THE ADDAMS FAMILY to Close on Broadway December 31

[Rob]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 7:15am

Click Here to Read THE ADDAMS FAMILY to Close on Broadway December 31

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 7:24am

NM

Updated On: 8/24/11 at 07:24 AM

[binau]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 7:26am

Somehow you are reading a different article...the current one quotes the producers.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 7:32am

Ah.....there must have been a problem with the link. NOW I see the closing announcement.

Thanks, Gol. (I went back and read the article 3x, I thought I was crazy!)

[addamsfamily#1fan]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 8:15am

No! Its the best show ever!!! Catch the show while you can!

[binau]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 8:18am

But addamsfamily#1fan did you like the show?

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 8:32am

Not too tough a battle to GET that title, was it?


Best show ever....bwahahahahahahaha!

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 8:47am

Another free house for the season!

[frazer]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 8:48am

critically panned - yes. But it was always going to be. It wasnt sophisticated musical theatre, but i thought it was a real fun night out, especially with the original cast. A hard working cast, and some fun music, even if the plot was lifted straight from La Cage! Also, I would say it has one of the best scenic designs of a production I have ever seen.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 8:49am

So this is most probably where GHOST will go.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 9:14am

wow, Is this official? Do we need a full diclosure?

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 9:18am

It was announced by the producers--how much more official can it get?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 9:52am

It's not really for true official until a swing tweets it before the official announcement.

[Dave13]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 10:01am

I guess Sheilds and Rees couldn't make a go out of it.

It is a shame because the concept was great but the execution was poor.

Once Nathan left, it wasn't worth watching.

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 10:12am

It will have lasted ten months without Lane by closing, and the numbers have been consistently up since Shields joined the cast. It's had a very respectable run--much longer than the material deserved.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 10:41am

No big surprise. Nathan and Bebe kept the show open and they got about as much mileage as possible out of it.

[landryjames2]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 10:44am

I actually think it would be a really fun way to spend New Year's Eve. I certainly didn't hate the show like I thought I would (in fact, I really did have a lot of fun). And I love going to final performances on Broadway anyway. I would probably do this if I didn't already have plans.

[inick122492]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 10:45am

People will always pan a musical like this, that I get. A few of you have stated that this is not a sophisticated piece of theatre which is absolutely true but I also think this show brought a lot of joy to people. No, it didn't start a phenomenon but it is an absolute fun night out full of comedy and spectacle. I loved tho show and it will be missed! Cant wait for the tour!

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 11:16am

Actually, inick, I don't think that's the case. Many people, like myself, were greatly looking forward to this. I'm a huge Addams Family fan. But the material didn't do justice to the great source material. There was so much potential there, but the weak story they chose paired with those bland Lippa songs just didn't live up to the magic of the source material. Missed opportunity for something truly special. I think it's more a case of disappointment at what could have been than vulture circling.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 11:20am

Did they recoup?? No surprise about it's closing as Sheilds was only contracted through Dec. 31 and I guess the producers couldn't find another "star" to play Morticia to keep the show alive through the winter.

[philly03]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 11:35am

I agree - I was also very much looking forward to this. This could not have been more un-Addams-y, let alone the score which is a travesty. Andrew Lippa was entirely the wrong composer for this. The only songs I felt were "Addams" style were "Just Around the Corner" (which I do love this one) and the cut "Clandango."

That being said, I did enjoy it with the original cast, but haven't dared to go back since they left!

[RainbowJude]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 11:46am

frazer wrote: Critically panned - yes. But it was always going to be. It wasn't sophisticated musical theatre, but I thought it was a real fun night out, especially with the original cast.

A show doesn't have to be "sophisticated" to be critically acclaimed. It just needs to be brilliant at what it does. THE ADDAMS FAMILY just isn't.

AC126748 wrote:It's had a very respectable run--much longer than the material deserved.

True that. But isn't being mediocre-average all you need for a long run these days? More and more is seems like having a long-running show actually be good is a bonus rather than a necessity!

Updated On: 8/24/11 at 11:46 AM

[AKarp2013]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 11:51am

Well all of those who say the musical is bad, it's just your plain opinion. I happen to enjoy the entire show! I loved the score and I thought it was hysterically funny! I am going to miss the show, as I loved every moment of it, but I will say, I'm not all that surprised that it's closing. I am surprised though that Priscilla is still open running and that's even doing poorer business! Addams actually had a couple of sold out houses over the Summer. Priscilla did not.

The Addams Family is a great show, in my opinion, and I'm going to miss it dearly.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 12:04pm

I really didn't understand the change from Clandango (which I saw in Chicago and was the best number in the show) to When You're an Addams, which only tells you the one thing everyone already knows about the source material. The sense of wit is completely squashed by the pedestrian and sophomoric lyrics explaining to the audience step by step the concept behind The Addams Family. Were they really afraid there were too many people buying tickets to the show who had NO IDEA who they were or what they were about? As much as people talk about the "dumbing down" of material on Broadway, this was the best example of it I've ever witnessed. The story was a contrived rip-off of You Can't Take it With You and the score was as sophomoric and forgettable as I've found Lippa's previous scores. The sets, costumes and cast were the only reasons I found to spend any money seeing the show.

A show doesn't have to be "sophisticated" to be critically acclaimed. It just needs to be brilliant at what it does. THE ADDAMS FAMILY just isn't.

Precisely. Xanadu, Mamma Mia and Rock of Ages received better reviews because critics judged them for what they saw, not what they wanted the shows to be. The funny thing is, Addams Family could have been sophisticated, witty and entertaining. With a different book writer and composer, it could have been all those things. But either the team they had couldn't make it happen, or the director and producers wanted the end result. These things happen.

[blaxx]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 12:13pm

Wasn't this the "critic proof" show of the decade? The one that showed that reviews are obsolete? The one that would run 250 years making a quazillion dollars on its way?

Is the marvel of high quality entertainment which gave critics the middle finger closing...a flop?