Each year, I look forward to the musical performed by the graduating class of the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts. Not only do these super talented triple-threat students excel at acting, singing and dancing, but they often select a relatively fresh, new musical that I have not seen before. This year was no exception as we watched
The Addams Family, based on the campy 1960s TV show.
I was first exposed to this musical when its opening number ("
When You're An Addams") was performed at the 2010 Tony Awards, and subsequently bought the soundtrack, so I was thrilled to finally be able to watch a live performance of the show.
Most of the major characters from the TV show are accounted for including the parents Gomez and Morticia, their children Wednesday and Pugsley, Uncle Fester, Grandma and the zombie-like butler Lurch. A hand even pops out from behind a curtain to represent the disembodied "Thing". The only TV regular not represented is the hairy "Cousin Itt". The main storyline of the musical revolves around eighteen-year-old daughter Wednesday falling in love with a "normal" boy named Lucas. She invites Lucas and his parents Mal and Alice to dinner so that the two sets of parents can meet and hopefully approve of the besotted couple's engagement. One of the best songs in the score aptly summarizes the main source of tension in the story, as both Wednesday and Lucas hope for a pleasant, uneventful dinner and implore their parents for "
One Normal Night".
Subtle aspects of the Broadway production's plot of The Addams Family were changed once the show started its U.S. tour. The latter version is the one that is usually performed today. In the Broadway version, Gomez and Morticia sing the song "
Where Did We Go Wrong", as they are united in their disapproval of Wednesday's involvement with the "normal boy" who is causing their daughter to act uncharacteristically "perky, bubbly and optimistic". The touring version changed this, making Gomez a reluctant conspirator with Wednesday in hiding the truth about her relationship with Lucas from Morticia. This new wrinkle provides greater opportunity for dramatic conflict as well has humour. Gomez now sings the hilarious song "
Trapped" as he laments having to choose between being loyal to his daughter or his wife, while Morticia sings that there are no "
Secrets" between her and her spouse–a fact that she soon learns is not true.
The Randolph Academy production of The Addams Family was excellent as usual. Wearing stellar costumes, wigs and makeup, the family members channeled the original TV characters, while the costumes of the chorus of ghoulish dead (or undead) ancestors were innovative and unique (except for the one who looked like she was dressed in an outfit recycled from the musical Cats). While the entire cast was good, stand-out performances were given by the two actors playing Gomez and Morticia. They both had excellent singing voices and superb comedic timing in delivering the jokes and perfectly mimicking the silly movements, gestures and intonations of their iconic roles. By contrast, the voice of the actress who played Wednesday was not quite as strong, and at times, it felt like she was shrieking as opposed to belting out her lines.
Performed at the Annex Theatre, much planning and choreography must have been required to allow such a large cast to roam around the relatively small space. The actors moved in and out of the aisles and occasionally danced so close to the audience that it felt like they would fall into our laps. The set included two stairwells that allowed the actors to use the second-floor catwalk as an extension of the stage, and a giant wall clock that opened up to reveal a window which Uncle Fester occasionally popped his head out from.
I'm looking forward to the next offerings by the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts, including their annual submission to the Fringe Festival, and the year-end show by the next graduating class.
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