Improved Addams family ?

[philitalia]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 5:12pm

Recent audience reviews here on BWW have been very kind to The Addams Family. Big improvement on the first reviews. Coincidence or has the show really improved ? Still not sure whether to see it when I'm in NY in November.

[angelplays]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 5:15pm

I've only seen it once - the middle of July. The first act I found somewhat tolerable. But the second act was a disaster. It seemed to me that the script doctoring ran out of time after working on act 1. Not one I plan to revisit.

[philitalia]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 5:20pm

Thanks. Would love to see B. Neuwirth at work (I think she only did Kiss of the Spiderwoman in London), but if the show is really that bad ... I was rather hoping the show had had time to grow
Updated On: 8/3/10 at 05:20 PM

[TheKandyLife]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 5:26pm

i understand peoples problems with it, but i don't see it.

I love the story (one i can relate to) and i love the songs.

It's a great show...and i could argue with everyone who disagrees but that just ends up with them still not liking the show and me still loving the show, so there's really no point haha

but ultimately it's in my top 5 shows that i'd see again :)

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 5:40pm

I caught the show in late June and I enjoyed it immensley. Personally, I found the first act lacking but it all came full circle in Act 2. The better numbers are in the second act, especially Bebe's delicious "Just Around the Corner" (which I still can't shake from my brain).

Visually, the show is a spectacle -- especially how the ghost cast builds the Addams house set and the puppetry is sensational. Love, love, LOVED Uncle Fester's moon number.

Throughout the night I do have to admit feeling like this is one of those shows you'll be proud to say you had seen, especially with the original Broadway cast. One of those that people will be amazed you had seen -- for all the good and for all the bad. Also, seeing Bebe Neuwirth and Nathan Lane 'live' on stage speaks for itself. I still laugh at several Gomez moments on the cast recording... all thanks to Nathan's interpretation.

I adore his little infusion of Spanish words, especially 'pantalones'.

[philly03]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 5:48pm

I think people were overall disappointed by what was on stage. It's plot is thin, it's music not memorable, and it's lyrics not funny.

I thought the opening number ("When You're an Addams") worked fantastically preceded by the great Overture (a variation of the show's theme song), and "Pulled" is wonderful.

The actors kind of all do their own thing to get laughs, save for Bebe who is very Addams-y, as well as Kevin Chamberline as Fester.

"Just Around the Corner" is about the only thing that truly sticks out as should be in an Addams Family musical, as well as songs like "Where Did We Go Wrong?" which aren't necessarily the best lyrics.

I enjoyed it, caught it twice. Very funny, but not Addams-y in my opinion!

[wickedfan]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 5:50pm

I went in with low expectations, hoping to be pleasantly surprised. I was proven wrong. The show quality was even lower than my expectations.

The design is lovely and incredibly creative. If there were a show to steal, the scenery would steal it. Nathan Lane deserves a medal for practically carrying this show on his back. Everyone else puts in a great deal of effort, but Lane is the only one to get any major results.

With the exception of the opening number and possibly "Pulled" (which are both only decent), the score is atrocious. Lippa decided to rhyme "waiting" with "lactating." No. Just....no. The book has a few good one-liners (most likely added by Zaks), but for the most part, the characters fall flat, the story is a gigantic mess and pretty much no drive to anything. Act 1 was boring, Act 2 was painful.

Again, credit must be given to the company (especially) Lane for really giving it all that they've got-most actors on Broadway these days don't put as much effort into their show, even if it's a good one. And, again, the sets are incredibly clever and creative. If only the show were as good.

That said, my audience was eating it up. The person I went with and I were dumbfounded at how anyone could love it, but the response was enthusiastic.

Oh, and I saw it in May so I have to assume that not much has changed.

[angelplays]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 5:59pm

I enjoyed seeing Bebe, but that's about it.

Was I the only one who thought "RENT and La Vie Boheme" with the choreography at the table scene/song?

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 6:02pm

The show is as horribly mediocre as it was before. It's just that the people posting about it now are relative newbies to the Broadway scene and are more easily satisfied than the more experienced (and perhaps jaded) theatergoers who expressed their views on the original threads.

[SeHablaRob]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 6:03pm

i was never really sure what people expected. each incarnation of the Addams Family throughout the last 40-50 years has been somewhat cheesy. The show is kitschy and goofy, full of gags, puns and one-liners, similar to the sitcom from 1964. While some of the songs are very bad (Arms of a Squid for example) a lot of them are very "Addams" in voice and humor.

I went to the show last Thursday and as a huge Addams fan, I thought it kept in the spirit of these classic characters and that the cast did a wonderful job with the material. A lot of the songs fall a bit flat on CD, but definitely come alive on stage. There's no doubt that the cast is working hard to deliver audience members a lovely night at the theater.

But to go into the show expecting something more than kitschy nostalgia will only disappoint you. It's a very fun show, but that's about it

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 6:04pm

I went in with very low expectations, having read some of the many negative reviews (both from posters here and from critics). While it's not a great (or even good) show by any means, I had a great time and I laughed a lot. It's really visually stunning, but Lippa's score is subpar, particularly the lyrics. There are a few exciting musical moments (the overture, When You're An Addams, Pulled, Just Around the Corner, Crazier Than You), but I think the score is what hurts the show the most. It's not the first thing I would recommend to someone looking for something to see, but if you're a fan of any of the performers involved it's probably worth it to go, especially if you can get student rush (I wound up with a box seat for $41.50 and the view was excellent).

[angelplays]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 6:06pm

I'd agree with if you're a fan of one of the actors you'll probably enjoy it. My friends (who bought the tickets) are HUGE Terrence Mann fans and were singing the show's praises - even the god-awful squid love song because that was his solo.

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 6:09pm

Was I the only one who thought "RENT and La Vie Boheme" with the choreography at the table scene/song?

My friend said the same thing.

I saw it second preview, and based on other's comments it doesn't seem to have improved enough (or at all) to make me want to return. I never want to experience the headache I got during Kevin Chamberlin's singing about the moon. One of the most miserable theater experiences of my life.

[philly03]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 6:12pm

People seem to take this show so differently. Several posters on this board said Kevin Chamberline & the scene of "The Moon & Me" is "the most theatrical" part of the show... I couldn't disagree more. It's certainly bizarre & kooky, so kudos for that, but is also incredibly pointless.

If someone's looking for something to see, I'd actually recommend it, if they're A) looking for comedy, and B) would appreciate seeing Lane & Neurwith, who really are fantastic. I'm also a huge Carolee Carmello and Terrence Mann fan as well!

[philitalia]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 6:18pm

As I live in Europe it would be a great opportunity to see Lane/Neuwirth onstage.Not to tell my friends (they wouldn't know who they are), but as an experience for myself.I think I could handle one evening with some lighthearted entertainment ... the jokes had better be good if the songs and the book stink

[ACL2006]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 7:17pm

I saw it during previews, and along with everyone in my group, we all truely enjoyed it. It's nothing special, but we had a great time.

[singtopher]

Posted: 8/3/10 at 7:21pm

I, by sheer luck, snagged a free ticket back in May. The only reason I wanted to see it was for Bebe and Nathan for the first time. And for that reason, even if neither one of them got the chance to do quality work, I was satisfied.