The Addams Family musical is based on a 1964 sitcom which was inspired by the cartoons of Charles Addams. All feature Gomez Addams, his wife Morticia and children Pugsley and Wednesday. They share their home on Cemetery Lane with Uncle Fester, butler Lurch, helping hand, Thing and someone’s grandma. They are a close-knit family with very bizarre interests – the humor often found in their morose views of the world and their odd passions. More recently, a 2022 Netflix series focused on the life of daughter Wednesday traversing high school life as a detached but gifted outcast.
The musical – book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice and music and lyrics by Andrew Lipp – also focuses on Wednesday (though older than the original pig-tailed child or more recent teen). She wants to bring home the “normal” boy she’s fallen in love with, Lucas. Echoing similar plots from La Cauge aux Folles and You Can’t Take It With You, Wednesday doesn’t want her unconventional parents to ruin her chances with Lucas. She demands the family deny their true selves and odd behaviors and instead, act normal for once in front of Lucas’ straitlaced, conservative parents. The result is a madcap evening where a “full disclosure” post-dinner game reveals some awkward truths with hilarious results.
The Addams household is led by patriarch Gomez, wonderfully portrayed by Daniel Maughan, who entertains with a fiery passion for life, love and swordplay. Maughan was originally cast as Gomez at the Muni Opera production that ended up being canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was worth the wait to see him finally bring this spicy character to life.
Jasmine French plays the captivating and poised Morticia, who comforts her children with such affirmations as, “Life is a tightrope, my child, and at the end of it is your coffin.” She matches Maughan in every way. As their son, Pugsley, Carys Fritz was easily one of my favorite people to watch on stage. The diminutive younger brother to Wednesday, Fritz’s Pugsley divinely pouts and connives like a mischievous yet loving sibling, with a penchant for torture.
Jim Leach’s eccentric Uncle Fester, who occasionally breaks the fourth wall, is a delight. Playing the butler Lurch, Jordan DePatis also turns in a memorable performance, achieving amusing heights with very little dialog. And to put it quite simply, Clair Dudoit as Grandma is hilarious.
Lucas (the always enjoyable Will Moffet) and his parents, Alice and Mal (equally talented Kinsey Potter and Kenneth Anderson) are a typical small-town family initially overwhelmed by the big city and the Addams’ lifestyle. The ensemble playing the ancestors, those who have come to life briefly to reveal hidden truths until love triumphs, add a great deal to the production.
As Wednesday, the protagonist of the story, Tyler Caraballo-Piani nimbly vacillates between being devoted to Lucas and conflicted about her family. A bit of a departure from the stoic youngster some may instinctively think of, the musical gives us a more emotional and occasionally jubilant Wednesday – singing about puppies, Disney and even wearing yellow, sacrificing some of her dead-eyed gloom for romance.
These romantic elements felt a little uneven to me, plot-wise, but all in all, The Addams’ Family is performed extremely well and is really about love and acceptance.
These themes are what co-directors LaDonna Wilson and Sean Robb said drew them to the show.
“The Addams Family has lasted so long because of how they view life. They embrace death, rather than fear it.” said Wilson. “They’re authentic with how they live and don’t have to fake it. It’s kind of a superpower.”
For Robb, the show also resonated with him on a personal level. “As an old-school series drama king, I’ve always been drawn to Morticia’s elegance and the whole magnificently kookie family,” he said. Robb noted that this musical is unique in that it centers on Wednesday experiencing adult love and a more protective Morticia.
“I love how accepting they all are – they just embrace everyone. It’s all about love,” he said.
Sets and scenic design are effective in creating the right atmosphere, along with costumes, wigs and makeup which harken back to those original characters and their iconic looks. The orchestra is sweeping and bright, playing a bouncy score with Lucy Yockey at the helm of musical direction. Across the board, the vocals are first-rate. Under the guidance of vocal director Nicole Pittman, everyone has moments to shine.
The Addams Family opens Feb. 6-8 at the Hoogland Center for the Arts, 420 S. Sixth St. If you’re looking for some Friday the 13th entertainment or spooky Valentine’s Day fun, the production continues Feb. 12-14. Curtain is at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at hcfta.org or by calling 217-523-2787.
Mary Young was born and raised in Springfield and has been performing in, producing and directing live theater for decades. She’s done film and voice-over work, performs occasionally with local bands and takes part in improv troupe The Portuguese Rodeo Clown Company.
