Review: THE ADDAMS FAMILY at Hale Centre Theatre is Scary Good

After just five years, the popular musical adaptation of THE ADDAMS FAMILY is back on Hale Centre Theatre’s Jewel Box Stage in a new production.  It’s a bittersweet celebration of what makes us all different, and, ultimately, what makes us all the same. 

THE ADDAMS FAMILY (music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice) is based on the characters created by Charles Addams, which have been featured for decades in comic strips, television, and film. Each member of the clan has his or her own quirks, but all look at life through a macabre lens. In the musical, everyday life is interrupted when daughter Wednesday brings home her “normal” fiancé, Lucas Beineke, and his parents to meet the family.

Josh Richardson as Gomez (double cast with Ben Henderson) and Bailee Morris as Morticia (double cast with Megan Heaps) are a simmering, steaming pair with potent vocals and hearts full of parental tenderness. 

Tearza Foyston as Wednesday (double cast with Jessica Zaugg) has an ironclad singing voice that is a force to be reckoned with.

Dallin Bradford as Fester (double cast with Dale Hoopes) lifts the mood with levity and love as he guides us through the proceedings.

The Beineke family is very well cast, including Danny Kenny as Lucas (double cast with Anson Bagley), Claire Kenny as Alice (double cast with Kelly Coombs), and Chandler Bishop as Mal (double cast with Sanford Porter).

And the Addams family is rounded out nicely with John Wakley as Pugsley (triple cast with Brigham Ker and Charlie Udy), Heidi Scott as Grandma (double cast with Heidi Mendez), and Thomas Wood as Lurch (double cast with Michael Von Forell).

Director Rob Moffat and choreographer Lindsey D. Smith were not afraid to experiment with different ways to interpret the piece, which made for some new entertaining bits, while keeping its charm intact.

The whimsically dark set by Jenn Taylor is imposing without being intrusive, and the cartoony projections by Maddy Ashton honor the property’s beginnings. Candice Nielsen’s costumes and Marnee' Porter’s hair/makeup are a great fit (especially for the ethereal ghosts of the ancestors),and Danna Barney’s props are a lot of spooky fun. 

THE ADDAMS FAMILY plays through November 16, 2024. For tickets, call the box office at 801-984-9000 or visit www.hct.org.

Photo Credit: Hale Centre Theatre

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