WHAT: The Addams Family
WHERE: Rochester Opera House
BLURB: All Together Kooky
HIGH POINT: The Deft Portrayal Of Iconic Characters And The Voices!
ROH's The Addams Family is a ridiculous, freaky, hilarious, and frightfully entertaining tribute to the season, featuring shockingly deft artistry.
If you love reveling in the spooky season, this is a "must do," not only for its beloved subjects, but for the smashing portrayals of all its iconic, quirky, ooky characters.
If you love reveling in the spooky season, this is a "must do," not only for its beloved subjects, but for the smashing portrayals of all its iconic, quirky, ooky characters.
The Addams tribe, originally a cartoon-panel series, has been a Halloween cult fav since they took to television in the mid '60s eponymous series, and subsequent movies, animations and the most recent Wednesday, series.
The Addams are a delightfully dark, macabre, tight-knit and loving family, oblivious to their peculiarities.
The living include: parents Morticia (Amanda Dane) and Gomez (Kevin Mahaney), children Wednesday (Michelle Faria) and Pugsly (Michael Mone), Uncle Fester (Chris Bradley), Grandma (Erica Skoglund), and butler Lurch (James Pates).
The musical (which swings from upbeat to dark) focuses on loyalty and love of family - dead and alive - and on romantic love.
Wednesday has fallen in love with Lucas (Samuel Tolley) a "regular" boy. This situation puts circumstances in play that disrupt the immediate and broader family, and threatens its bonds. It doesn't do much for Alice and Mal Beineke either, Lucas' parents (Robert Prue and Katie Gall respectfully).
Like all its previous iterations this Addams romp has nothing grounded in reality outside of the human emotions. It's high silliness, often nonsensical and incredibly delightful for it, which is only possible due to the canny portrayals of these iconic characters.
To a person this family's casting is exactly what it should be. So many have voices that fly, and mannerisms that ground - a wickedly wonderful combination.
The relationship between Gomez and Morticia, vital to the show, is thoroughly believable in the hands of Mahaney and Dane. This story hangs on this thread and the two talented performers keep it taut and true.
Mahaney, again, proves himself a master of comedy - his clear, decisive and rich facial gestures perfectly married to script and body expression. Just magnificent.
Dane, per usual, delivers a keen, polished performance. And while lots of voices will be noted here, her power and clarity make her one of the best.
Both Faria as Wednesday and Gall as Alice create strong, smart and distinct personas. (Gall's dinner routine a jaw dropping triumph, and Faria's flat affect impeccable.) Better still, the two bring soaring voices, powerful, clean and beautiful - truly something special and completely satisfying.
Then there's Bradley. Once again this performer proves himself a marvelous comedic character actor. This time around he creates one of the funniest, most touching Festers ever witnessed, a wonderful direction by both Director Jenry Towle and Bradley.
Bradley's man-child Fester is bizarre and beautiful, and completely endearing. What a smashing performance this is, not to be missed.
Skoglund as Grandma does what Skoglund does - fearlessly creates a unique, quirky, hilarious and riveting character. Everything about the performance is on point.
Tolley, another fine voice, makes for a perfect geeky Lucas, and More - yet another lovely voice - is the perfect bratty brother, while Pates' Lurch is everything Lurch should be.
Prue as Mal holds his own, but didn't appear thoroughly comfortable in his character, during opening weekend.
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