All Entries in the "Jackie Hoffman" 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.
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.
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!
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.”
The Addams Family Musical An Entertaining Afternoon of Theatre
Catherine (me) and Rick Elice
Last weekend was a whirlwind of friends, parties, and great Broadway entertainment! AND I was able to spend some time with my favorite Broadway writer, Rick Elice. Rick is that rare breed of celebrity who is unassuming, humble and completely genuine. He is such a pleasure to know – one would never guess he has two of the top 10 shows currently running on Broadway.
While Saturday was all about Jersey Boys, Sunday was reserved for The Addams Family. I had second row center seats for the matinee – up close and personal - and I was a little bit nervous. There have been mixed reviews, not only from the critics, but from a few of the readers here on the blog, and I didn’t want to go in with any preconceptions about the show. So, I went in with an open mind, and I had a blast!
From the opening number “When You’re An Addams”, to the final curtain, I had a smile on my face and a laugh in my throat. I don’t want to get into a scene by scene analysis – that’s been done to death. I just want to share my thoughts.
Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth were wonderful as Gomez and Morticia, two parents facing what all parents face when they realize that their baby is all grown up and about to leave the nest. Of course, not all parents face it in quite the same way! Bebe was gorgeous! Her flawless skin and deadpan expression were classic Morticia. She danced beautifully, and her “Just Around The Corner” was one of my favorite numbers. Nathan definitely lived up to the hype. His comedic timing is impeccable, and he had the audience in stitches.
Kevin Chamberlin was hilarious as the “moonstruck” Uncle Fester. He really got into his oddball personae, and the audience loved him.
Jackie Hoffman as Grandma was as hysterical as everyone says. Although her role was small, she made the most of each and every line, leaving the audience doubled over in laughter. At one point during “dinner”, she was obviously ad-libbing, talking about running the mara…mara…mara..thon (NY marathon was run that day), and the cast was laughing so hard, Bebe actually had to lay her head on the table so the audience wouldn’t see. Of course, being in the second row, I could see her head shaking!
As the tormented young couple, Wednesday Addams and Lucas Beineke, Krysta Rodriguez and Wesley Taylor were fantastic. They portrayed just the right amount of teenage angst, mixed with a craziness that comes with young love. Krysta’s voice was crystal clear, with a bit of a rock edge to it, and Wesley was a perfect accompaniment. Their “Crazier Than You” was another of my favorites. I’ll be keeping an eye on their careers, I’m betting they go far.
Carollee Carmello and Terrence Mann played Alice and Mal Beineke, Lucas’s “normal” parents from Ohio. If that’s normal, I’d hate to see odd. She with her bright yellow dress and rhyming speech, and he with his tough-guy “I won’t be pushed around” act (until I meet the right squid), were very entertaining, and they played the roles to perfection.
As Lurch, the mostly silent butler, Zachary James was brilliant. And Adam Riegler was terrific as Pugsley. He had a fantastic voice for such a young age, and was very enjoyable to watch. His sadness at realizing his sister was growing up and wouldn’t be around to “play” with him much longer was very touching.
And last, but certainly by no means least, the Ancestors were all superb. Each one had his/her own personality, they danced beautifully, and the way they were utilized onstage was ingenious.
On the top of my list of ”high points” has to be the set design. Congratulations to Julian Crouch and Phelim McDermott for a tremendous job! Basil Twist’s puppetry was also spectacular, adding a layer of creativity not seen in many shows. And, as usual, Rick Elice and Marshall Brickman wrote a great story, with a perfect mix of humor, seriousness, and Charles Addams absurdity.
“Just Around The Corner” and ”Crazier Than You” were my favorite musical numbers, with “When You’re An Addams” and the tango scene following close behind. Gomez had two ballady numbers that dragged a bit (for me), but Nathan performed them beautifully. And Uncle Fester and the moon, and Mal Beineke and the squid were a bit over the top, but hey, this is the Addams Family - they are over the top!
Please bear with me while I vent….I know this is a family friendly show, and yes, they sell candy at the concession stand, but people, this is a high dollar Broadway show, not a movie theater. Please have the courtesy to NOT open loud candy wrappers, slurp noisily on lollipops, or rifle through your shopping bags in the middle of the performance (yes, I experienced all of this within two rows of me, and the perpetrators were all adults.) This is not only rude to your fellow audience members, but most especially to the cast.
I would like to say a huge thank you to the entire Addams Family ‘family’ for an exciting and entertaining afternoon of theatre!
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.
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.”
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.
Hoffman Finds It A Snap To Tap Into Her “Inner Crone”
from the NY Daily News, Friday, April 2
BROADWAY ACE JACKIE HOFFMAN GOES WHOLE HAG FOR THE ADDAMS FAMILY
BY Leah Chernikoff
DAILY NEWS WRITER
Keivorn.News, Joan Marcus, Jackie Hoffman transforms into Grandma Addams 8 times a week for "The Addams Family."
Not all New Yorkers spend every moment trying to appear their youngest and prettiest.
Eight times a week, actress Jackie Hoffman concentrates on looking her absolute worst, most ancient and freakiest.
It’s all in a day’s work to play Grandma in “The Addams Family.”
The new musical about the endearingly kooky, ooky, spooky clan known from Charles Addams’ cartoons, the 1960s sitcom and big-screen comedies opens Thursday at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.
To act up as the herb-brewing, fortune-telling granny, Hoffman does a reverse Benjamin Button routine in her dressing room.
“She has to look 102,” says Angelina Avallone, head makeup designer for the show, which stars Tony winners Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth as Gomez and Morticia.
“We’re painting age on Jackie.”
“Sadly, it doesn’t take that long,” says Hoffman, 49, one of the city’s funniest comic actresses, who’s known for her work on stage in “Hairspray” and “Xanadu” and on film in “Kissing Jessica Stein.”
Seth Rudetsky Lunches With The Ladies of “The Addams Family”
On a recent Thursday, actor, writer, music director and Chatterbox host Seth Rudetsky had the pleasure (so it seems) of lunching with the ladies of The Addams Family. He shares that experience in his February 1 Playbill.com article ONSTAGE & BACKSTAGE: Here’s to the Ladies Who Lunched:
“…On Thursday I had lunch at delicious 44×10 with Bebe Neuwirth, Krysta Rodriguez, Carolee Carmello and Jackie Hoffman, who are the four leading ladies from the The Addams Family musical. I’m writing a feature on them for the March Playbill, and we had a great/delicious time. If you’ve seen Jackie’s Joe’s Pub shows, you’d know that she’s always complaining about not getting gigs. One of her biggest laments is about not even being able to get an audition for Fiddler on the Roof. Well, true to form, as soon as we sat down, she noticed that her bread plate was empty and she quipped, “Look! It’s just like Broadway. I didn’t get a roll.” Brava on the double meaning. I bit into my delicious roll and asked her what the audition was like for the role of Grandma. She remembered that she looked at the scene and noticed there was a little salty language in it, so she figured she could do one of her original songs. The language in her act is more than a little salty, and this particular song is about her resenting being asked to do non-stop benefits. It begins with: “F*** you for asking me to do a show for free!” and then repeats that theme many times. When the song was over, she received a sea of blank faces… and no call back. However, that was for the initial workshop, and later on she was asked to go in again…this time for the Chicago-to-Broadway production. She was slated to do the Doug Cohen/Douglas Carter Beane musical Big Time, which would mean that she’d have to choose between the two if she got cast as Grandma. She knew she couldn’t sing the same song she sang before (non-stop cursing = blank British faces), so she decided to sing one of her songs from Big Time because it was fabulous and always brought down the house. She told me that she “had the chutzpah” to call the composer and ask for a copy of the music…but not tell him she was using it to audition for a show that would prevent her doing his show! He got the sheet music to her, she auditioned and got Addams Family and subsequently chose to leave Big Time. Doug Cohen, the composer, called her a few days later and warily asked, “Jackie, did you use my song for your Addams Family audition?” Jackie admitted she did. She told me that she then literally heard a wail emanate from the phone. The good news is Big Time was postponed, so hopefully she can eventually do both shows!
Speaking of auditions, Carolee was starring in Mamma Mia! when she was asked to come in for the reading of Addams Family. She looked over the monologue and was surprised that there were all of these great Broadway ladies at the audition. S he then found out that the audition wasn’t for the reading, it was for the Broadway production! She frantically took out the monologue and this time gave it more than a once over. Apparently, she sassed her audition because she got the role of Alice Beineke. She and Terrence Mann (the original Rum Tum Tugger in Cats) play a couple who are visiting the Addams family manse. She told me that she and “Terry” have a completely different style of acting in a show eight times a week. Carolee loves to figure out how something should be played and then lock it in. Terry, who plays Mal Beineke, likes to make different choices each night. And, I mean different. Bebe said that there’s one entrance he does that has a totally new take each night. At one performance it was sultry and seductive, and Bebe whispered to Nathan (Lane), “Here comes Barry White.” The next night it was high energy and rock n’ roll-ish, and Nathan whispered, “Look. It’s Rum Tum Mal.”
The ladies were all telling me that Jackie has a section of the show where she gets to improv, and I asked for an example. Bebe told her to tell me about the Dec. 31 line. Apparently, on that night, Grandma croaked out, “It’s New Year’s Eve. I’m going to go up to my room for some Dick. (long pause). Clark.”
We were all talking about Jerry Zaks, who is coming in to oversee the production, and Bebe mentioned that he was in the original cast of Fiddler on the Roof. I nodded, but then said I thought it was the national tour. She was adamant that it was the Broadway production because he knew a family friend of hers who played the Constable. I then said that the Grease tour was his first big credit, and that happened in the 70’s and Fiddler was more of a 60’s show. I mentioned that maybe the Constable did the tour as well. I could tell the whole table was annoyed at my obsession with minutiae, so I decided to get to the bottom of it. I whipped out my cell phone and texted Jerry. Of course Jackie yelled, “You have his cell phone number? I don’t have his cell phone number!” I ignored her and typed away. I wrote that I needed to know whether he did Fiddler on Broadway or on tour. Lunch ended before I heard back from him, but as I walked up Ninth Avenue I got his text: ”Alas. Only on tour.” HA! I don’t want to say, “I told you so, Bebe,”…so I’ll write it: I told you so, Bebe…”
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The Addams Family Musical Review “Recap”
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
Jackie Hoffman Takes The Cabaret Stage
OFFBEAT: ‘Addams Family’ funny favorite Jackie Hoffman on mark with cabaret show
By Philip Potempa, nwitimes.com
Posted: Wednesday, December 2, 2009
It’s rare to laugh so hard you have to hold your side.
But that’s exactly the case when the comic actress Jackie Hoffman takes the cabaret stage.
Hoffman, a member of Chicago’s own famed Second City, is front and center and in rare form in her one-woman show “Whining in the Windy City: Holiday Edition” playing a limited run on Mondays through Dec. 21 at The Royal George Theatre.
Even though New York City is her home, she’s at home with Chicago audiences, which she’s facing every day of the week this month, since she’s also starring as Grandmama in the new Broadway musical “The Addams Family.” It’s the world premiere of the production previewing at the Ford Center for Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre though January 2010.
At Monday’s opening night performance of Hoffman’s cabaret act, some of the cast members, including Bebe Neuwirth, who plays Morticia, attended and shared in the laughs.
Hoffman, who isn’t afraid to say she thinks her “Addams” role should be bigger (among other funny stage revelations), tackles every and any topic possible. She covers everything from her disdain for children and today’s young generation of young women in their 20s (and how they talk) to the countless pitches and pleas she receives from charities asking for donations.
Sneak-Peek Video of Vanity Fair Shoot
Great behind-the-scenes footage from the recent photo shoot of The Addams Family portrait for Vanity Fair’s December issue.
