All Entries in the "Supporting Cast" Category
The Addams Family Broadway Takes Final Bow
The Addams Family played its final Broadway performance on Sunday, December 31 after 725 performances and 34 previews.
Since beginning previews on March 8 2009, The Addams Family has been seen by more than 748,000 people. Prior to Broadway, The Addams Family played an 8 week engagement at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago, where it grossed more than $12 million, making it the most successful Broadway tryout in Chicago’s history.
The national tour of The Addams Family launched on September 15 at the Mahalia Jackson Theatre for the Performing Arts in New Orleans and is booked in more than 30 cities through 2012.
Get a look back at the production, from Chicago to Broadway and beyond, below!
Photo Credit: Joan Marcus (Broadway, Chicago); Jeremy Daniel (Tour)
The current Broadway cast of The Addams Family starred Brooke Shields as Morticia, Roger Rees as Gomez; Brad Oscar as Fester, Rachel Potter as Wednesday, Jackie Hoffman as Grandma, Zachary James as Lurch, Adam Riegler as Pugsley, Heidi Blickenstaff as Alice Beineke, Adam Grupper as Mal Beineke and Jesse Swenson as Lucas Beineke; the original Broadway cast included Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth as Gomez and Morticia, Terrence Mann as Mal Beineke, Carolee Carmello as Alice Beineke, Kevin Chamberlin as Uncle Fester, Jackie Hoffman as Grandma, Zachary James as Lurch, Adam Riegler as Pugsley, Wesley Taylor as Lucas Beineke and Krysta Rodriguez as Wednesday.
The Addams Family Goes Green in New Public Service Announcement
The company of the Broadway musical comedy The Addams Family has partnered with the Broadway Green Alliance to create a creepy and kooky online public service announcement video to promote and inspire viewers to make more environmentally friendly choices in their everyday lives.
Brooke Shields IS Morticia
On Tuesday, June 28, THE ADDAMS FAMILY welcomed stage and screen star Brooke Shields in the role of Morticia. Ms. Shields joined current Broadway cast members Roger Rees as Gomez, Brad Oscar as Fester, Rachel Potter as Wednesday, Jackie Hoffman as Grandma, Zachary James as Lurch, Adam Riegler as Pugsley, Heidi Blickenstaff as Alice Beineke, Adam Grupper as Mal Beineke and Jesse Swenson as Lucas Beineke. Here is a first look at Shields and the cast!
The Addams Family’s Rachel Potter chats with Broadway.com
Rachel Potter on Her Country Music Ambitions and Going Grim as The Addams Family’s Wednesday
- photo by Jenny Anderson for Broadway.com
Age & Hometown: “Old enough to drink”; Seminole, FL
Jackie Hoffman Announces Final Extension of Jackie Five-Oh! at Joe’s Pub
Jackie Hoffman
Addams Family cast member Jackie Hoffman (Grandma) has announced a third and final extension of her riotous cabaret “Jackie Five-Oh!”, which has added two more dates in May at Joe’s Pub.
Jackie Five-Oh!, a signature blend of Hoffman’s original tunes (penned with Bobby Peaco) and biting comedy, began performances in November 2010 and will play its final two Joe’s Pub shows on May 23 and 30 at 7:30 PM. As previously reported, Hoffman will offer a special 7:30 performance on May 2 as a benefit for the Actors Fund.
New (Addams) Family Members Arrive Today
The Addams Family gets fresh blood today in the form of new cast members, including Brad Oscar (pictured right), Heidi Blickenstaff, Adam Grupper, Jesse Swenson (pictured left) and Rachel Potter! Meet the new cast in this Broadway.com exclusive video as they rehearse to become part of the kookiest family on Broadway.
New Arrivals for the Addams Clan
Goodbye, old chums. Nathan Lane and Terrence Mann exit stage left. Photo: Joan Marcus
The Addams Family Blog bids a fond farewell to some very talented Family-ites who helped make the show a smash hit. And we welcome their equally talented replacements, including Tony winner (for … Nicholas Nickleby) Roger Rees as Gomez and Tony nominee (for The Producers) Brad Oscar as Uncle Fester. (Rees comes on board later in March.) Read about the changeover in this excerpt from Playbill—
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Goodbye, Gomez: Nathan Lane Among Addams Family Actors Exiting Broadway Musical March 6
By Kenneth Jones
06 Mar 2011
Goodbye, young lovers. Krysta Rodriguez and Wesley Taylor exit stage right. Photo: Joan Marcus
The mansion of Broadway’s The Addams Family gets de-populated, but not for long, after the March 6 matinee at Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Nathan Lane, Kevin Chamberlin, Carolee Carmello, Terrence Mann, Krysta Rodriguez and Wesley Taylor leave at the end of their contracts.
Pouring through the door starting on March 8 will be replacements Heidi Blickenstaff (as Alice Beineke, the Carmello role), Adam Grupper (Mal Beineke, created by Mann), The Producers Tony Award nominee Brad Oscar (Fester, created by Chamberlin, who was Tony-nominated for his turn), Rachel Potter (Wednesday, created by Rodriguez) and Jesse Swenson (Lucas Beineke, Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend, created by Taylor).
Merwin Foard, the production’s standby for Lane’s Gomez, will play the patriarch of the macabre clan until Tony Award winner Roger Rees (Nicholas Nickleby, “Cheers,” “The West Wing”) steps into the part on March 22. (Rees is currently co-director of Off-Broadway’s Peter and the Starcatcher, opening March 9.)
Continuing in the roles they originated are Tony winner Bebe Neuwirth as Morticia, Zachary James as Lurch, Adam Riegler as Pugsley Addams and Jackie Hoffman as Grandma.
Help Grandma Celebrate Her Sweet (One)16th!
The Addams Family Musical is celebrating Grandma’s Sweet (One)16th Birthday with a month-long birthday bash. Click here to visit the website event page where you can view Grandma’s Birthday Video and learn more about how you can help Grandma celebrate…from visiting Grandma’s Coroner at the theatre, to bringing your own Grandma to the show for free!
Addams Family Cast Members Shine at ‘At This Performance’
excerpt from the “Stage Rush” website, posted February 14, 2011
The latest installment of the At This Performance concert series brought big laughs Sunday night. The concert that gives Broadway understudies and standbys the spotlight saw performers choosing hilarious song selections and telling stories of their careers that had the audience in stitches.
The night kicked off with At This Performance’s youngest performer ever—11-year-old Logan Rowland from The Addams Family. He sang Pugsley’s solo “What If” with polish and confidence while his parents video taped and took pictures from the audience. Rowland told the story of his first time going on in the role—co-star Nathan Lane made an announcement to the audience during the show’s curtain call that they had just witnessed his Broadway debut.
Rowland’s Addams co-stars Mo Brady and Lisa M. Karlin duetted with “Crazier Than You,” and each had a follow-up solo. Karlin sang “See What I Want to See” from See What I Want To See. Brady’s solo was a song called “I Won’t Have To Anymore.” Easily the night’s most emotional performance, Brady sang the story of a young man preparing to flee the home of his verbally and physically abusive father. Showing great emotional depth and vocal range, Brady’s performance was among the night’s most memorable.
New “FAMILY” Members to Arrive in March
from the BWW News Desk, Friday, February 4, 2011:
Blickenstaff, Grupper, Oscar, Potter & Swenson Join THE ADDAMS FAMILY
Heidi Blickenstaff
Adam Grupper
Brad Oscar
THE ADDAMS FAMILY welcomes five new principal cast members beginning Tuesday, March 8 at the Lunt Fontanne Theatre (205 West 46th Street) when Heidi Blickenstaff ([title of show]) assumes the role of Alice Beineke, Adam Grupper (Brighton Beach Memoirs) as Mal Beineke, Brad Oscar
(Tony-nominated for The Producers) as Fester, Rachel Potter (Wicked nat’l. tour) as Wednesday Addams and Jesse Swenson (Spring Awakening) as Lucas Beineke. Original cast members Nathan Lane, Kevin Chamberlin, Terrence Mann, Carolee Carmello, Krysta Rodriguez and Wesley Taylor will give their final performances on Sunday, March 6.
Rachel Potter
Jesse Swenson
click here to read BWW article
Krysta Rodriguez and Wesley Taylor Answer Fan Questions
In the latest installment of Broadway.com’s “Ask A Star”, The Addams Family’s Krysta Rodriguez and Wesley Taylor answer questions from fans.
Wesley Taylor Shooting “One Life to Live”
According to Wesley Taylor’s Facebook page, he will be out of the matinee tomorrow (Wednesday, January 12, 2011) and perhaps the evening show, also. Don’t worry, he’s not sick – he’s shooting scenes for the ABC soap “One Life to Live.” Apparently he’ll be playing a “Creeper”. I’ll post the episode air date when I know it.
Sorry for those who will miss Wesley tomorrow, but great for him! And if you do have a chance to see his understudy, please let us know how he was.
Congratulations Wes.
“A Christmas Carol – The Concert” Available From Amazon
“A Christmas Carol – The Concert”, featuring the voices of Merwin Foard (The Addams Family) and Daniel Reichard (Jersey Boys, The Midtown Men), is available for purchase from Amazon.com. This is what people are saying about the CD:
… I loved the music. It is very contemporary with a broadway musical flair. Any generation would love it. Merwin Foard is an amazing talent who plays Scrooge with a vengenance!! His baritone voice reaches the soul…
…This is the best Christmas Carol I have ever jheard, bar none, Merwin Foard’s voice is fabulous as Scrooge and the score and lyrics are clever and memorable. This deserves to be heard on the radio…
…This is a beautiful CD. The music is rich and varied and the lyrics are downright inspirational. One song brought me to tears. I can’t wait to listen to it again…
…I purchased this because I love the story. I’ve listened to it over and over because the music is so amazing! The narration and vocals are wonderful and the music is like no other version I have heard.
Click here to visit amazon.com and purchase your copy now.
Zachary James Will Teach One-Day AF Workshop
The Addams Family Workshop with Star, Zach James (Lurch), Logan Rowland (Pugsley u/s) & an Ashley Gonzalez of CESD Talent Agency!
Join Zach James (Lurch), Logan Rowland (Pugsley u/s) and Ashley Gonzalez of CESD Talent Agency for an Addams Family theme workshop!
The workshop will focus on:
•Dance Combination& Song from Addams Family
•Song Interpretation & Vocal Coaching
•Scene Work from Addams Family
•Musical Theatre Audition Technique
•Mock Audition for a Talent Agent
When: Sat., Dec. 4th
Time: 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Ages: 7 – 16
Where: Ripley -Grier Studios – 520 8th Ave – 16th Fl. – between 36th & 37th St.
Normally: 150.00 Sale Price: 135.00
Jackie Hoffman Presents…”Jackie Five-Oh!”
Jackie Hoffman
Jackie Hoffman Has New Tales
The celebrated performer returns to Joe’s Pub to discuss The Addams Family and turning 50 in Jackie Five-Oh!
By: Brian Scott Lipton · Nov 17, 2010
TheaterMania, New York
There are few places in New York where Jackie Hoffman is more comfortable — or more appreciated — than Joe’s Pub, where the award-winning actress will return on Monday, November 22 for a six-week run of her new show Jackie Five-Oh!. “Although it’s f…ing hard work, I do miss doing my own stuff, and I haven’t done an all-new show since 2007, so this is very exciting,” says Hoffman.
Of course, she’s got plenty to talk — and sing — about: most notably her role as Grandma in the hit Broadway musical The Addams Family. Not to mention, she is turning 50 — which will happen on the day of her second show, November 29. ”The worst part of all this is the pressure I feel in planning my own birthday party. But it was too perfect not to do it now.”
Hoffman has actually accomplished a great deal in her first half-century, including numerous memorable turns on Broadway — most notably in the original casts of Hairspray and Xanadu — and in film. But she seems determined to look at the glass as half-empty. “There’s a whole part in the show about how people didn’t recognize me at this bagel store in Long Island; by now, I thought I’d be famous enough to at least be recognized there,” she says in her signature deadpan.
Hoffman as "Grandma" in The Addams Family
Of course, it doesn’t help her “Q Factor” that in The Addams Family, she’s playing a character who looks twice Hoffman’s age. But she’s making the best of it. ”I’ve found room in The Addams Family to ad-lib. Of course, Nathan Lane is a brilliant improviser — and, let’s face it, we’re not doing August: Osage County here. It’s a funny show and both the audience and the other actors appreciate when we mix it up. The show is like a party atmosphere and the audience seems to love it, no matter what the critics said. I do think some of them were over-the-top mean.”
Hoffman actually finds songwriting one of her greatest pleasures. ”I’m singing two songs at Joe’s Pub that I’ve written for the character of Grandma, which will have their world premiere,” she notes. ”I started writing my own songs at Second City and I find lyrics flow out of me easier than jokes do. And I’m so lucky to have my collaborator, Bobby Peaco, who does such an amazing job of having his music serve my lyrics. I don’t think we’ve ever run into a snag getting a song together. And I have to say, we’ll be doing one of the most offensive songs I’ve ever written.”
Hoffman hasn’t fully decided whether she’ll extend her contract in The Addams Family past March. But that doesn’t mean she’s tired of performing. “It’s hard to do these eight-show-a-week gigs,” she notes. “But I will say I’m thrilled to do Joe’s Pub as long as people want me here.”
