Author Archive for Catherine
Nathan Lane talks “Addams Family”
This article appeard in the November 15 issue of The Chicago Tribune:
Nathan Lane in “The Addams Family” embraces an emotional Gomez
Stage musical opening in Chicago
By Chris Jones Tribune critic
For Nathan Lane, the fall of 2003 in Chicago was the happiest of times. The out-of-town tryout of Mel Brooks’ “The Producers,” which starred Lane and Matthew Broderick as Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom, was greeted by cheering Chicagoans right from the first public performance. “In Chicago, they were even laughing at the bad stuff,” Lane recalled over dinner at Petterino’s, his favorite theater-district haunt. “When we got off stage that first time, Matthew and I said to each other, well, it won’t be like that every night. But it was.”
With his beloved (and now deceased) wife Anne Bancroft at his side in Chicago, Brooks was in a similarly ebullient mood. “We had a birthday party for Anne right in this restaurant,” Lane recalled, scanning the crowded room as a wistful expression crossed his face. “And Mel got up on a table and sang ‘Sweet Georgia Brown.’ ”
Lane was in a strikingly emotional mood a few days before his first public performance as Gomez Addams of “The Addams Family,” which he said will be his 17th Broadway show (”that must be more than Marian Seldes”).
He had been coaxed into the project — and away from another more tenuous Broadway project — when writer Marshall Brickman called him and said the very thing that torpedoes the defenses of every actor: “We wrote this part with you in mind.”
Of course, because Lane happens to be the biggest living star of American musical comedy, that statement doubtless also had the rare, additional virtue of being true.
Lane’s accessible emotions are, of course, the root of his comic brilliance. But he said they had also been sparked by Gomez,
Please, Don’t “Review” the “Preview”
Previews began on Friday, November 13 for the new Addams Family musical at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts in Chicago. And if we refer back to Rick Elice’s statement from our article ”Rick Elice Chats With AFB About “The Addams Family” Musical“, we can assume that he, Marshall (Brickman) and Andrew (Lippa) “listen(ed) very, very carefully (to the audiences)” and will sit down today, November 16, and “figure out what (we) need to do, in terms of the writing of the show, …” After all, this IS a try-out, and every performance is a learning experience.
Theater etiquette requires that we not review a preview, and with good reason. But I don’t think there is any harm in sharing some of the comments I’ve seen floating around the internet…
Just saw it today and it was awesome! The entire cast was amazing!!!! Nathan – you are the ultimate entertainer! You are just wonderful! And Bebe you are beautiful! And everyone in the cast was superb! I will definitely see this again hopefully very soon!
Saw the afternoon matinee…What a HOOT!!…loved Uncle Fester’s song “The Moon and Me”…Great fencing & tango by Bebe & Nathan!
Bebe Neuwirth signing autograph for my mom. She was so sweet.
Kudo’s to the casting director – what a terrific ensemble!
…the special effects … were just amazing…
The score was amazing, not what I expected and I think the set design was so clever and very well used.
Andrew Lippa has provided some quite traditional Broadway-style songs that hearken to a much earlier era. They are tuneful and easy to take in.
Well, from the sound of these comments, I think we can assume that Rick, Marshall and Andrew’s meeting will be full of positive energy!
If you have seen the show, or plan to see it soon, we would love to hear YOUR comments!
