The Addams Family Musical Review “Recap”
admin | Dec 10, 2009 | Comments 16
Broadway In Chicago’s pre-Broadway world premiere presentation of The Addams Family, a new musical based on the bizarre family of characters created by legendary cartoonist Charles Addams, opened Wednesday, December 9 at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts’ Oriental Theater. The production continues in Chicago through January 10, and will play Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre beginning March 4, with an anticipated opening date of April 8.
The musical stars Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth as Gomez and Morticia Adams, with Kevin Chamberlin (Uncle Fester), Jackie Hoffman (Grandmama), Zachary James (Lurch), Adam Riegler (Pugsley), and Krysta Rodriguez (Wednesday) rounding out the “Family”. Playing the “family who comes to dinner” are Terrence Mann and Carolee Carmello as Mal and Alice Beineke, and Wesley Taylor as Lucas Beineke, Wednesday’s love interest.
The production features direction and design by Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch, book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, and choreography by Sergio Trujillo.
Wednesday night’s performance was attended by many critics whose reactions are mixed, but the consensus is decidedly positive. Excerpts of some of those reviews follow:
By Hedy Weiss, Theater Critic, The Chicago Sun Times
“…there is rarely a dull moment as each grand shock of the new, each adjustment to change, each recognition of aging and each surprising rebirth wraps its arms itself around the characters of “The Addams Family.”
By Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune
…”The whole show needs to be funnier and more visually spontaneous. There is integrity and originality aplenty. And bonafide beloved characters. Now bring on the torture and the cruelty to animals.”
by Steven Oxman, Variety
”…the show is theatrical comfort food, providing value for the consumer dollar. Slickly and grandly designed, completely accessible, consistently amusing and in its own way a genuine tribute to old-fashioned Broadway musical entertainment, this tuner loves the use of a spotlight, shining it generously on gifted stars Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth.”
by Barbara Vitello, Daily Herald
“…the show boasts a Broadway-ready score by composer/lyricist Andrew Lippa (”The Wild Party”) that contains several gems…”
“…”The Addams Family” heralds the Broadway debut of British director/designers Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch, whose keen visual sense is reflected in the lush, grandly gothic set and whose savvy direction balances the show’s gleeful ghoulishness with honest affection.”
by Kris Vire, Time Out Chicago
The largely admirable new musical based on cartoonist Charles Addams’s creations has a lot going for it, most notably director-designers McDermott and Crouch’s intimate understanding of Addams’s aesthetic and a cast to die for.
by Piet Levy, trueslant.com
Creepy. Kooky. Mysterious. Spooky. All that’s a given with The Addams Family. But the most fitting adjectives to describe the new Broadway-bound, Nathan Lane-starring “Addams Family” musical? Try cute, imaginative, charming – and all together ooky.
AFB invites you to share your “review” here (comments), or visit our “Share Your Experience” post to, well, share your experience!
About the Author:
Cannot wait to see this one!
This is a fantastic blog! I recognize many of the cast but can’t place what I have seen them perform in (except Lilith of course). If that information is in here somewhere would someone please point me to it.
Thanks for the compliment! Keep checking back – we’ll be adding cast info as the blog progresses.
i WOULD SO LOVE TO GET TO NEW YORK…OR CHICAGO TO SEE THIS FUN FILLED MUSICAL COMEDY!
WHAT A GREAT CAST!
Does anyone know if tickets are on sale for the previews on Broadway starting March 4 and, if so, where I can find them. I see some links when I google Addams Family Musical tickets, but they only seem to open to brokers’ sites or tix for Chicago.
Howard, you can visit either the “official” Addams Family Musical site or the Lunt Fontanne Theatre for tickets
http://theaddamsfamilymusical.com
http://luntfontannetheatre.com/
thanks for sharing�
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