<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Times;
panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:77;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Palatino;
panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Times;
mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-hansi-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-noshow:yes;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<p style="color:rgb(51,102,255)" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Palatino">*************************************************************************************************************************************<br>
</span></b></p><p style="color:rgb(51,102,255)" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Palatino">ADDAMS FAMILY at
Playhouse Square generally entertaining</span></b></p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,102,255)" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></b></p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,102,255)" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">Roy Berko</span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,102,255)" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Palatino">(Member,
American Theatre Critics Association, Cleveland Critics Circle)</span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,102,255)" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,102,255)" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">I saw the first preview
performance of THE ADAMS FAMILY A NEW MUSICAL COMEDY in Chicago.<span style> </span>The production was long, extremely
long.<span style> </span>Many in the audience left at
intermission, most had left when the final curtain fell.<span style> </span></span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,102,255)" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,102,255)" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">I understand there was a
great deal of rewriting before the show opened on Broadway.<span style> </span>In spite of a cast featuring Nathan
Lane as Gomez and Bebe Neuwirth as Morticia, when the 2010 Great White Way
production opened, the critics reacted with attacks on the music, the script
and the cast. </span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,102,255)" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,102,255)" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">Fortunately, the touring
production , now on stage at the Palace Theatre, while not the greatest evening
of theatre, is humorous in parts, has lost lots of its unnecessary bulk, is a
reasonable length, and is generally entertaining. <span style> </span>Most importantly, the cast is quite good and though there was
some fleeing at intermission, much of the audience came back and gave the show
a standing ovation. <span style> </span>But, let’s be
honest, it was a Cleveland automatic standing O that is mandatory for
everything from a kindergarten show in which the scenery falls down to an
amazing production like last season’s NEXT TO NORMAL. </span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,102,255)" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,102,255)" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">THE ADDAMS FAMILY, with
music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice,
who were responsible for THE JERSEY BOYS, is based on the cartoon characters of
Charles Addams.<span style> </span>Yes, it depicts
the ghoulish, eccentric, macabre family chronicled in the single-panel epics
that were darkly humorous and had unbelievably strange characters.<span style> </span>These were the same persons who were in
the two season-television show, several animated cartoons, and three motion
pictures. </span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,102,255)" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,102,255)" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">The show’s North American tour began in
September of 2011.<span style> </span>Before it went
on the road, more rewriting took place. <span style> </span>It appears that those adjustments helped make the show more
entertaining.</span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,102,255)" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,102,255)" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">What goes on in this off-beat take on 19th
Century Gothic?<span style> </span>Wednesday, the
family’s ghoulish daughter has fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man
from a respectable family.<span style> </span>Of
course, no good can come from this, as we watch family ghosts come out of the
cemetery to join Uncle Fester, Grandma, Pugsley and Lurch, bedazzle and
confound us.</span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,102,255)" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,102,255)" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">The music, none of which has hit song
potential, helps develop the moods, especially the theme song which had the audience
clapping on cue.<span style> </span>Not being a well-integrated
musical, some of the song and dance numbers could be cut with no loss of story
line continuity.<span style> </span><i style>One Normal Night</i> was clever, <i style>But Love</i> was cute, and Uncle Fester
(Blake Hammond) stopped the show with <i style>The
Moon and Me</i>.</span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,102,255)" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,102,255)" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">This is a full-scale production.<span style> </span>The sets are complex, the large pit
orchestra<span style> </span>excellent, the costumes
well-conceived.<span style> </span>Floating people
and a moon landing, special effects, and puppets help create the fun.</span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,102,255)" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,102,255)" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">Douglas Sills gave a Gomez interpretation that
stuck with the original concept of Charles Addams, rather than making the role
into a series of shticks, which was the case with Nathan Lane.<span style> </span>Blake Hammond was a total delight as
Uncle Fester, as was Pippa Pearthree as Grandma.<span style> </span>Cortney Wolfson was acceptable as Wednesday.<span style> </span>Clevelander Patrick Kennedy, who many
in the audience may have seen in such productions as SECRET GARDEN at Near West
Theatre, has a nice singing voice and made for a cute Pugsley, the kid who
loves to be tortured.<span style> </span>Tom Corbeil
could have been a little stiffer and more exaggerated as Lurch, but displayed a
nice singing voice.<span style> </span>Crista Moore
was a hoot as Alice, Wednesday’s boyfriend’s mother.<span style> </span>The only real cast disappointment was Sara Gettelfinger as
Morticia.<span style> </span>Maybe it’s the way the
role is written because </span><span style="font-family:Palatino">Bebe Neuwirth
didn’t do much with the part either.</span><span style="font-family:Palatino"></span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,102,255)" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,102,255)" class="MsoNormal"><i style><span style="font-family:Palatino">CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:<span style> </span>Don’t go to see THE ADDAMS FAMILY expecting to see great
theatre, it isn’t, but, based on the response of the opening night audience,
most people should enjoy themselves.</span></i></p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,102,255)" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,102,255)" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">Tickets for THE ADDAMS
FAMILY, which runs through April 22 at the Palace Theater, can be ordered by
calling 216-241-6000 or going to <a href="http://www.playhousesquare.org/"><span style="text-decoration:none">www.playhousesquare.org</span></a>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"><span style="color:rgb(51,102,255)">************************************************************************************************************************************************************</span><br>
</span></p>