Review: THE ADDAMS FAMILY THE MUSICAL at Walnut Street Theatre

Living or dead, to the Addams brood, “We’re all family!”

They’re creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky. And at Philadelphia’s Walnut Street Theatre, they’re singing, dancing, falling in love, and confronting that most terrifying prospect of all: normality.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY – THE MUSICAL transports Charles Addams’ delightfully macabre creations into a musical comedy where the greatest horror is not death or dismemberment. It is the possibility that Wednesday Addams has fallen in love with an ordinary young man from an ordinary family.

For the Addams clan, this is a catastrophe of biblical proportions.

Wednesday (Abbie Parker) has fallen for Lucas Beineke, whose parents inhabit a universe considerably less bizarre than the Addams mansion. She confides in her father, Gomez, extracting a promise not to tell Morticia.

Therein lies the dilemma. Gomez has never kept a secret from his beloved wife. Now he must choose between loyalty to his daughter and honesty with Morticia.

Wednesday invites Lucas and his parents to dinner, hoping the families might discover common ground. What follows is a gloriously uncomfortable collision of cultures, parental expectations, and a magical potion that encourages considerably more disclosure than good manners permit.

Meanwhile, Uncle Fester pursues a romance with the moon, Pugsley fears losing his sister, and the ancestral Addams spirits refuse to return to their graves until love triumphs.

Beneath the cobwebs and deliciously twisted dialogue lies an affectionate message about marriage, growing up, and accepting those we love, however peculiar.

And who among us doesn't have a peculiar relative or two?

Direction and Choreography

Director/choreographer Richard Stafford returns to the Walnut after excelling in those capacities in several outstanding productions. His command of ensemble movement and theatrical spectacle is again abundantly evident.

Most compelling were his extraordinarily tight production numbers, particularly “Full Disclosure” and “The Moon and Me,” with visual formations reminiscent of Busby Berkeley's kaleidoscopic extravaganzas of the 1930s.

Berkeley transformed dancers into geometric works of art. Stafford demonstrates a similar instinct for arranging bodies, costumes, and movement into dazzling theatrical pictures.

And then there's tap dancing!

“Just Around the Corner,” with Morticia (Lindsay Bliven) leading the pack, was as tight as a Broadway budget and twice as unforgiving. The rhythmic precision and exuberance made it an evening highlight.

Even the dead appear to have rehearsed religiously.

A Family of Delightful Eccentrics

Damon Bonetti, as Gomez, possesses compelling stage presence and a particularly strong singing voice. His rendition of “Morticia” combines romantic ardor with delicious absurdity.

Equally effective is “Happy/Sad,” as Gomez confronts the bittersweet realization that his little girl is growing up. Bonetti strikes precisely the correct balance between delight and dismay, allowing genuine parental tenderness to emerge from the lunacy.

Lindsay Bliven, as Morticia, offers an elegant mixture of icy sophistication, aristocratic hauteur, and seductive reserve. Previously seen at the Walnut as Vivienne in LEGALLY BLONDE, she brings sharp characterization to this considerably darker domestic universe.

Her physical grace becomes especially apparent in the dance sequences, where Morticia's imposing dignity gives way to dazzling theatrical energy.

Kelly Briggs, as Uncle Fester, delivers exactly the right combination of portentous dread and hilarious eccentricity. His romantic fascination with the moon supplies some of the musical's most delightfully ridiculous moments.

And then there's Lurch, portrayed by the very tall and intimidating Aren Duffy.

Walnut audiences rarely expect performers to break character, but Duffy's assignment must require heroic concentration. His stoic demeanor, robotic walk, and magnificently economical expressions elicited considerable laughter from the packed opening-night audience.

The less Lurch does, the funnier he becomes. In musical comedy, that's an art form unto itself.

A Wednesday Worth Celebrating

One of the evening's most impressive performances comes from Abbie Parker as Wednesday Addams.

Parker combines superb singing with an instinctive understanding of Wednesday's contradictions. Raised to cherish darkness and discomfort, she suddenly experiences that most conventional human emotion: love.

Parker reveals the vulnerable young woman beneath Wednesday's formidable exterior without sacrificing her wonderfully deadpan humor.

Remarkably, Parker is only a high school senior and already the youngest recipient of a prestigious Barrymore Award.

Her vocal strength, maturity, and theatrical assurance would impress in an experienced professional.

What a career lies ahead!

Costumes and Spectacle

Longtime Walnut Costume Designer Mary Folino creates a visual feast of fantastic, outrageous attire.

The ancestral spirits provide imaginative opportunities for period costumes, ghostly embellishments, and extravagant silhouettes.

Particularly memorable are the fans employed in large production sequences. Combined with Stafford's choreography, they reinforce the Busby Berkeley comparison, creating striking patterns reminiscent of lavish Hollywood musicals.

The Final Curtain

What makes THE ADDAMS FAMILY so enjoyable is that beneath its macabre exterior lies something entirely recognizable: family life.

Parents worry. Husbands keep secrets. Children fall in love with precisely the people their parents would never select. And relatives, living or deceased, insist on interfering.

Sound familiar?

Stafford's inventive direction, precision choreography, accomplished ensemble, and Parker's exceptional performance combine for a thoroughly entertaining evening.

The Addams family may revel in darkness, but this production radiates theatrical vitality.

Living or dead, normal or decidedly abnormal, we're all family.

And in the Addams household, that's not a threat.

It's a promise.

Through November 1

THE ADDAMS FAMILY: The Musical -- Walnut Street Theatre -- Philadelphia, PA -- Official Website  215-574-3550

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