The Adams Family 1st Preview...- Page 2

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 2:20am

I wonder if something new will be added soon to replace Bebe's cut "Tango, Tango, Tango" ?
Updated On: 3/9/10 at 02:20 AM

[chrisampm2]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 4:23am

Thanks averagebwaynut for your clarity and details. I now have a sense of the show, which is all I could ask for from a post.

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 7:16am

Thanks averagebwaynut... that answers all MY questions. lol. I hope this show does well. Obviously it might get mixed reviews from critics. Some understand what the creative team feel they've "accomplished" and some don't. lol.

[andsym9001]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 7:26am

I was there and was in the front row and enjoyed myself very much. I definately agree that the book is flawed and doesn't have much of a plot. I found most of the jokes to be quite funny and actually very whitty. As for the songs most were very generic but there were some standouts for me. Bebe has amazing presence but I was not impressed with her singing. I understand it is her stle of singing but when she sings everything is in vibrato and her whole body shakes. I was also very distracted by her um...... Dress in that I think I received a full view of her breasts a few times. I was impressed by Nathan who played gomez and did not play himself as he often does. The weakest for me actig wise was Wes Taylor I was not feeling his character at all. I feel like Carolees plot could have been developed more instead of letting her go crazy and then not. Jackie Hoffman was hilarious.overall I liked it and as far as the claim that it is all skits put together I feel like they tried to incorporate classic drawings of Charles Addams while still having somewhat of a plot unlike Good man Charlie brown which I felt was all skits and no plot.

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 8:33am

I have to ask for anyone who was there yesterday, did they make the Addamses weirder? I read on a review or two somewhere that they didn't feel as weird as they should have been (Like we know them to be I guess).

[averagebwaynut]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 9:16am

Jacob,

[MILD SPOLER AHEAD]

I don't think they made them any weirder in a jarring, off-putting sort of way, which I think is what some people may have actually wanted based on the original cartoons. They're certainly odd folks in their outlook on life -- embracing the sorts of attitudes and activities that "normal" people would shun -- but it's all presented within the framework of musical comedy, with an emphasis on comedy, so their idiosyncrasies and "abnormalities" are still quite endearing. Even more so when it's Nathan and Bebe acting them out.

Basically, the fact that Gomez collects instruments of torture, that Morticia cuts the heads off flowers, that Pugsley smokes cigars and enjoys being stretched on a rack by his sister, that Wednesday is shoots pigeons with her crossbow for food, that Fester communes with the dead and can light up a lightbulb with his mouth -- all of that and more is strange and odd and weird but not in any sort of "dark" way. It doesn't make the musical comedy Addamses any less lovable.

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 9:19am

Did anyone try to get Rush tickets yesterday?

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 9:50am

As far as the Addams' being strange I think the creative team missed the entire point. It's not the Addams family themselves who think they're weird, it's all the people visiting the house and the audience who are supposed to think they're weird.

Why would Wednesday ask her family to act "normal?" To her everything they're doing IS normal. That's why it's funny!

[averagebwaynut]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 10:12am

I hear your point Whizzer, but I'm not sure I agree. Yes, the Addams definitely don't think there is anything "abnormal" about themselves at all, but there's also no reason to think they are not self-aware. They surely know that the rest of the world doesn't share their twisted, morbid outlook on life, their fascinations, hobbies, etc. They're probably puzzled by that fact but insofar as Wednesday has fallen in love with a boy who is from that outside world, it's not at all surprising to see her ask her family to "pretend" like they are members of that world to appease her future in-laws. Indeed, we see that even the Addamses trying to *act* "normal" is doomed to failure because, as you say, they don't really know how the outside world defines that word. So they give it a shot, but they still fail (to quite humorous ends).

[D2]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 10:33am

So basically it's LA CAGE AUX FOLLES.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 10:33am

"As far as the Addams' being strange I think the creative team missed the entire point. It's not the Addams family themselves who think they're weird, it's all the people visiting the house and the audience who are supposed to think they're weird."

This is exactly right. And if you look at the original illustrations, there is nothing to suggest that they think themselves any different than the "outside" world.

"Why would Wednesday ask her family to act "normal?" To her everything they're doing IS normal. That's why it's funny!"

That was my biggest problem with the show. It's as if the creative team was too lazy to come up with something original, so they contrived this tired plot. The Addamses, as they see themselves, ARE normal. However, I find it annoying that every time this plot is used, the "normal" family isn't exactly normal themselves.

"Addams definitely don't think there is anything 'abnormal' about themselves at all, but there's also no reason to think they are not self-aware."

You should go back to the original drawings (they sell a book of them in the lobby). They definitely don't see themselves as not being normal.

[Fanb]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 10:38am

"Did anyone try to get Rush tickets yesterday?"

There was a line at the box office. Not sure what the tickets were going for.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 10:53am

D2- It's VERY La Cage. Wednesday has fallen in love with a boy from (gasp) Ohio. Morticia throws on an apron is all is well until their kooky side inevitably comes out. The straight-laced family eventually agrees they're just as strange/like being strange too.

averagebwaynut- I definitely disagree that they're self-aware of their weirdness. As Morticia even admits in the musical they haven't had time to travel and see the world. The mansion IS their world, and everything in it is normal. The reason we (are supposed) to laugh is when we see Morticia cutting off the roses as if it's the most natural thing in the world. The shock a stranger receives when they come into contact with the Addamses heightens the humor.

[jamiekennywicked]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 11:07am

Has the show curtain changed?

And when does Jackie's blog premiere on broadway.com??

[averagebwaynut]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 11:24am

Fosse -- I'm quite familiar with the drawings, thanks. I own several of the Charles Addams compilations and I'm well-versed specifically in those that feature characters who later become known collectively as the Addams family. I've even been to the new exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York already. In short, I'm a big fan of his work.

Whizzer and Fosse -- this may just be a semantic issue, but to be clear, self-awareness doesn't have to mean that they see themselves as being weird (Whizzer) or don't see themselves as being normal (Fosse). It simply means they recognize themselves as being different from the rest of the world -- in many ways, regarding the "outside" world with the same disdain, confusion, curiosity or fear that the rest of the world would have for them. Yes, for them, their own world is "normal" and the rest of the world is "bizarre" but it doesn't make them oblivious to its existence. Yes, Morticia hasn't traveled the world, but she's been outside her own front door. They live in an alternative reality of their own creation which is perfectly "normal" to them, but it's not a cocoon -- indeed, the cartoons have countless examples of the Family interacting with the outside world, typically baffled by or subverting it.

So I guess I could see how you might want the Addamses of the musical to be more defiant and less accomodating and tolerant of the "abnormality" of the outside world. But at the same time, they are being begged by their daughter -- who is clearly blinded and confused by first love with a boy from the "other side of the tracks" (by Addams standards) -- so I can also understand why they're willing to try to put on a good show for her sake even if they think deep down that the whole exercise is pointless and really should be unnecessary (which is ultimately what Wednesday herself realizes at the end of the first act).

[lizliz]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 12:02pm

They sold student rush tickets at 6:00 (well, probably closer to 6:10). 1 per valid student ID, $41.50 cash. There were probably about 20 people in line, I don't know how many got in ... I was 6th, and I got a ticket. We were in Row K of the back mezz, about three rows in front of the back wall of the theatre (so the last row of $91.50 seats, I guess).

The sightlines in the theatre are really good -- much better than the Oriental in Chicago for this show -- and I think you probably have full view from anywhere in the mezz.

I asked at the box office about SRO, and was told that they won't be selling SRO at all during previews. Also, they seem to have lowered the back wall a bit, so I don't think you need to be as tall for SRO as you did when Mermaid was at the Lunt. :)
Updated On: 3/9/10 at 12:02 PM

[CockeyedOptimist2]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 12:55pm

Man, when I bought my full-price ticket yesterday the man at the box office said they weren't doing student rush at all. Either we had a miscommunication or I was too gullible.

[mina3]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 12:59pm

Oh my god, I cannot BELIEVE they cut "Tango, Tango, Tango." It was one of my favorites! They should've cut "Morticia" instead - it doesn't say anything we don't hear Gomez saying throughout the entire show. Geez, that's the first change that's REALLY disappointed me. Wonder if there's any chance it'll get reinstated.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 1:08pm

"So I guess I could see how you might want the Addamses of the musical to be more defiant and less accomodating and tolerant of the "abnormality" of the outside world. But at the same time, they are being begged by their daughter -- who is clearly blinded and confused by first love with a boy from the "other side of the tracks" (by Addams standards) -- so I can also understand why they're willing to try to put on a good show for her sake even if they think deep down that the whole exercise is pointless and really should be unnecessary (which is ultimately what Wednesday herself realizes at the end of the first act)."

But that's the problem. Wednesday herself shouldn't think herself or family to be abnormal, and therefore would never ask her family to conform to something she really isn't aware of. The Addams Family itself would view the outside world as weird and abnormal. It would have been much funnier and more in line with what the Addams Family is for them to keep in their own tradition. I really think this whole thing was a misfire, and after Chicago they should have re-strated. The critics are going to destroy this.

[Helene2]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 1:12pm

When I saw Addams Family in Chicago, my thoughts on the show were IDENTICAL to what WhizzerMarvin has posted here - Great Talent Misused, no plot, no story, a series of gags thrown together, NOT FUNNY, NOT ENTERTAINING. When I posted these thoughts in January, Averagebwaynut, who is clearly a booster for this show, immediately posted, as did Fanb, attacking me for my views, accusing me of being a different poster with a new name, etc. My reason for posting was I was angry to have spent over $200 for tickets for what was touted as an "event" by many boosters on the message board, and also by Hedy Weiss of the Chicago Sun Times, who gave it an unqualified rave. Just to be clear, I am NOBODY but a theatregoer. I read these boards to help decide which shows to spend my limited funds on. I love theatre and I take no joy in seeing a debacle. The Addams Family was an extremely expensive evening out. The main floor tickets were "sold out" before the show opened, but were available by the hundreds from StubHub and other scalpers. I sat through two+ tedious hours of a great set and effects, excellent talent who had nothing to work with, and I didn't laugh once. I left feeling like a victim of hype. I couldn't trust the critics OR the message boards OR the box office claims. I will certainly think long and hard before ponying up the big $$ for any other acclaimed, "event" shows in Chicago. The audience was completely unenthused the night I was there, with many leaving early and complete silence as the crowd exited. I wish I had been warned not to waste my money. Please consider this post as such. if you have plenty of money and don't mind spending it, go see this show for yourself. For people like me, for whom theatre is a luxury, read WhizzerMarvin and consider spending your money on something entertaining. And let me add, as I did in my original posts, that all the shilling and deception and belief that you can fool people, especially midwestern "rubes" or "tourists" like me, is simply not good for theatre. Times are tough economically. When people come to see a well-reviewed, "big event" show and pay big money for it, and they aren't entertained, they DON'T COME BACK TO SEE THE NEXT SHOW. Its that simple.

Posted: 3/9/10 at 1:17pm

I can only speak of the Chicago previews I saw, but I think there is a long tradition of "teenage rebellion" both in fiction and real life to see how a teen in love might view her family differently as she matures. Just as an outsider might be enchanted by the Addams' unusual lifestyle, someone raised that way might chafe and want to explore something different. Kids in general are ashamed of their parents. Why wouldn't Wednesday be?

Would you feel better if they tossed in a line where Gomez says "Remember when my sister Artesia dated that pediatrician? You were all terrified she'd thrown her life away, but she came to her senses and now she, Alonso and Pedima have a wonderful marriage!"

[purtynpynk]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 1:26pm

averagebwaynut, I'm glad you actually wrote as much as you did. My home is Chicago, and I saw it there. I will probably never get to see it in New York, so it was nice to read what you said about it and see what kind of changes were made. I actually kind of like Clandango in Chicago, but I haven't obviously heard the new song, so I can't judge. I'm glad that they kept "Pulled" and "Crazier than You" though. They were my favorites and I kept hearing that they were in talks of being cut. I hope this turns out well. It had potential in Chicago and the improvements sound great.

[Wheresmyvoice]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 1:31pm

Does anyone know what time I should get in line at the theater to attempt student rush?

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 1:45pm

My reason for posting was I was angry to have spent over $200 for tickets for what was touted as an "event" by many boosters on the message board, and also by Hedy Weiss of the Chicago Sun Times, who gave it an unqualified rave.

Mistake #1: Blaming the subjective opinions of others for your own opinion of a show. Fans of a show are not responsible for your enjoyment. I hated Spring Awakening, but that's how it works. I don't blame the boards or the critics or anyone in particular. You pays your money, you takes your chances.

Mistake #2: Reading Hedy Weiss in general. Did you read the Tribune review? Or all those posts from people in Chicago who didn't like the show?

And let me add, as I did in my original posts, that all the shilling and deception and belief that you can fool people, especially midwestern "rubes" or "tourists" like me, is simply not good for theatre.

They're called opinions and those different from yours can be just as valid. I enjoyed it in Chicago, though I saw its problems. I did laugh and the night I attended, the audience was VERY enthusiastic. That doesn't mean I'd say you are misleading anyone.

When people come to see a well-reviewed, "big event" show and pay big money for it, and they aren't entertained, they DON'T COME BACK TO SEE THE NEXT SHOW. Its that simple.

Unless they are smart enough to know that not every show is the same. Or that not everyone has to like the same show. But if you think all shows are the same and the only existing valid or true opinion is yours, then it's probably best for you to avoid all theatre in the future. And stop blaming other people for money you decided to spend.

Posted: 3/9/10 at 1:52pm

I think you should sue Hedy Weiss.