|
DETAILS CRITICOPIA BROADWAY
| Show Title: |
Addams Family, The |
| Subtitle: |
|
| Total Rating: |
***1/4 |
| Previews: |
March 8, 2010 |
| Opened: |
April 8, 2010 |
| Ended: |
open run |
| Other Dates: |
|
| Country: |
USA |
| State: |
New York |
| City: |
New York |
| Theater Type: |
Broadway |
| Company / Producers: |
Stuart Oken, Roy Furman, Michael Leavitt, Five Cent Productions, Stephen Schuler, Decca Theatricals, Scott M. Delman, Stuart Ditsky, Terry Allen Kramer, Stephanie P. McClelland, James L. Nederlander, Eva Price, Jam Theatricals/Mary Lu Roffe; Pittsburgh CLO/Gutterman-Swinsky, Vivek Tiwary/Gary Kaplan, The Weinstein Company/Clarence LLC & Adam Zotovich/Tribe Theatricals by arr w/ Elephant Eye Theatrical. |
| Theater: |
Lunt Fontanne Theater |
| Theater Address: |
205 West 46 Street |
| Phone: |
212-307-4100 |
| Website: |
theaddamsfamilymusical.com |
| Running Time: |
|
| Genre: |
Musical |
| Author: |
Book: Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice; Score: Andrew Lippa, adapting Charles Addams cartoons |
| Director: |
Phelim McDermott & Julian Crouch w/ Jerry Zaks |
| Choreographer: |
Sergio Trujillo |
| Review: |
The Addams Family, with a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, is an absurdist musical with a moribund conceit performed by two superstars (Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth) a few subsidiary stars (Kevin Chamberlin, Krysta Rodrigues, Jackie Hoffman, Terrence Mann and Carolee Carmello) and a high-steppin’ chorus of ghosts. It’s full-out farce, full of good jokes performed
with perfect comic timing on a brilliant, active set by Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch who also directed (with a save by Jerry Zaks) and who designed the costumes with flair and panache. Zippy choreography by Sergio Trujillo, and creative, perfect lighting by the masterful Natasha Katz help, too. There is even some terrific puppetry by Basil Twist. The romantic story propelling the show is weak and simplistic— parents of boy and girl disapprove of the romance — but the plot is only a vehicle for the jokes, and they are good; nobody has better comic timing than Lane. Neuwirth is a beautiful, charismatic performer with great physicality, and she’s dazzling in her Tango dance. Chamberlin’s Moon Dance is a show-stopper, and the very partisan audience loved the show from finger-snappin’ opening to final tableau. Yes, it’s “mere entertainment”-- but it’s lots of fun, especially for fans of previous incarnations of the Addamses.
|
| Parental: |
|
| Other Critics: |
|
| Miscellaneous: |
|
| Awards: |
|
| Cast: |
Bebe Neuwirth (Morticia), Nathan Lane (Gomez), Kevin Chamberlin (Fester), Terrence Mann (Mal), Carolee Carmello (Alice), Jackie Hoffman (Grandma), Zachary James (Lurch), Adam Riegler (Pugsley), Wesley Taylor (Lucas), Krysta Rodriguez (Wednesday). |
| Technical: |
Set: Phelim McDermott & Julian Crouch. Lighting: Natasha Katz; Sound: Acme Sound Partners; Puppets: Basil Twist. Music Dir: Mary-Mitchell Campbell; Orch: Larry Hochman; Dance Arr: August Eriksmoen; Hair: Tom Watson; Make-up: Angelina Avallone; Effects: Greg Meeh; Fight Dir: Rick Sordelet. |
| Critic: |
Richmond Shepard |
| Date Reviewed: |
April 2010 |
|
