In spite of the few risque lines and looks there
is no doubt that  The Addams Family Musical is a family show and a
Broadway show. You will tap your toes, smile,  laugh out loud, even at
the mandatory corny jokes, snap your fingers and clap your hands. Those of you familiar with the Charles Addams' cartoons or with the TV, movie and/or books about his weird lovable creatures will find them on stage and, from all the
kids in the audience, it is obvious that Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester,
Wednesday and the rest of the family will be around for years.

There
have been many articles written about the changes made specifically for
the touring company and all I can say, never having seen the show
before, they had to be for the better. The show revolves around
Wednesday and her being love with the normal Lucas, the never ending
love affair between Morticia and Gomez being questioned because he had
to choose between allegiance to his wife or daughter and where has the
love gone from Alice and Mal's marriage.

On
the production end, from the lighting to the costumes, though you have
to wonder if Morticia has any wardrobe malfunctions, to special effects,
sure to puzzle you during Uncle Fester's song about the moon, make up
and pupperty are all first class.

You
will be into the songs with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa as they
are played and will forget them five minutes after the curtain goes down
but that's okay as they serve their purpose and the thirteen
(coincidence?) musicians led by Conductor Valerie Gebert service every
note of the music.

Whereas
you may forget the music you certainly will remember many of the book's
lines by Marshall Brickiman and Rick Elice. Along with the corny jokes
there are sharp, up to date quips and exchanges and they make the
conflict between Gomez and Morticia and important part of the show. They
show the Addams family doing the creepy things and being the creepy
people the audience has come to love.

Jerry
Zaks gets the credit as 'Entire Production under the supervision of'
having joined the company in the pre-Broadway tryout in Chicago and
working on it ever since, with original direction by Phelim and Julian
Crouch. Zaks is responsible for all the changes made for the tour.

Douglas
Sills, playing Gomez,  gets all the fun he can out of the script and
comes across as a Broadway leading man with a good voice who seems more
surer of himself in the second act. Sara Gettelfinger, who is Morticia,
certainly has the figure to carry off wearing the almost can be fatal
dress, acts well, sings with warmth but seems to lose her confidence
when it comes to the dancing. The choreography by Sergio Trujillo isn't
taxing but you can almost hear Ms. Gettelfinger counting each step in
her head as she moves. Sadly this makes for a big let down in the tango
number between her and Sills eliminating the chemistry they had shown
previously.

Cortney
Wolfson, as Wednesday, has a strong voice and plays her role well as
does Brian Justin Crum while Patrick D. Kennedy as her brother Pugsley
is an assured young actor. Crista Moore and Martin Vidnovic as Lucas's
parents and Pippa Pearthree as Grandma hold their own on stage working
with each other not trying to steal the spotlight though each could.

Due
to their roles, characters and the actors playing the, Blake Hammond as
Uncle Fester and Tom Corbeil as Lurch, own the stage whenever they are
on it or, in Hammond's case, when he is flying on it!

The chorus of 10, known as the Addams Ancestors, give strong backup.

"The Addams Family" may not be a show for the ages but it is for today, for the family and for all the cities on their tour!

First act; 1 hour and 10 minutes   Intermission; 17 minutes   2nd act 53 minutes Total time: 2 hours and 20 minutes

Smoke and smoking on stage.

Tour continues on to: Orlando, West Palm and then on to Toronto

Next show at Arsht Center  Shrek The Musical December 6-11