Full Disclosure: HCT’s Addams Family is a Macabre Delight

SALT LAKE CITY —  As a native Californian, I always hope that summer never ends. It’s August. You can keep your pumpkin-spiced-everything until the daily high can’t get above 60 degrees. But from the moment I arrived at our seats in Hale Centre Theatre’s Sorensen Legacy Jewel Box, I began to be convinced to let a little bit of the spooky season in. HCT presented The Addams Family with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and orchestrations from Larry Hochman which is an unearthly romance that explores finding new ways to love your spouse through three very different couples. The stage was beautifully grim with dim lighting, ambient swamp sounds, and a raised sarcophagus downstage center. What was truly enchanting was the several unvoiced minutes that Uncle Fester spent playing with Thing at the beginning of the show. Fester entered, set down a box with Thing, and then Thing began playing zills (finger cymbals), using a ZanZhi (Chinese finger trap), and pitching and catching with a velcro ball and catch game. The late Mark Brotherton often said, “It’s called a play, not a serious” and this was such a wonderful pre-show moment that set a wonderful tone for the whole performance. 

Director Rob Moffat did a spectacular job letting the actors simply enjoy the macabre story they had to tell. The show had excellent flow as the actors felt like they had purpose in each moment on stage. I loved the way that the actors were always ready for the next scene, but the moments on stage were allowed to develop to the extent that they needed to. There’s a lovely moment during the dinner party when Mal (Sanford Porter) and Alice (Kelly Coombs) are awkwardly encountered by Addams’. The two of them stood statuesque for such a long time, that I was convinced something had been dropped. Instead, it just became a slow march toward center stage that had the audience consistently breaking out in laughter across different sections. Moffat was exceptional in finding moments and helping character arcs become very clear. He also very clearly tamped down on the heavy sexual innuendo of the text, and allowed it to be a much more family friendly affair than Addams Family sometimes has a reputation for being. 

HCT’s Addams Family is a thrilling and chilling family affair that impressed me from start to finish. Three technical elements especially stood out. The first was the scenic design from Jenn Taylor. Taylor has found a myriad of impressive ways to transform the Jewel Box stage, but this may have been her finest work yet. It felt like entering the haunted mansion and through clever use of stairs, rolling platforms, and hedge mazes, the set is in constant motion to allow the story to pass with the actors. The fine details of the set were impressive on each piece, including the long banquet table that allowed Thing to pass a chalice from end to end while sliding gracefully up and down the table. 

Marnee Porter’s Makeup design was phenomenal. It’s easy to allow Wednesday to roll hard into the animated or Netflix stereotype of ultra brooding, heavily lidded gothicness that is only lifted by costume elements. Porter’s design allowed her to be part of the morbid family while also distinctly lighter and cheerful. The ancestors and Lurch were similarly beautiful in their undead way and the work was a spectacular element of the show. 

The family jewel may have been Candice Nielsen’s costume design, however. Her ancestors were so distinct while being harmonious. Without seeing the program, it was easy to identify the eclectic ancestors of the Addams Family. Everything from a Viking and a flapper to a cowboy, conquistador and Zorro were instantly recognizable. The family’s black tones were unique and vibrant and made the whole show look alive constantly. 

What helped was having strong acting throughout the cast. The ensemble performed Lindsey D. Smith’s choreography incredibly well and made Addams Family have the traditional musical theatre feeling that a show like this might miss for its humor and design elements. The leads including Morticia (Megan Heaps) Fester (Dale Hoopes) and others were standout dancers in some truly fun chorography that the whole cast performed excellently. 

Each of the leads sung quite well, perhaps none more so than Jessica Zaugg whose belt during “Pulled” was exceptionally good. The singing never overpowered the acting and the storytelling, but it never let up its quality either. That’s such a delicate balance to strike and Moffat’s team nailed it. 

The humor of the show was present throughout. As mentioned above, it would be easy to lean hard into the lewdness of certain jokes, but they were handled tastefully. Gomez (Ben Henderson) was hilarious and had exceptional chemistry with everyone on stage. The show was absolutely stolen by Kelly Coombs portrayal of Alice however. Coombs was, in the best way possible, a lunatic. When she was the falsely positive, sing-song-rhymey version of Alice, she did so in a way that felt unhinged, but not grating. When she finally let loose – and boy did she ever – the explosion was gut busting and wild. I laughed hard enough to hurt at some of her quips and she was so funny. The best part was, it was part of a cast of excellent comedic actors and was the kind of show that must have had exceptional camaraderie. 

My only complaint was that, especially in the show’s early numbers, the sound mixing was not good. Designer Michelle Ohumukini had the underscoring play in surround sound, but the actor mics didn’t play through some of the house speakers – just the ones at the front. As a result, the mix sometimes made the music overpower the actors and words were drowned out in songs. I’m not sure if the mix improved or the cast sang up as the show went on, but it felt like more of a design issue than a mixing issue. Either way, it never fully resolved and there were moments in each song where soloists or ensemble were overpowered by the music. 

Other than that, it’s a show that I already want to see again. Despite the story’s extreme obsession with the gory aspects of life, it’s heart warming and relatable in terms of navigating complex family relationships. My 10 year old understood the story’s points, laughed at the jokes and was literally at the edge of his seat for most of the production as he was so engrossed. HCT’s Addams Family has set an exceptionally high bar for this fall’s family entertainment. Go, before it’s too late. 

Editor’s Note: Pictures for this production have not yet been received by UTBA. They will be added when received.