Stage Review: The Addams Family

I recently saw the touring production of The Addams Family. The talent on stage was very good, but the book was excruciatingly bad, but perhaps that’s supposed to be a compliment for the family called Addams.

The plot is a little like “You Can’t Take it With You.” A grownup Wednesday has met a nice, normal boy, Lucas, and they want to get married. Wednesday has invited Lucas and his parents to the Addams home for dinner. She begs everyone in her family to try to act “normal.” One of the best lines in the show was from Grandma, who says, “Define normal.”

Judging from the opening number, “When You’re an Addams,” which included the entire family (except Cousin It and Thing, although they did have small cameos in the show), and a handful of Addams ancestors, I thought that the musical would be a fun, nostalgic romp into the world of the Addams family. I was wrong. The song introduced the family well and the choreography was good, but the book just didn't live up to the opening number.

I liked Wednesday’s first number, “Pulled,” as she sings how Lucas is pulling her in a “new a direction,” and she likes it. She suddenly has a sunny disposition, and bunny rabbits make her want to cry. She's even thinking of going to DisneyWorld - twice, and listening to Liberace's greatest hits. This definitely is not the Wednesday we all know. Although, she sings the songs as she tortures her little brother, Pugsley, who of course, enjoys it.

Each actor fit their character well. The only character who didn't look exactly as they were in TV series was Wednesday. She is now eighteen and no longer has her hair in braids, but a short bob.

Gomez was played by Douglas Sills, a Broadway performer whom I was first introduced to through the original cast album of The Scarlet Pimpernel. He was the perfect Percy/Pimpernel, and I fell in love with his voice. Sills was great as Gomez, and I’m glad we saw him, and not Nathan Lane, who originated the role in the Broadway musical. Doug’s voice was much better, and he’s much more attractive than Nathan Lane. He is a light in a musical that isn't very bright. It was also nice to see the sweet relationship between Gomez and Wednesday.

Blake Hammond was great as Uncle Fester. However, his solo, “The Moon and Me,” was puzzling to me. It felt like the song was just thrown in there to give him a solo number in the show. The staging was very strange, and made absolutely no sense.

Pugsley’s (Patrick D. Kennedy) singing voice was very good. His solo “What If” was very impressive for a kid. His acting was so-so, but that’s not surprising for younger actors.

One of the highlights of the show was Tom Corbeil as Lurch. He was perfect in the role. I don’t know how tall he actually was, but he was heads above everyone else. He didn't do much talking (that you could understand anyway), and he didn't sing until the end, but when he finally did sing, you could understand why, according to his bio, he’s been in many operas.

The ensemble was great. They played the Addams ancestors, so even though their costumes were from different eras and cultures, they were all white. It was a great look, especially when they were all dancing together.

The costumes were spot-on. The only complaint I had was that Morticia’s dress was cut so low that it left nothing to the imagination. I don’t remember Carolyn Jones’s dress looking anything like that in the TV series. I’m sure Angelica Huston’s dress wasn't even that low in the film (I've never seen it). The dress was more Elvira-like than Moriticia.

When Morticia requests that after dinner the family and guests play “the game,” and Wednesday protests because she just wants a “normal” dinner, I expected something scary or gruesome. After all, this is the Addams family. Well, the “game” was a quite a disappointment. It was as far from “Addamsy” as you can get.

The set was wonderful. The way in which the curtain was used was very clever. Sometimes it would be lifted on just one side of the stage for a scene, and it made the scenes feel a little more intimate. The rest of the sets were simple, but were great visually, from the graveyard to the inside of the Addams home.

The final number was disappointing, especially when the opening number was so fun. I wanted the end of the show to be upbeat and fun too, but it wasn't  The show is supposed to be funny, and the final number was so serious.

Sometimes the book of a musical is rewritten for touring productions if the show didn't receive great reviews on Broadway. I believe the book for The Addams Family was reworked prior to the tour, but I think it needs more rewriting; it could really be a fun show. Oh, and they could also make a costume change for Morticia.