By MH Thomas
The Addams Family: A NEW MUSICAL COMEDY (a Utah Valley premiere) is a creepy, kooky way to usher in the Halloween season. Director Shawn M. Mortensen had fun with his spooky subject. It is evident throughout the production that he paid attention to detail in every way so those of us who grew up watching The Addams Family on television would be pleased. For me, this show is kind of a walk down memory lane. They are all there: from Morticia and Gomez and the children to Lurch, Fester and Grandmama. Cousin It and Thing even make brief appearances. The plot of this new musical comedy introduces us to some new characters that make the fun times really begin.
Yes, there is the expected finger snapping as the curtain goes up. Lurch (played by David Henry) presents a very imposing figure with fog swirling around him in the moonlight. He is standing in the graveyard with the members of the Addams Family.
It seems that there is something going on in the family and daughter Wednesday (Morgan Flandro) speaks to her father about her romance with a young man who is not like them, Lucas played by Brandon Haden. Gomez (Jack Stokes) does not know what to do. He is pulled between keeping his daughter’s confidence and wanting to confide the secret to his wife. Pugsley (Mitch Bandley) does not like the thought of losing his sister to this stranger. Their father Gomez is not the only who is confused. Wednesday is discovering things and feelings that are foreign to the way that she grew up. As Wednesday sings about her feelings, you can’t help but admire her strong voice and impressive facial expressions. Lucas and his parents are invited to spend the evening in the Addams’ Mansion. Alice (Delaybe Bluth Dayton) and Mal (Spencer Powell) Beineke are not altogether certain they want to go through with dinner with the Addams Family. Mal blusters and Alice recites silly little off the cuff poems. Dayton‘s Alice is convincingly ditzy. Fester (Patrick Brannelly) is a character who is all about love. He enlists the help of the ancestors to assist the young couple as they come to terms with each other and try to win over the support of their respective families. Fester is played with a light-hearted innocence and a sense of fun.
Shelly Stewart Truax does a fine job of portraying Morticia. We found her performance to be the creepiest of the evening. She also displays a sense of her own awareness of her place as the undeniably desirable (at least in the minds of she and her husband) queen of the family. All kinds of hilarity ensues as the dinner party progresses. We learn of secret loves and secrets kept. The young couple struggles to understand each other. The families have a hard time accepting all that is going on around them. The ancestors do their best to keep the lovers on track. Will the families accept this unorthodox union?
Grandma (Brandi Washburn) is a delightful and funny part of the musical. Her sense of timing and her movement are quirky and charming—in a spooky way. We enjoyed her interactions Pugsley. Through the show, Lurch (David Henry) mutters and grunts incoherently. As the show is coming to an end, we discover that he actually has a lovely voice and that he can sing real, understandable words.
The ensemble is made up of Addams ancestors from various times in the past. They are an integral part of this performance. Their singing is spot on and truly impressive. Their costumes and makeup are excellent and their singing and dancing very enjoyable.
Congratulations to music director, Kellsey Mariner Thacker for an excellent job. The costumes (Deborah Bowman) and hair and makeup (Danielle Berry) are exceptional. We cannot forget the choreographer, Shawn M. Mortensen, who brought creepily fun movement to the production. The technical director, Nat Reed, also does a great job with all the special effects. The set by M’Liss Tollman is stunning.
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One thing we found confusing was the use of Gomez’s Spanish accent. Sometimes it was there and sometimes it was not. We wondered if this was a deliberate choice, but we did not see a clear pattern.
Our assessment of this production can be expressed in two words: Girl Power! Although we enjoyed all the performances, we felt that the women were stronger in their acting and singing. Way to go, ladies. You are very talented.
There were many children in attendance and for the most part, this is a family show, with a few suggestive comments. If you like fun, creepy Halloween plays, go the the SCERA. You won’t be disappointed.
September 12 – October 4
Times: Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays. Show starts @ 7:30 PM Doors open @ 7:00 PM
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION: The show will be interpreted in American Sign Language on Thursday, September 18th. If you know someone who might need this service, please help us spread the word. Seating for this show is reserved, so please let us know you will be attending and how many are in your group at least 24 hours in advance by sending an email to april@scera.org.
Prices: ALL SEATS RESERVED To purchase tickets, call (801) 225-ARTS or click the BUY TICKETS button at the bottom of this page. If seating is available, you may also purchase tickets at the door 30 minutes prior to each show. $12 Adult $10 Child (age 3-11) $10 Senior (age 65+) Location: SCERA Center: Showhouse II 745 South State Street, Orem, UT 84058
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