The Addams Family

The Addams Family is a Musical Comedy, with Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa and a Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. The show is based upon The Addams Family characters created by Charles Addams in his single-panel gag cartoons, which depict a ghoulish American family with an affinity for all things macabre. Although numerous film and television adaptations of Addams' cartoons exist, with the 1964 to 1966 TV show the most famous, the musical is the first stage show based on the characters. The original cast featured Nathan Lane as Gomez and Bebe Neuwirth as Morticia.

This was my second time to see Zenith and The Addams Family is a show that I know and have performed in, which can be both an advantage and a disadvantage to a report. I’m very pleased to say this was another excellent production from Zenith, which I enjoyed very much.

The stage area in the Kingswood Theatre is a challenging one as it is quite shallow but also potentially very wide. The production made great use of this space, with the centrepiece an impressive fixed set of two huge staircases facing each other, coming together at a central raised lower platform, all of which was mainly used to portray the inside of the Addams Family home. Below this was an extensively used front stage area, though all of the set areas were used most effectively in this production. A star cloth was positioned behind the set.

The standout staging though for me was the setting of the 20 Ancestors within picture frames up the stairs and also onto the lower floor area. These were a work of genius - relatively simple but incredibly effective. The frame constructions on wheels allowed them to be free-standing and able to be moved easily for movement in some numbers. Black material below the frames was able to cover the legs of the Ancestors and the addition of the hearts, stars and trees props to the Ancestors in the frames added to the overall effect and the story-telling. In terms of other key items of staging, the torture chair was also a very clever design and allowed Pugsley to control it himself most effectively in ‘Pulled’. The cross-bow arrow scene was really well set-up, but probably needed some additional lighting effects to really come off.  Overall, the set and the staging were quite excellent.

Properties were well-applied and all seemed appropriate – from Gomez’s Torture Chair to Fester’s Rocket Pack. Some were avoided to keep the pace of the production (the dinner table dressing, the Beineke’s bed and Mal’s spider for example) but this did not detract from the production.

The lighting design and application worked really well throughout too – the kind of varied and dynamic style that I really appreciate. Extensive use of haze and a number of other effects, including gobos and some green lighting were able to create and maintain the spooky effect desired for the production. There was some terrific colouring too – the Red, White and Blue for example in ‘Tango D’Amour’ was particularly memorable. A great atmosphere was created in ‘The Moon and Me’ too, through the use of profile spots, colouring and the star cloth at the back. There was some great cueing as well - Gomez’s asides in ‘Two Things’ and later ‘Four Things’ worked really well due to the accuracy of the cues, as well as in ‘Happy/Sad’. Overall, I thought the lighting was great and a real feature of the performance.

The sound and balance were very well-controlled as well. Good volume balances of dialogue and song vocals were made from everyone in the cast, from the major principals to chorus one-liners. There was also some great cueing in-place to manage this. Mixing amplified principal voices with unamplified chorus singing is always difficult at times and this show was no different. However, you were able to hear all of what was being said from both the dialogue and the singing which was brilliant, with the orchestra sound not overpowering the chorus voices and any underscored dialogue.

The costumes were great. For everyone, both Principals and the Chorus, the costumes fitted well. For both the Addams and Beineke families, the costumes matched the characters well and as would have been expected.   The wardrobe team surpassed themselves with the variety and quality of the Ancestor costumes, with many of the roles chosen by the cast themselves. Be it the Gangster, the Flapper or the Egyptian for example, the quality and colour of these costumes were excellent and made a real visual impact on the production. Hair and Make-up too were very good. There is a lot of scope for this with the Addams Family themselves and the make-up was well done, from Gomez and Morticia to Lurch and Fester. Wigs too, especially for Morticia and Wednesday worked well.

The quality of direction was very high. A key feature of this production was pace – everything was set to run quickly to ensure the action zipped along. Occasionally this was at the expense of some of the humorous lines that may have needed a little more time to land fully, but I could clearly see what you were trying to achieve.  In reviewing the main principal performances:

 

• Gomez Addams. This was a really engaging and polished performance. You had the voice, the accent and the stage presence of this very challenging part, maintaining excellent diction throughout with the speed of the production. I loved the contrast of your voice and your performance, from the emotion of ‘Happy/Sad’ right through to the passion and strength of ‘Not Today’ for example. Very well done.
• Morticia Addams. Morticia is such a difficult part as it requires incredible control and yet so much characterisation variation and you had some really great moments. Your Tango with Gomez was particularly memorable and your relationship with him worked really well.
• Wednesday Addams.  You were able to show-off your very powerful singing voice which some lovely performances in ‘Pulled’ and ‘Crazier Than You’, creating a feisty and strong Wednesday. Great work!
• Pugsley Addams. I was made aware that you were unwell during this performance, but you kept the part of Pugsley going really well, creating a Pugsley we really warmed to. You acted well in ‘Pulled’ and put together a memorable ‘What If?’
• Grandma Addams.  I wasn’t sure how this casting was going to work, but it all came together and your performance really grew on me. Your physical and visual comedy worked really well, creating a most memorable Grandma.
• Fester Addams. Really well done in creating and maintaining a most charming and endearing Fester. Vocally challenging for you based upon how it is written, you put it all together and your rather lovely ‘The Moon and Me’ was a real show highlight.
• Lurch. A nicely controlled performance as the Addams’ stone-faced Butler, taking advantage of your considerable height. With suitable grunting, you helped build the surprise for your nice solo in ‘Move Towards the Darkness’.
• Lucas Beineke. This was very nicely sung and performed as Lucas Beineke and you built a convincing relationship with Wednesday.
• Mal Beineke. You delivered this part in a very understated style, which is not what I have seen before but I thought it worked really well. Nicely done!
• Alice Beineke.. This was an impressive performance. You had the voice and the character of Alice completely under control and put together a quite outstanding rendition of ‘Waiting’.
• The Moon. Quite beautifully danced.
• Cousin Itt. Finger-clicking good!

Though not technically principals in this show, the cast in the ensemble as Ancestors really made this production. Hardly ever off stage, all 20 Ancestors were always acting, singing and working together appropriately. The discipline involved in being on-stage for this period of time was very impressive – I doubt most adult groups would have been able to maintain what you did in this production – very, very well done.

The Choreography was a stand-out feature too. It was high in content and complexity at times but it was well-executed from everyone, without or without their Picture Frames!  The movement at the start of ‘When You’re an Addams’ felt deliberately contained before bursting into life. ‘Secrets’ and ‘Just Around the Corner’ were particularly memorable, as was ‘Tango D’Amour’ which I thought really worked with involving the whole cast on either side of Gomez and Morticia. What I also liked was the rotation of the Ancestors from Stairs to Front and back again several times so everyone had the opportunity to be at the front. Very well done on all the choreography in this production – it was a real feature of the show.

The chorus singing itself was very good too, particularly with the movement at the same time. The music itself was very well put-together and controlled by the Musical Director and the band position ensures the music is literally front and centre of the production and an intrinsic part of it. The quality of the orchestra’s playing was very good overall and greatly enhanced the overall performance experience. Very well done.

In summary, The Addams Famil was everything we usually expect from the Zenith Youth Theatre Company - a great production and a wonderful night-out. The performances, the music and the staging all worked really well and the cast and crew are to be congratulated on their hard-work and achievements. Thank you to the Society Members and Delia for looking after Helen and I, and for Scott, George and Roy for taking the time to meet us too – even with the Rose Bowl present as well.  I wish you every success with your future productions!

PLEASE NOTE:

Any observation made by the reviewer can only be based on what he sees at the performance in question.  The reviewer may have received information in advance of the performance and it is inevitable that his assessment will be effected by that knowledge.

The N.O.D.A. Representative’s intention is to give an objective critique of the overall production and in particular the performance viewed.  It should be remembered that any review of this nature can only be objective as far as the techniques used during the performance observed.  Any criticisms expressed may not have been valid at other performances, and are only made to encourage higher standards in Amateur Theatre.

It is hoped that the audience’s appreciation of your efforts will have given everyone a lift and encouraged you to greater achievements in the future and that the observations made by the reviewer will prove helpful in improving future productions.

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