Review: THE ADDAMS FAMILY at New Generation Theatrical

Who is creepy, kooky, mysterious, spooky and altogether ooky? It's the Addams family of course! This iconic, weird and wacky family first graced the pages of The New Yorker in a comic strip by Charles Addams 85 years ago and since then have spawned a fan-favorite 1960's TV show, a series of films and even a recent hit series, "Wednesday", on Netflix. But in Andrew Lippa's 2010 Broadway musical, THE ADDAMS FAMILY, audiences get to see a new side of the macabre exploits of Gomez, Morticia and their family - told through the magic of musical theatre. But like everything the Addams family does, this musical is far from normal. And New Generation Theatrical's latest production of the musical hits all the right notes (played on an old, dusty organ of course) and creates an immersive treat that is a thrill to experience.

If you know any of the previous incarnations, you have a general idea of what to expect in terms of THE ADDAMS FAMILY. But in Andrew Lippa's musical (with book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice) the famous family find themselves in a dilemma. Moody and dismally dark daughter, Wednesday Addams (Esmeralda Nazario) has grown up and fallen in love with a "normal" boy, Lucas Beineke (Brett Shields) from a respectable Midwest family. She confides in her father, Gomez (Fredy Ruiz) that she is in love but makes him promise not to tell her mother, Morticia (Alejandra Martinez), something Gomez finds almost impossible to do. Cue a fateful meeting of the families over dinner at the Addams family manse in Central Park with Lucas' father Mal (Robert Hanford) and mother Alice (Katheryn Roberson) and the whole Addams clan including Pugsley (Marlo Coffin), Uncle Fester (Ronnie Gross Jr.), Grandmama (Taty Arroyo) and butler Lurch (Austin Plamer). As with so many things with the Addams family, things do not go as expected, but by the end of this fateful meeting, lives and loves are sure to be changed.

New Generation Theatrical chose to produce THE ADDAMS FAMILY in an odd and unexpected space, an empty storefront in Fashion Square Mall, which allows for the experience to be immersive and gives the audience an up-close seat to the quirky action happening throughout the evening. This is not the first time New Generation Theatrical has delivered an immersive production, and this one works particularly well. Director Nicole Visco takes advantage of the large space and stages the action in almost every corner, giving everyone a chance to experience it up close at some point. On occasion, this means sometimes the action may be behind you or further away, but not for long. Nicole Visco has also assembled a stellar cast who each embody their roles well.

Speaking of the cast, there are some fantastic performances happening on stage (and all around you) at THE ADDAMS FAMILY. First the ensemble of Ancestors does a wonderful job helping move the story along, serving as a ghostly Greek chorus throughout the evening. Fredy Ruiz' Gomez is smooth and debonaire, but flustered and flummoxed by the secret his daughter, Wednesday asks him to keep. As Wednesday, Esmeralda Nazario strikes the perfect balance as the brooding and bewitching, but lovestruck young woman. As her mother Morticia, Alejandra Martinez is bold and brassy, with the level of chic elegance one expects from the Addams family matriarch. As Wednesday's beau, Lucas, Brett Shields is equally strong, as are Robert Hanford and Katheryn Roberson as his parents, who have some very funny moments in the second act. Marlo Coffin does a great job as the unpredictable and mischievous Pugsley and Taty Arroyo has a few scene stealing moments that had the audience in stitches as Grandmama. Austin Plamer's Lurch is a large presence on stage (not just due to his height) and has a few surprising, but hilarious moments himself. The highlight of the evening for me, however, was Ronnie Gross Jr.'s frenetic and in-your-face performance as the crazy Uncle Fester. With numerous side-splitting moments (some unrehearsed), Gross had the audience laughing through tears every time he took the stage.

The creative design for THE ADDAMS FAMILY helps bring the creepiness of the Addams family and their home to vivid life in the immersive space. CJ Sikorski's costumes are absolutely perfect - capturing so well the iconic clothing of this famous family as well as some extremely creative touches for the ghostly Ancestors. And one benefit of being so close to the action, you get to see small touches like the skull pattern in Wednesday's dress, so kudos to CJ and wardrobe supervisor Mindi French for that. Tatiana Rivera's makeup and wig design punctuate the characters' looks perfectly. Zeshan Khan's scenic designs mixed extremely well the aesthetic of the original Charles Addams comics with creative touches like a devilishly tilted mantlepiece and functional portraits. Stephanie Oliver and Greg Mitchell's choreography is fresh and fun and fantastically executed by the skilled cast. Morticia and Gomez' tango in the second act was a particular thrill. Michael Citrinite and Morgan Citrinite's lighting and Casey Deiter's sound helped create the right mood for the evening. And finally, Kelly Morris Rowan and Beth Ann Stripling's music direction is extremely solid bringing out fantastic performances from all on stage. Special kudos to Kelly Morris Rowan for conducting a fabulous live orchestra through the fun and lively Andrew Lippa score.

Overall, New Generation Theatrical's production of THE ADDAMS FAMILY gets two enthusiastic snaps from this reviewer. It is deliciously dark, extremely funny and highly entertaining made even more exciting due to the immersive staging. So "put a witches shawl on", crawl on your broomstick and pay a call on your favorite strange and deranged family before it's too late.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY by New Generation Theatrical runs at the Fashion Square Mall, directly inside the mall across from Macy's at 3201 E Colonial Dr, Orlando, FL 32803 through March 11th. Ticket options are General Admission or Full Experience which includes a seat at a table in the middle of the show itself. Both ticket options are first come-first seated, so be sure to arrive early for the best seating options. For those who choose to come early, live music and a cashless bar is available up to 60 minutes before showtime. Tickets can be purchased by visiting newgentheatrical.org.

All photos by New Generation Theatrical

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