BWW Reviews: Sills, Gettelfinger Lead FAMILY-Friendly Musical at TPAC's Andrew Jackson Hall through 1/8

Deliriously madcap and deliciously macabre, The Addams Family might not qualify as the quintessential American family-or find themselves captured for eternity in a Grant Wood portrait-but given their portrayal in the eponymous musical comedy that's currently ensconced at Nashville's Tennessee Performing Arts Center, they may indeed be ranked as one of the most relatable, appealing and gosh-darn sweet family units anywhere.

With an alluring and gorgeous Morticia (played by Broadway diva Sara Gittelfinger) and a charming and swellegant Gomez (Great White Way heartthrob Douglas Sills) leading the charge, the onstage iteration of Charles Addams' cartoon family is surely a dysfunctional lot. But, more importantly, they are enormously winning-their interpersonal relationships are not so unlike your own, I daresay-and composer/lyricist Andrew Lippa and book writers Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice have crafted a storyline that broadens the family's appeal, while more deeply etching the family's brand (particularly in these days of all-encompassing marketing ploys) on American pop culture.

And while The Addams Family will probably never rank among the pantheon of American musical theatre's greatest achievements-Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe, George and Ira can sleep soundly (although visions of them whirling in their graves would no doubt delight the Addamses)-it is, after all is said and done, wonderfully entertaining, extraordinarily engaging and, perhaps most surprisingly, sweetly heartfelt and somewhat sentimental.

Based upon the single panel cartoons that Charles Addams created for The New Yorker, in which he depicted the deeply macabre New York family as well-to-do, if off-kilter, Manhattan sophisiticates (their mysterious home, in all its gothic glory, is inhabited by all manner of ghosts, ghouls and goblins-as well as the miscellaneous monster-is filled with the magic of intellectualism and intelligence) and in Brickman and Ellice's book, the relationships of the family members are contrasted against those of a trio of interlopers from Ohio ("It's a swing state," Gomez reminds us, in one of those witty asides that adroitly show off his knowledge of current events).

In the touring version, which has been adjusted, updated and reassessed for theater audiences in the heartland (and capitalizing on the lessons learned during the company's Broadway run that concluded on New Year's Eve 2011), the plot has been refocused, songs reordered, some lyrics and lines rewritten and, as a result, you have a more streamlined, easier-to-follow show onstage. Credit for this road show transformation is due the Tony Award-winning Jerry Zaks, who is responsible for supervising the "entire production."

The plot revolves around daughter Wednesday (Cortney Wolfson's shows off her glorious voice and deadpan delivery in the role) and her impending engagement to the rather normal Lucas Beineke (Brian Justin Crum-with a butt you could serve tea on; obviously Wednesday has good taste in men-is fine as the young romantic lead). While Wednesday confides the young couple's plans to her doting dad, she swears him to secrecy, which leads to a rift between the hopelessly devoted Gomez and Morticia (the aforementioned Sills and Gettelfinger). As the family plans for "One Normal Night" with the Beinekes (played by Martin Vidnovic and Victoria Huston-Elem, on for Crista Moore on opening night), all kinds of complications ensue and the stage is set for what ultimately is a genuinely tender story of family loyalty and personal growth.

Lippa's songs are ideally suited to the story being played out onstage and he utilizes his estimable talents to create tunes that are so indicative of what we consider musical theater: there are ballads and showstoppers in abundance, presented with a winking eye and the knowing delivery of the performers.  The show-opening "When You're an Addams," staged atop the graves of family ancestors in homage to their own dastardly deeds and untimely deaths, is clever and smart, while "Full Disclosure (Part Two)," which closes the first act is the quintessential Broadway showstopper.

The script, courtesy of Brickman and Elice, is brimming over with pop culture references (Grandma tells Pugsley to "stop texting and pick up a book" when he reminds her that her references are over his head; Wednesday has a similar moment with Lucas when she tells him "I was home-schooled.") and an urbane sense of humor that fits Gomez and company like a well-sewn glove.

Sergio Trujillo's choreography offers a cavalcade of Broadway of dancing, employing every dazzling dance step you'd expect, then injecting the proceedings with a touch of whimsy and wit. Valerie Gebert's pit orchestra (which features ten Nashville talents in addition to the touring musicians) performs the score with a showy zealousness that matches the tone of the overall production.

With gorgeous scenery and costumes (both designed by original directors Julian Crouch and Phelim McDermott, founders of Improbable Theatre), The Acting Company is given an eye-popping backdrop against which to play out the Family-friendly shenanigans. Natasha Katz provides the evocative lighting design, while Basil Twist's puppetry and Gregory Meeh's special effects are noteworthy additions to the show. Praise is also due Angelina Avallone for her exquisite makeup design for the production and to Tom Watson for his hairstyles for the cast.

Douglas Sills is perfectly cast as Gomez, his credible delivery of even the most preposterous of lines underscoring his confident performance. With the arch of an eyebrow, the curl of a devilish grin on his face, Sills brings a matinee idol handsomeness and swagger to the role, making him the perfect foil for the sexy and sultry Morticia of Sara Gettelfinger. She, of course, is stunning-her regal bearing making Morticia all the more irresistible, her superb comic timing making each line so tantalizingly naughty-as she puts her stage presence, her beautiful voice and her skillful dancing all on display for a grateful audience. Hell, I'd drink her bathwater: Six months old.

The chemistry between Sills and Gettelfinger is palpable, most notably in their "Let's Live Before We Die" and "Tango de Amor" late in the second act and each is given the opportunity to showcase their ample talents in solo turns, including Gomez' "Trapped" and "Happy/Sad" and Morticia's "Just Around the Corner" and the act one "Secrets."

Among the impressive supporting players onstage, Blake Hammond very nearly steals the show with his kindly, if somewhat demented, Uncle Fester, and Tom Corbeil is a striking, if slow-moving, Lurch (I'll admit it right now: Lurch is hot! Who knew?), eliciting squeals of delight and audible gasps late in the second act when he sings! Pippa Pearthree is wonderfully daft and gleefully out-there as Grandma, whicl Patrick D. Kennedy is on-target as the pugnacious Pugsley.

Onstage at TPAC's Andrew Jackson Hall through Sunday, January 8, The Addams Family is the perfect antidote for your post-holiday season letdown, proving in its own unique way that all families are screwed up, yet somehow vital to your very existence. It might take a crisis or family upheaval to prove it, but in the meantime you can revel in their creepiness and kookiness with abandon.

-The Addams Family. Music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa. Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. Based on the characters created by Charles Addams. Choreography by Sergio Trujillo. Original direction by Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch. Entire production under the supervision of Jerry Zaks. Presented by the national touring company at Tennessee Performing Arts Center, Nashville. Through January 8. For tickets, visit www.tpac.org; for details about the show, go to www.theaddamsfamilymusical.com.

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