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Regional Reviews: Boston The Addams Family
In a classic case of stimulus-response, it is unavoidable to hear the ascending four notes and double finger-snap of the repetitive TV theme song in one's head at the mention of the family's name. To draw the audience in, the familiar tune precedes the Overture, but the rest of the music and lyrics in the show are originals by Andrew Lippa. The Tony Award-nominated score is the strength of The Addams Family and the touring cast delivers it with gusto. Douglas Sills (Gomez) and Sara Gettelfinger (Morticia) have musical theatre voices that infuse both their solo and group numbers with the requisite emotion, be it family pride, morbid joy, or searing passion. Blake Hammond's alternately bold and sweet vocals are cause for a double take when they emanate from Uncle Fester, he of the black-rimmed eyes and bald pate. The orchestra consists of a baker's dozen musicians, conducted by Valerie Gebert, and supports the score well without being overpowering. Fester croons two of my favorite songs, "Let's Not Talk About Anything But Love," with the ghostly family Ancestors, and his heartwarming act two paean, "The Moon and Me." Morticia's antidote for depression, "Just Around the Corner," is a snappy, vaudeville-style song and dance. Gomez shows his soft, paternal side in "Happy/Sad" and flashes his Latin-lover chops in a duet with his wife, "Let's Live Before We Die," leading into the crisp "Tango de Amor." The whole company shines in "When You're an Addams" and "Full Disclosure," bookending the first act. Interestingly, three songs included on the original Broadway cast recording have been dropped from the score, replaced by three others that reflect cuts and changes in the book. Unfortunately, the book is a different story. Well, actually, it is not so different from far too many other stories, most of which you can see any night of the week on a second-rate sitcom. The hackneyed premise is that daughter Wednesday (Cortney Wolfson) has fallen in love with a "normal" boy and sets up a dinner for their two families to meet each other. Gomez and Morticia fret over their little girl growing up; against his better judgment, Gomez promises Wednesday not to tell Morticia that the kids are engaged; and Morticia despairs over Gomez keeping a secret from her. Meanwhile, the "normal" family has its own hidden dysfunction and the Beinekes (Martin Vidnovic, Crista Moore) want to keep Lucas (Brian Justin Crum) from joining these weirdos. Only Uncle Fester understands that it all comes down to love. Perhaps what is most disappointing about the Marshall Brickman/Rick Elice (co-writers of Jersey Boys) book is that it fails to capitalize on the most beloved aspect of these characters. As stated in the proverbial theme song, "They're creepy and they're kooky, mysterious and spooky. They're all together ooky," but they actually come across as more cartoonish than fully realized in the flesh; kooky, perhaps, but the other four adjectives don't really apply. It must also be noted that major changes have been effected in the book for the tour, but other than placing greater emphasis on the relationship between Gomez and Morticia, I can't say that the changes have made it better. When the focus shifts to the marital discord of the Beinekes, interest wanes. Without a star of Nathan Lane's magnitude, whose personality and antics in the role were overarching, I thought the story might shine through. But, as it turns out, there's not much of a story to shine through. Sills brings his own considerable talents to the role, but is more John Astin than Nathan Lane in his interpretation of the character. He and Gettelfinger share good chemistry as the romantic couple, especially in their tango (choreographed by Sergio Trujillo). At times, she is more animated and shows more emotion than I would expect from Morticia, giving her a broader reading than Bebe Neuwirth's dry minimalism. Wolfson and Patrick D. Kennedy (Pugsley) give solid performances as the offspring who are a little bit "off," and Pippa Pearthree as Grandma and Tom Corbeil as Lurch add comic flair, as well as a few surprises. The production looks good, with set and costume design by Julian Crouch and Phelim McDermott, also the original directors. The family's mansion is in an appropriate state of disrepair, and a sumptuous red drop curtain is used effectively to frame scenes in various rooms. Natasha Katz creatively designs lighting for graveyard, bedtime and a quickly-summoned hurricane, and Acme Sound Partners handle sound design. Basil Twist provides some whimsical moments with his puppetry, and Angelina Avallone (make-up) and Tom Watson (hair) deserve credit for stylishly bringing the Ancestors back from the dead. The entire production is under the supervision of Jerry Zaks, who was called in as a "creative consultant" after the show got off to a rocky start pre-Broadway in Chicago. Zaks has a wonderful history as a former actor and an award-winning veteran director, as well as something of a fixer, but there isn't enough magic in his bag of tricks to make The Addams Family soar. Uncle Fester may ride a rocket to the moon, but the rest of us remain firmly on the ground watching his flight. The Addams Family Lexus 2011-2012 Broadway Across America - Boston Series presents performances through February 19 at the Citi Performing Arts Center Shubert Theatre, 270 Tremont Street, Boston, MA; Tickets 1-866-348-9738 or www.citicenter.org. For more information on the tour, visit www.theaddamsfamilymusical.com. Book by Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice, Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa, Based on Characters Created by Charles Addams, Set & Costume Design by Julian Crouch & Phelim McDermott, Lighting Designed by Natasha Katz, Sound Design by Acme Sound Partners, Puppetry by Basil Twist; Music Director, Valerie Gebert; Choreography by Sergio Trujillo; Original Direction by Phelim McDermott & Julian Crouch; Entire Production Under the Supervision of Jerry Zaks Cast: Douglas Sills, Sara Gettelfinger, Martin Vidnovic, Crista Moore, Blake Hammond, Pippa Pearthree, Tom Corbeil, Patrick D. Kennedy, Brian Justin Crum and Cortney Wolfson; Company: Michael Buchanan, Ted Ely, Karla Puno Garcia, Steve Geary, Victoria Huston-Elem, Patrick Oliver Jones, Lizzie Klemperer, Alexandra Matteo, Christy Morton, Brad Nacht, Rebecca Riker, Jonathan Ritter, Roland Rusinek, Geo Seery, Samantha Shafer, Jason Eric Testa
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