. Pacific on the Internet at www.whitehouse.gov, but the public will have to wait until October for the performances, which will be taped for broadcast Oct. 20 as an installment in the PBS series, “In Performance at the White House.”
Bebe Neuwirth will show off ‘Morticia’s Nails’ on July 15
Bebe Neuwirth to Unveil The Addams Family Themed Nail Polish, With Proceeds to Benefit the Actors Fund
Tony winner Bebe Neuwirth will host the launch of Morticia’s Nails, a nail polish collection inspired by her character in The Addams Family, on July 15 at the Eventi Hotel. Neuwirth and her husband, Chris Calkins, have teamed with Essie Cosmetics to design and release the line, which will include three colors: Midnight Tango, Bone Chilling White and Blood Curdling Red. All proceeds will benefit The Actors Fund. Neuwirth will be joined by her female Addams co-stars at the event.
Morticia’s Nails will have a limited release of 5,000 pieces retailing at $30 per three-color set. Neuwirth expects the collection to raise more than $100,000 for charity.
Later on July 15, the actress will appear with Addams castmates Carolee Carmello, Jackie Hoffman, Zachary James, Wesley Taylor, Adam Riegler and Krysta Rodriguez, and composer Andrew Lippa at an album signing for the show’s cast recording at the Lincoln Square Barnes and Noble.
Cast members of “The Addams Family” to Perform at Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble Lincoln Triangle has announced its events calendar for the month of July.
On Thursday, July 15 at 4:30pm, cast members of THE ADDAMS FAMILY will perform and sign copies of the original Cast Recording. Appearing at the event will be composer-lyricist Andrew Lippa, Bebe Neuwrith, Carolee Carmello, Zachary James, Adam Riegler, Wesley Taylor, Krysta Rodriguez and Jackie Hoffman.
“Three” is an Addams Family Charm
The Addams Family musical continues its money-counting, critic-confounding ways with a box office gross of $1,339,693 for the week ending June 20.
And that’s a lucky Number Three, behind only Wicked and The Lion King.
Bebe & Nathan Soar at the Tonys
Bebe and Nathan hit it out of the park at the Tony Awards. And are incredibly good sports.
IT’S OUT!! (The Cast Album, that is)
On June 8, the Cast Album of The Addams Family musical went on sale, released through Decca Broadway. We’ll have excerpts soon.
Here’s the Decca Broadway link —
CAUTION: If you follow the Decca Broadway link, a new window will open and that finger-snappin’ TV theme will play automatically. Be forewarned.
Kevin Chamberlin, on Being Thrice-Nominated
What’s Up, Kevin Chamberlin? The Addams Family Tony Nominee Knows Good Things Come in Threes
by Beth Stevens, Broadway.com
It would be a cheap—but fitting—joke to say that The Addams Family’s Kevin Chamberlin is over the moon about his third Tony nomination. The versatile actor, who has made a name for himself on Broadway with performances in Dirty Blonde, Seussical, The Ritz, Chicago, Triumph of Love and more, is both pleased and perplexed about his latest Tony nod. He’s pleased for the usual reasons, and a little perplexed that his hit show did not receive more love from the Tony nominators. Nevertheless, the affable actor chatted with Broadway.com on a recent afternoon about the joys of being a three-time nominee, and the word he wants to make popular.
So, you’re a three-time Tony nominee now!
Yeah, thrice-nominated. I’m using the word “thrice’ now. I’m trying to bring it back; it’s never used anymore.
How does it feel to be thrice-nominated?
It never gets old, I’ll tell you. Hopefully I won’t be thrice-nominated, though; I’ll be twice-nominated, with one win.
You are the elder statesman of your category.
Yes! I’m the oldest in the category. That should count for something, right? It’s like the Equity rule: I should win just by the number of weeks worked.
What are some of the perks of being a Tony nominee?
Well, we don’t get the Tony gift basket anymore. You used to get incredible swag—there was like $5,000 worth of stuff. I remember getting an MP3 player, gift certificates to restaurants, a three-year gym membership. There’s nothing like that now.
Do you feel a great responsibility in representing The Addams Family at the awards?
Yes, [composer] Andrew [Lippa] and I are representing. If I do win, I will definitely be all about sharing it with the company. We are a tight-knit group—it is a true ensemble. It was very hard to come into work on that Tuesday after the nominations came out because I wanted to be really happy and enjoy it and be pure, but I also felt a lot of people were looked over.
Were your castmates supportive?
Oh, incredible. How could they not be? It’s so not up to us, and we’ve been actually enjoying our underdog status.
Is it strange that this show can have “underdog status” in terms of awards when it’s such a hit at the box office?
It’s a head-scratcher, isn’t it?
The cliché that you’re laughing all the way to the bank seems to hold true here.
Yes, we are. Awards do not pay the mortgage [laughs].
What are the challenges in playing a character based on a cartoon?
You want to pay homage, but you want to also put your own mark on it. I think that was helped by the writers who really gave Fester a heart. I wanted to expand that heart and make it a three-dimensional character as opposed to a cartoon. Because really, that’s what these characters are: They’re based on one-panel cartoons. I went back to the original drawings and looked at all the Fester cartoons. He always comes from a place of glee.
Are you having fun being the narrator and getting to address the audience?
It’s a double-edged sword. If the scene doesn’t go well, I’m the one who has to direct myself and say, “OK, what am I going to change tomorrow night because that joke didn’t land?” Whereas if you’re in a scene with someone, it’s usually, “What is that person going to give me tonight that’s different and how is that going to change the rhythm of the joke?” Especially with comedy, it’s such a scientific thing. I call it my PIT theory: Pitch, intention, timing. I just made up that acronym. I’m going to start teaching classes, “The PIT technique with Kevin Chamberlin,” and charge $1,000 a class. I think it’ll be very valuable for the young kids.
You’re working with some very adept comedians. Do you guys crack each other up?
We try not to. I’m the worst. I get angry at myself because I don’t want it to become like the Harvey Korman/Tim Conway show. I always want to stay in character. Sometimes I have to go to a very dark place in my head to stop myself from laughing.
What makes awards season meaningful?
Hearing from people from your faraway distant past—that’s the most moving for me. Getting calls from the people who believed in you early on, like Claudia [Shear]—she and James Lapine are responsible for this. They put me on the map as an actor who could star in a Broadway show [with Dirty Blonde in 2001]. I wish my parents were around for all this.
Did they see you make it to Broadway?
They saw me in My Favorite Year [Chamberlin’s Broadway debut in 1992], yeah.
But they had no idea you’d be thrice-nominated.
No, they didn’t. Bravo, by the way—good use of the word “thrice.”
