Catchy music, creative choreography, and a funny plotline all came together for a highly entertaining evening with the Broadway National Tour of The Addams Family: A Musical Comedy at the Granada last week.
The story revolves around a grownup-ish Wednesday Addams and her new boyfriend, a mainstream guy who comes from a respectable family. The action takes place when the “normals” of the boyfriend’s family meet the Addamses for a joint family dinner, when unbeknownst to the rest of them, the two lovebirds plan to be engaged.
Relatively predictable mayhem ensues, but the vocal talent quality is high — particularly Melody Munitz (Wednesday), Chris Carsten (Uncle Fester), Logan Clinger (Pugsley) and Jackson Barnes (Lurch) on the Addams side, and Sarah Mackenzie Baron, as the “normal” mother Alice — and the fun, familiar characters keep the energy high.
The songs, with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, are all solid and used to forward the plot, which I appreciate. “The Moon and Me,” with Uncle Fester declaring his love for the woman in the moon, was a particular standout, as was the entire Addams Family (including the ancestors) performing “When You’re an Addams.”
Also adding to the strong production values was the clever costuming — the “dead” ancestor characters are all dressed in dull white and grayface; the Addams family members are in black and white; and the “normal” family of Wednesday Addams’s boyfriend wears bright colors.
The Addams Family, with book by Marshall Brickman (a frequent Woody Allen collaborator back in the day), enjoyed a successful run on Broadway starring Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth from 2010 to 2011. Like the original, the tour also delivered a ghoulishly good time, as promised.
