THE ADDAMS FAMILY Plays Starlight Theatre, Now thru 7/8

Starlight Theatre continues its 62nd anniversary Broadway season with a creepy and kooky musical for the whole family. The new musical comedy, The Addams Family, based on the bizarre and beloved family of characters created by legendary cartoonist Charles Addams, will make its Kansas City premiere tonight, July 3 through July 8 at Starlight.

“It’s a very funny show about families that has been revised for the national tour – it’s better and even funnier now than it was on Broadway,” said Denton Yockey, Starlight president and executive producer. “The touring production has new music with lyrics that appeal to multi-generational audiences.”

The Addams Family features every father’s nightmare: Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family. A man her parents have never met. And if that weren't upsetting enough, she confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother. Now, Gomez Addams must do something he's never done before - keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday's "normal" boyfriend and his parents. The musical comedy is suitable for most audiences; content information is available at www.kcstarlight.com.

Starlight audiences attending the July 4 performance of The Addams Family will be treated to a spectacular fireworks celebration immediately following the performance.

The Addams Family, which began performances in March 2010 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre and ran through December 2011, immediately became one of Broadway’s biggest hits. Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune described the production as “classic, full-tilt, fast paced, old-fashioned musical comedy!” and John Simon of Bloomberg News called it “uproarious! A glitzy-gloomy musical entirely worthy of the macabre drawings by Charles Addams.”

The book of The Addams Family is by Jersey Boys creators Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice (also Tony-nominated for Peter and The Starcatcher); music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa (The Wild Party). The production is directed and designed (sets and costumes) by Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch, with production supervision by Jerry Zaks and choreography by Sergio Trujillo. The production features impressive lighting design by Natasha Katz (2012 Tony Award winner for Once), sound design by ACME Sound Partners and delightfully spooky puppetry by Basil Twist.

The concept for The Addam’s Family Musical is based on the work of Charles Addams. In a prolific career spanning six decades, Addams created several thousand cartoons, sketches and drawings, many of which were published in The New Yorker. But it was his creation of characters that came to be known as The Addams Family that brought Addams his greatest acclaim. With a unique style that combined the twisted, macabre and just plain weird with charm, wit and enchantment, Addams’ drawings have entertained millions worldwide and served as the inspiration for multiple television series and motion pictures.

Tickets for The Addams Family at Starlight Theatre are on sale now for $10 to $85. Tickets are available online at www.kcstarlight.com, by calling 816.363.STAR (7827) or at the Starlight Box Office at 4600 Starlight Road. All performances begin at 8 p.m. “A Scary Good Italian Extravaganza,” pre-show dinner will be available in The Helzberg Diamonds VIP Club. Reservations can be made by calling the Starlight Box Office before 3 p.m. the night of the show.

Starlight also welcomes theatre-goers to arrive early to get a free, behind-the-scenes look at the theatre and its rich history in Kansas City. Tours begin at 6:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m., and 7 p.m. Patrons interested in touring Starlight theatre should meet at the top of the theatre behind Terrace Section 1.

Presenting Broadway entertainment since 1951, the non-profit Starlight Theatre Association is Kansas City’s oldest and largest performing arts organization. The Association operates, programs and maintains the largest stage in the United States, as well as the 16-acre Starlight Theatre complex located in Swope Parkway. While assuming all annual operating costs for the complex, the Association also raises funds for capital improvements and a variety of programs, including national Broadway musical performances, concerts, community outreach and education. Since 2000, the Association has contributed more than $25 million of privately funded improvements to the Kansas City, Mo.-owned Starlight Theatre. Each Broadway season, Starlight donates more than 11,000 tickets to its performances to regional non-profit organizations serving the disadvantaged.

In 2011, Starlight Theatre was selected as the “Favorite Performing Arts Venue” and the “Favorite Concert/Live Music Venue” in the Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association’s Visitors’ Choice Awards program. Starlight also received a Gold Award for “Best Performing Arts Venue” and Silver Award for “Best Theater” in Ingram’s 2011 Best of Business Kansas City Awards, as well as the award for “Best Live Theater Venue” in the KC Magazine City’s Best 2011 competition.