ST. GEORGE — Few things set the mood for the Halloween season like a spooky mansion, a graveyard that occasionally releases its spirits, and the howling hilarity that ensues in St. George Musical Theater’s production of The Addams Family, running through Oct. 30, in the St. George Opera House.
Combining ghastly with gregarious and funny with fright, this musical collaboration by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, comes to life at the skillful hands of director Gabriel Ashton Brown, with a cast and crew responsible for a production that manages to feel both nostalgic and new.
In other words, you don’t have to be familiar with the original to thoroughly enjoy this show. But if you are a longtime fan, there are plenty of memorable elements to enjoy.
Based on the 1930s cartoon prints by Charles Addams, as well as the popular 1960s and 1990s television shows and subsequent film versions, the Tony-nominated musical adaptation features all the characters Addams Family fans will remember, and a few new faces who dare to grace the steps of the foreboding mansion.
Opening on the Addams family tradition of gathering in the graveyard to celebrate their ancestral roots, the audience is at once met with the beloved characters of this off-beat clan; their timeless images in black captured perfectly at the hands of costume designer Staci Martin, wig specialist Kristi Delatorre, and makeup artist Brittnee Rodgers. While the main family’s aesthetic certainly deserves mention, it is the ancestors’ appearances that prove to be the most impactful in this opening scene. Done entirely in greyscale, each ancestor’s costume, hair and makeup features attention to even the most subtle details. From the Caveman (Reed Laudie), whose jagged shoulder scars beg to be studied more closely, to the Flight Attendant (Ivie Noelle), whose oxygen mask looks like it was dropped right out of a black and white film, there is much to be appreciated no matter which of the ancestors are in your eyeline.
And dead or alive, the Addams family members can dance! While singing about what it means “When You’re an Addams” the characters showcase their personalities through movement long before any plot points are revealed. Morticia’s (Brooke Bang) smooth and sultry swagger; Wednesday’s (Reese Cummings) deliberate, jerky motion and Lurch’s (Richard Rose) wide eyes boring into the audience as he clomps around the floor, all served to whet the appetite for what else might be in store.
In this episode of the family’s life, daughter Wednesday is all grown up and has fallen in love with human man who is normal, the thought of which her family simply cannot abide. In an effort to rally the family to her new love, a dinner is set for the two unlikely parties to meet. Just prior to their company’s arrival, Wednesday reveals to her father that she is already engaged and begs him to keep this detail a secret from her mother until after dinner. Gomez (played by Tysen Bang) is stricken, torn between his loyalty to and love for the two most important women in his life, his wife and daughter. Meanwhile the Beinekes, a regular family from Ohio, approach the strange mansion in the park with trepidation and their own growing list of concerns. But when the familiar groan of the doorbell rings, and the two worlds collide, the young couple’s hopes for “One Normal Night” begin to deteriorate like bones in a crypt.
Filling the stage with energy and charisma, Tysen Bang’s version of Gomez is at once endearing. Although the Addams family prides itself on all things dark, Tysen’s easy rapport with the audience and his humorous delivery of “Two Things,” and “Three Things” brings an element of light-hearted good nature to the stage. He maintained a believable Latin accent throughout the show, and his vocal chops were mostly strong, with only a few of the longer belted notes falling short of the mark.
Playing opposite Tysen’s passionate Gomez is his real-life wife, Brooke Bang, in the role of Morticia. Stately, dramatic and sensual, Brooke perfectly fit the part of Morticia, both in silhouette and substance. Known to SGMT regulars for her recent depiction of Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, it is perhaps even more impressive to consider Brooke as the macabre matriarch of the Addams family after witnessing her in such a completely opposite show. A hallmark of a true actress that she can maneuver so convincingly between the two.
SGMT’s Addams Family runs through October 30. | Photos: Flitch Creative
Keeping pace with her on-stage parents, Cummings’ portrayal of Wednesday featured impressive vocals on “Pulled” and “Crazier Than You.” In addition, her ability to move back and forth between the familiar rigid physical movements of the old Wednesday, and the giggly, teen-esque enthusiasm of her new lovestruck self speaks to the careful attention Cummings paid to the physical comedy of the show, and it paid off in spades.
Not to be outdone by his older sister, the loveable Pugsley, played by Sarah Kaiser, turned in an equally impressive performance on the sibling duet “Pulled,” but it was on the later number, “What If” that Kaiser’s singing really came alive. Despite being a female cast in the male role of Pugsley, Kaiser’s acting is to be commended as her demeanor and actions were completely believable as a pre-pubescent boy.
Serving as additional comic relief, and a bit of a narrator at times, Uncle Fester, played by Zachary Billings, was both funny, and engaging, and incredibly light on his feet, effortlessly dancing across the stage, even while wearing heavy boots. His love affair with the moon was a little odd but proved to be a visually rewarding storyline during the black light sequence on “The Moon and Me” where this light-hearted character took flight.
Tethering the off-center Addams family to the real world, Mal, Alice and Lucas Beineke (played by Nathan Benner, Amber Turner, and Pierce Robison respectively) deserve a round of applause for their reactions to their uncomfortable surroundings, and their ultimate transformations that really showcased multiple sides of their acting skills. Turner as Alice Beineke, in particular, was able to demonstrate her acting prowess during her transformative moment when she accidentally ingests an honesty-inducing herb during “Full Disclosure.”
Other elements, including but not limited to, appearances by Cousin It, Thing, and more, add to the delightful nostalgia of this production, and provide even more reason to add The Addams Family to your list of entertainment this Halloween season.
