CheekyChicago

The first few moments of The Addams Family – now playing at the Oriental Theatre – are absolutely thrilling. The iconic theme music trills as the curtain is pulled back to reveal the eponymous group. They don’t move for a good minute, and for that minute the family and the decrepit mansion that they stand in front of seem like a page torn out of a story book. Or out of The New Yorker – the magazine in which the “Addams Family” cartoon originated. The tableau was all the more goosebump-worthy for me when I recognized Nathan Lane as Gomez Addams and Bebe Neuwirth as the sultry Morticia. I had to pinch myself. I was in Musical Theatre heaven.

This picture of dignified stillness and family solidarity sets up the rest of the mad cap musical quite nicely. Quickly, the family explodes into the “Clandango,” a number in which Wednesday Addams, played by the immensely talented Krysta Rodriguez, undergoes an Addams Family coming-of-age ritual. Her pigtails are ceremoniously cut off, the family dances a traditional Spanish dance in the graveyard and she becomes…a woman. In the next scene, Wednesday announces, somewhat predictably, that she is in love. In love with a “normal” boy named Lucas who has very “normal parents.” She pleads with her own parents to follow suit. Soon, Lucas and his parents, Alice and Mal Beineke, are invited to dinner at the Addams Estate and the ensuing culture clash – WASP vs. Witchy – provides for two hours of non-stop entertainment.

One of the definite highlights of the musical for me was Wednesday’s first song, “Pulled,” in which she bemoans the fact that her new beau is lightening her previously dismal disposition. I promise that when the soundtrack is released, this number will be the most downloaded. It is catchy and darkly funny. While singing it, Wednesday is torturing her younger brother – providing amusing context. Another highlight is Carolee Carmello’s perfect portrayal of Alice Beineke – a desperate, Midwestern housewife who comes way out of her shell during an Addams Family dinner game. Her song “Waiting” is both heartbreaking and hilarious. And though it seems fairly obvious, Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth are mesmerizing. They are true pros. I would only ask that they be allowed to shine more than they already do. At times they felt inappropriately overshadowed.

There are other obvious weak spots that should be honed before the musical proceeds to Broadway. First, the chorus of Addams Ancestors feels largely superfluous and the numbers involving them tend to be unwieldy and boring. The core cast is such a powerhouse that the musical should be pared down to feature them without the unnecessary support of extras. Second, the “Swordfight Tango” number, in which Morticia and Gomez fight a la Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta Jones, has promise, but the choreography should be tightened. Sword fighting that feels unrehearsed is never a good thing.

Although there are some hitches to overcome, this musical is a gem and is worth seeing pre-Broadway. But hurry!! The Chicago run is over January 10th. So buy your tickets now and think of it as your first step in a New Year’s Resolution to see more theatre.