Review: THE ADDAMS FAMILY Guarantees a Fun-Filled Macabre Time for All

It's always great to see a well-directed and performed musical which can be shared with all members of the family, guaranteeing a good time for everyone. Even if you are too young to have seen any of the TV series episodes, once the audience joins in snapping their fingers to the opening number, the mood is set for a magical moment in time.

The weird and wonderful ADDAMS FAMILY comes to devilishly delightful life onstage at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre is Santa Monica through July 31. 2016. This magnificently macabre musical comedy features an original story that's every father's nightmare. Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with Lucas, a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family from Ohio. Their parents have never met and have no idea the two are engaged to be married. And if that weren't upsetting enough, she confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother. Now, Gomez Addams must do something he's never done before - keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia. The musical tells the story of how everything will change for both families on the fateful night THE ADDAMS FAMILY hosts a dinner for Wednesday's "normal" boyfriend and his parents at their far from normal home in Central Park.

Anne Gesling directs many shows, especially musicals, for the Morgan-Wixson. But this time she has outdone herself with the perfect casting of each actor in the entire production, making the show a guaranteed hit. Along with her show producer MerEdith Wright, musical director Daniel Koh and frequent collaborator, choreographer Lauren Blair, be prepared for a spectacular and gloriously fun time. Be sure to bring theatre lovers of all ages so you can celebrate the joy of laughter together.

Speaking of the casting, you won't be able to resist the off-beat charm of Gomez Addams, played by Aric Martin for all the Latin lover laughs you could ever imagine. Amy Coles is his perfect partner as Morticia, flashing her sexiness and hot temper with just a look every chance she gets. The two lead the entire cast of excellent performers both musically and in creatively staged choreography that will grab your attention and never let go.

Supporting cast members of note include Annie Claire Hudson as the boundary-challenging Wednesday, Nicholas Vizzi as her emotionally-challenged brother Pugsley who commands the stage while singing "Pulled" with his sister and "What If" as a solo, and Scott Senior as Lucas who is out to prove he is "Crazier Than You," securing a life-long place in Wednesday's heart.

Matthew Artson is the perfect Lurch, towering over the rest of the cast and getting his message across without uttering a word. Paul C. Luoma is almost unrecognizable as bald Uncle Fester who commands the stage by interacting with audience while narrating the action at several points. His comical moves are sure to please this kids, while his wonderful love song "The Moon and Me," sung on top of a ladder moved around the stage by female ensemble members twirling parasols, will appeal to the romantic soul in all of us. Playing against type, Carly Linehan transforms herself physically into elderly Grandma Addams, although neither Gomez nor Morticia remember just whose family she really belongs to after visiting for a few days and staying for years. Linehan is utterly enchanting as the quirky old lady who maintains a morbid apothecary cart, soon to bring outrageousness to the planned dinner party due to Pugsley "borrowing" a potion guaranteed to bring out "the darkness" in anyone who drinks it.

That scene brings out the best comedic and sexy singing skills of lovely Alicia Reynolds as Lucas' mother Alice Beineke who speaks in rhymes and dresses in bright yellow, as opposed to the rest of the cast in shades of black, white and gray thanks to the macabre costumes from Theatre Company, Inc. Poor Alice has no idea what is really going on with the Addams family until she mistakenly drinks Grandma's potion and embraces her dark side. Handsome Spencer Johnson as her unsuspecting husband Mal has no idea what has happened to his wife until their heart-to-heart talk leads him into remembering the way he wooed her as a young man wearing a Grateful Dead tee shirt and headband while playing the guitar. I wish that image would have been played out at some point during the show as no doubt Johnson would rock it!

The entire gray-faced and dressed as dead ancestors ensemble is a vital part of this show, from their surreal additions to each scene as statues in the Addams home, dead ancestors rising in the graveyard, stagehands constantly assisting in the changing of sets and set pieces, to incredible dancers in creatively staged choreography for each musical number in which they appear. Kudos to each and every one of you for making this musical such a lively and entertaining piece of theatre history.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY with Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, Music & Lyrics by Adam Lippa, brilliantly directed and choreographed by Anne Gesling and Lauren Blair, continues through July 31, 2016 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre, 2627 Pico Blvd. in Santa Monica, CA 90405. Reserved seats start at $28 online at www.morgan-wixson.org or call the theatre box office at 310-828-7519.

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