"The Addams Family" - by Andrew Lippa, Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice - Sterling Community Theatre (Sterling, MA.) - REVIEW
(Cover Photo: The CAST of the musical "THE ADDAMS FAMILY" by Andrew Lippa, Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, now playing at Sterling Community Theatre in Sterling, MA. now playing through September 21, 2024. Photo Credit: Robert Mattson)
By Kevin T. Baldwin
METRMAG Reviewer
# 774-242-6724
“Secrets are the enemies of passion - speaking true will get
you through the day."
- ("Morticia Addams") / Andrew Lippa
Sterling Community Theatre
Presents Andrew Lippa's Musical
"THE ADDAMS FAMILY"
Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa
Book by Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice
Directed by Shaun Manson
Music Directed by Mike Hoffmann
Choreographed by Cristin Torrey
Produced by Kelley Manson
Cast Includes: Hector Toledo, Jr. as “Gomez Addams,” Laura Gulli as “Morticia Addams,” Brooklyn McDonald as “Wednesday Addams, Benny Rebelo as “Pugsley Addams,” Anthony Masciangioli as “Fester Addams,” Cindy Holt as “Grandma,” Peter Russo as “Lurch,” Lynn Valeri as “Alice Beineke,” Matthew Valeri as “Mal Beineke,” Zander Ramey as “Lucas Beineke,” Ancestors: Grant Arbour, Deb Bartlett, Anderson Beshaw, Emerson DiSalle, Matthew Hager, Hannah Hall, Ryan Hebert, Kristen King, Kiley Kruger, Renée LaRochelle, Matt Leonard, Nate Leonard, Amelia Powers, Gina Powers, Lisa Rosenkrans, Pam Sontag, Steven Sousa, Brenna Washburn, Alex Wilhelm.
Additional Creative Team:
Stage Manager – Katie Eressey; Stage Crew – Dave Vantre; Costume Designer – Kelley Manson; Costume Assistant – Joyce Leite; Lighting Design – Cindy Baer; Lights – Katie Hebert; Sound – Patrick Flynn; Set Builders – Robert Hill, Marc Hill, Ryan Hebert, Cindy Holt, Sarah Kruger, Matt Leonard, Nate Leonard, Shaun Manson, Kelley Manson, Anthony Masciangioli, The Rebelo Family, Peter Russo; Financial Coordinator – Helen Hill; Marketing and Communications – Katie Hebert; Photography – Robert Mattson.
All shows are performed in the Parish Hall of the First Church in Sterling, 6 Meetinghouse Hill Road, Sterling, MA 01564
Performances:
September 13, 14, 20 & 21, 2024
(Contact Box Office for Exact Times)
TICKETS:
For all questions regarding tickets please send an email to scttickets@gmail.com
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Presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by Theatrical Rights Worldwide 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 640, New York, NY 10036. www.theatricalrights.com
COVID 19 PROTOCOLS
Contact Venue for Most Updated COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Information.
As we quickly approach “spooky season” (for those who celebrate) Sterling Community Theatre (SCT) has exhumed the Andrew Lippa musical, "THE ADDAMS FAMILY" which is a fun time for the entire family.
The musical is comprised of a wildly haunting score that proves that, when you're mounting an "ADDAMS" musical, you "need to have a sense of humor."
Thankfully, under the capable guidance of the show’s director, Shaun Manson, the cast has brought that sense of humor to this staging and the results will definitely have you leaving with a smile.
Aiding Manson on the SCT production side of "ADDAMS FAMILY" are music director Mike Hoffmann, who also conducts a fine orchestra for the show, and choreographer Cristin Torrey.
From the moment you hear the iconic theme song to the original television show begin, fingers will begin snapping or hands will begin clapping, indicating everyone is ready to have some fun.
Then the score moves into new territory with a completely different musical approach, as does the musical itself.
The show is based upon "THE ADDAMS FAMILY" macabre cartoon characters created by Charles Addams.
"ADDAMS FAMILY" has a pleasing libretto featuring music and lyrics by Lippa with a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice.
Although there have been several television and film adaptations of the "altogether ookie" "ADDAMS FAMILY," with the most recent being the Netflix series "Wednesday," the musical homage was the first stage show to be based on the characters.
"THE ADDAMS FAMILY" musical opened on Broadway in 2010 with a superb cast that included Nathan Lane as “Gomez” and Bebe Neuwirth as “Morticia.”
The production ran until the end of 2011 and was nominated for two Tony Awards: one for Lippa’s score and one for the supporting performance of Kevin Chamberlin as “Uncle Fester.”
The original Broadway set design for "ADDAMS FAMILY" won a Drama Desk Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award.
Lane would also subsequently be honored by a 2010 Drama League Award for Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre Award.
To quote from the show, during one of the wittiest and most fun opening numbers witnessed in any musical, this is a show that can be enjoyed by "the living, the dead...and the undecided."
Lippa would ultimately be nominated for a Tony Award for Best Score.
However, if one examines the Brickman/Elice book closely, it lifts heavily from George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart's "You Can't Take It with You."
In "You Can't Take It with You," the story revolves around two lovers whose families meet and they couldn't be more different.
Such is the plot of "ADDAMS FAMILY"...only, in this case, the story begins in front of a mausoleum with "When You're an Addams" - as performed by the entire "ADDAMS FAMILY" and their Ancestors.
In the SCT show, Wednesday Addams (Brooklyn McDonald), now an adult, meets and falls for Lucas (Zander Ramey) and tells her father, Gomez (Hector Toledo, Jr.), that they plan to marry.
McDonald hits a bullseye with her highly capable performance as grim and gloomy Wednesday.
Her vocal prowess is showcased best in the songs "Pulled" (opposite Benny Rebelo, terrific as her brother, "Pugsley") and later with Ramey during the duet "Crazier Than You" (joined in a reprise later by Alice and Mal).
Ramey is delightfully funny as nerdy, milquetoast boyfriend Lucas.
Coming across a little bit like Billy Crystal's old SNL character "Fernando," Toledo is "simply marvelous" as Gomez, offering a vibrant flamboyance and flair to everything the character says or does, especially in the songs, "Trapped," "Happy/Sad" and "Live Before We Die."
(Photo: The CAST of the musical "THE ADDAMS FAMILY" by Andrew Lippa, Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, now playing at Sterling Community Theatre in Sterling, MA. now playing through September 21, 2024. Photo Credit: Robert Mattson)
Wednesday begs Gomez not to tell his wife and her mother, Morticia (Laura Gulli), about the impending nuptials just yet and that is where the fun begins.
As Morticia, Gulli gives a commanding performance and excels in the songs, "Just Around the Corner" with most of the Ancestors Ensemble and "Secrets" featuring Alice and the Female Ancestors featuring some splendid choreography, as well.
A curious costuming observation was the opting of a "blood red" gown for the character of Morticia, eliminating the traditional black dress originated in the classic "ADDAMS FAMILY" comic strip, immortalized on the small screen by actress Carolyn Jones and on the big screen by Angelica Huston.
However, the chosen dress for the production still allowed the character to be imposing, stoic, intimidating and seductive all at the same time.
Also seen in the SCT staging:
As part of some bizarre plan, Wednesday coerces her parents into inviting over to dinner the parents of secret fiancé Lucas, Mal (Matthew Valeri) and Alice Beineke (Lynn Valeri), a more conservative couple.
Then again, when it comes to "THE ADDAMS FAMILY" almost EVERY other family could be considered "more conservative."
Both of the Valeri performers execute some clever quips throughout the production, thus helping to elevate some of the more subtle humor.
Morticia and Gomez reluctantly agree to Wednesday's wishes for the dinner but the secret Gomez keeps from his wife is unbearable.
(Photo: The CAST of the musical "THE ADDAMS FAMILY" by Andrew Lippa, Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, now playing at Sterling Community Theatre in Sterling, MA. now playing through September 21, 2024. Photo Credit: Robert Mattson)
Anthony Masciangioli is outstanding in the role of our guide for the show, “Uncle Fester,” who sings to us and the Ancestors of the concept of love in the song, "But Love."
For those familiar with the cast recording, the above song is featured in its fullest form with Gomez, Mal and Fester singing and yet, for some inexplicable reason, the full song was cut during one of the show's many revisions during previews.
So, unfortunately, you will not see it here.
Later, in a tender performance backed by members of the Ancestors Ensemble, Fester proclaims of his love in the wonderful song, "The Moon and Me."
Rounding out the sterling Sterling Community Theatre "ADDAMS" cast are Cindy Holt, hilarious as “Grandma Addams” (although her actual family link is a tad bit unclear) and Peter Russo as the menacing-looking family butler, “Lurch.”
The balance of "THE ADDAMS FAMILY" Ensemble appear as various "Ancestors" - each and every one of them assists in “undertaking” the “execution” of the story.
The SCT Ancestors Ensemble is strong and, overall, the costuming and make-up teams should be highly commended for their efforts to make everybody as ghoulishly appealing as possible.
A noticeable albeit slight make-up issue was the fact that make-up for face, neck and other extremities was not fully applied onto some of the characters, most noticeably Festus and Lurch, along with a few of the Ancestors.
(Photo: The CAST of the musical "THE ADDAMS FAMILY" by Andrew Lippa, Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, now playing at Sterling Community Theatre in Sterling, MA. now playing through September 21, 2024. Photo Credit: Robert Mattson)
Sound issues impacted the September 20th performance - between offstage microphones causing a constant cacophony of noises, to the orchestra overwhelming the cast and Ensemble at various points within the score.
However, much to the cast's credit, they persevered and overcame these obstacles.
Also, the above is not to say the music was bad - in fact, the live orchestra conducted by music director Mike Hoffman was exemplary.
In addition to the act one opener, the Ensemble is also featured well in "One Normal Night," the act one closer, "Full Disclosure" and in the show's finale, the more ominous sounding, "Move Toward the Darkness."
The set for the show is well constructed working on levels and allowing for mostly seamless scene changes.
As Sterling Community Theatre's staging of "THE ADDAMS FAMILY" concludes this weekend on September 21st, it is strongly recommended that you go and "pay a call on" this wonderful family.
For all questions regarding tickets please send an email to scttickets@gmail.com
GET TICKETS
Approximately two hours, 40 minutes with one intermission.
Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)
@MetrmagReviews
@Theatre_Critics
ABOUT THE SHOW
In the kooky, upside-down world of "THE ADDAMS FAMILY" to be sad is to be happy, to feel pain is to feel joy, and death and suffering are the stuff of their dreams.
Nonetheless, this quirky family still has to deal with many of the same challenges faced by any other family, and the spookiest nightmare faced by every family creates the focus for the musical by Andrew Lippa, Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice.
"THE ADDAMS FAMILY" kids are growing up.
THE ADDAMSES have lived by their unique values for hundreds of years and Gomez and Morticia, the patriarch and matriarch of the clan, would be only too happy to continue living that way.
Their dark, macabre, beloved daughter Wednesday, however, is now an eighteen year-old young woman who is ready for a life of her own.
She has fallen in love with Lucas Beineke, a sweet, smart boy from a normal, respectable Ohio family — the most un-ADDAMS sounding person one could be!
And to make matters worse, she has invited the Beinekes to their home for dinner.
In one fateful, hilarious night, secrets are disclosed, relationships are tested, and "THE ADDAMS FAMILY" must face up to the one horrible thing they’ve managed to avoid for generations...Change. (STAGEAGENT)
ABOUT STERLING COMMUNITY THEATRE
STERLING COMMUNITY THEATRE (SCT) strives to provide an outreach of fellowship and cultural enrichment, centered on family and community, by facilitating high quality theatre arts experiences within the greater Sterling community. SCT seeks to cultivate an appreciation of the performing arts by offering live performances, educating through experience, participating in community activities, and through cooperation with other local performing arts groups and The First Church of Sterling. SCT strives to offer a range of challenging, creative opportunities that inspire and allow people of all ages and backgrounds to participate in productions, whether on stage or behind the scenes. Every year SCT aims to experience growth by expanding participation, encouraging volunteering, and increasing their audience and involvement within the community.
