B. Chris Armijo and Lisette Herrera

When the show hit the touring road in 2011, the plot was bolstered by the twist of Gomez (B. Chris Armijo) lying to his wife Morticia (Lisette Herrera) to protect his daughter Wednesday (Julia Parma). This may have calmed the critics, since the lie—the first Gomez has told to his wife—becomes the hard kernel of intrigue that fastens the plot. And it makes for a mighty fun show by Musical Theatre Southwest (MTS).

Interestingly, in 2007, the musical's producers obtained the rights to the Addams family characters from the Tee and Charles Addams Foundation on the condition they base the story on the cartoon characters rather than riffing off the TV series and movies. That may have been a wise stipulation, as the creators—bookwriters Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, and composer/lyricist Andrew Lippa—freshen up the characters with the musical.

We get to see the Addams family with new eyes. This is partly facilitated by musical solos from such unlikely characters as little-bro Pugsley (Alejandro Ramirez), Fester (Robert Johnson), and Lurch (Benjamin Smith). Fester's solo love song to the moon is amazing. Usually, when you sidetrack from the main plot there is a smidgeon of resentment. Here it's nearly the highlight of the musical. Johnson's delivery is lovely, and the blacklight effects (lighting designer Sammie Aguilar-Briggs) are riveting. Don't know how they got the moon to dip under Fester's swing.

Director David Bryant has created a wonderful production. I expected to be amused, but I didn't expect to laugh loudly. The entire core cast is strong, and they are supported well by a chorus of 10 zombies called the Ancestors. Each embodies a different life role, from stewardess and bride to conquistador and caveman.

The central dilemma in the story is Wednesday's wish to have a "normal" dinner for her boyfriend Lucas's (Kelvin Krupiak) parents. She wants things calm and sane so she and Lucas can announce their engagement. As you can guess, when you ask a dedicatedly weird bunch to act normal, their weirdness grows exponentially. The twist is that this straight couple from Ohio, Alice (Laura Nuzum) and Mal Beineke (Bryan Andrews Lambe), are, deep down, even weirder in their straightness than the Addams family characters.

Everything goes wrong right on cue, part Marx Brothers, part Three Stooges. The resentful Pugsley tries to dose Wednesday with an intoxicating potion he steals from Grandma (Beth Elliott) and mistakenly doses Alice, who breaks loose from a lifetime of repression into a glorious display of utter Id. Nuzum—who always plays full tilt—is an absolute joy to watch in her socially inappropriate explosion.

It's hard to point out standouts in this "everybody's on" performance, but kudos to the leads: Armijo as Gomez and Herrera as Morticia. Parma as Wednesday is also wonderful. A few particularly strong nods go to Smith as Lurch, Johnson as Fester, Elliott as Grandma, and Ramirez as Pugsley. Costumes are terrific (Gayle Smart), as is the moveable set by Wendie and Michael Cutcher. The lighting by Aquilar-Briggs is effective throughout.

The performance in the MTS Center for Theatre is stronger than the company's usually solid productions. On opening night, the audience shot to its feet for a deserved ovation. Bryant must have paid particular attention to pacing, as the clippity-clop of the story and interactions are fast and tight, even with the multiple set-shifting. This is a thoroughly delightful show even if you, like me, were never a big fan of the TV series.

Performances through April 26, 2015, at the MTS Center for Theatre at 6320 Domingo Rd. NE, Suite B, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm, and Sundays at 4 pm. General admission is $22. For seniors, students and ATC/ATL members admission is $20. For reservations, call 505-265-9119 or purchase online at musicaltheatresw.com/

Photo: Cassidy Knight

--Rob Spiegel