The Adams Family 1st Preview...- Page 7

[adamgreer]

Posted: 3/16/10 at 12:41pm

You can clearly hear one of them laughing in the background. They obviously understand her sense of humor.

[sundaymorning6am]

Posted: 3/16/10 at 12:46pm

Wait, wait, wait!

There's rush now?! What are the rules, regulations, and prices?

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 3/16/10 at 1:22pm

I'll be at ADDAMS tonight. And I'll be sure to report back.

[BroadwayBound115]

Posted: 3/16/10 at 2:54pm

Thank you! I love reading your reviews :)

[ifuweregay93]

Posted: 3/16/10 at 6:12pm

I THINK it may be the fact that the show is playing in the backround, and you can hear a small part of the music, and the production team have been rather uptight about stuff getting leaked, so maybe they requested it to be taken down?

Just a thought.

[sit&dither]

Posted: 3/18/10 at 10:29am

Bump. Any news on whether (and what) changes are still happening?

[finebydesign]

Posted: 3/18/10 at 1:54pm

I'm not sure this has been discussed or if it's reflected on stage (at this point) but Bebe and Nathan Lane cannot stand one another in real life. While both are very professional work-wise this icy relationship really caused some backstage drama in Chicago. Just telling you what I heard...

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/18/10 at 1:56pm

^ Thanks, but we've known that. We read Michael Riedel!

[jamiekennywicked]

Posted: 3/18/10 at 2:49pm

How come they dont get along?

[bethnor]

Posted: 3/18/10 at 4:58pm

How come they dont get along?

1) it's just a rumor

2) on the chance that it's true, well, queens and divas.

Posted: 3/18/10 at 5:32pm

Has anyone seen Nathan at the stage door? He hardly came out during the Chicago run.

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 3/18/10 at 6:26pm

http://www.usatoday.com/life/theater/news/2010-03-17-addams17_ST_N.htm?csp=34&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+usatoday-LifeTopStories+%28Life+-+Top+Stories%29

I hardly think "...Bebe and Nathan Lane cannot stand one another in real life..."

finebydesign- please keep "what you heard" to yourself.

[PReeves2]

Posted: 3/20/10 at 2:19am

coming up next week for my first trip to NYC!!!! SO EXCITED!!! Been finding the reviews here helpful. Already pre-bought tickets to the Adams Family show and am going to hope for the best from what i've been reading on this blog. what else is worth seeing? coming with my boyfriend and i don't want him to get too bored at a show. thanks for your help.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 12:34am

Saw this tonight (with the First Lady and her daughters!)....

The first act is entertaining enough. There are some funny moments, just about all of them provided by Nathan Lane, who is doing his best to salvage what he can from this show. And then...act 2 comes around, and it all falls apart...

Act 2 is a complete disaster. Simply dreadful. There are very few jokes, the musical numbers get REALLY bad, and most importantly, NOTHING HAPPENS. Everything is so rushed along in act 1, that they have very little to do in the second act. What follows is a series of pointless numbers featuring such things as the Moon and a squid.

The score to the entire show is entirely forgettable. Nothing memorable or distinctive about it. The book is not very good, either, though act 1, as I said, has some funny moments. The plot is basically La Cage Aux Folles with The Addams Family filling in for Georges and Albin, and the Bienekes taking on the role of the Dindons. The biggest book problem is that the main conflict involving the two young lovers is resolved very early on in act 2, so there's really nothing left to do afterwards- it all feels like filler.

The set design is excellent, and is one of the evening's highlights.

The staging is not very good or creative, and it was rather irritating how many numbers were staged by having a character stand in front of a red curtain and sing out to the audience.

The cast, for the most part, is game, but, other than Nathan Lane, aren't given much to work with. Krysta Rodriguez and Wesley Taylor get a generic pop ballad about their love, and then disappear until the final scene. Carmello and Mann have NOTHING to do, and poor Mann gets the squid number. Chamberlin, who seems a natural choice for Fester, does what he can with what he's given. Unfortunately, he gets the Moon number.

Jackie Hoffman does her schtick, which is fine, because she makes you laugh.

Bebe Neuwirth lands some one-liners, but mostly appeared bored throughout. Her act 2 "Death is Just Around the Corner" number isn't very good...when you have to literally explain the "corner/ coroner" reference to the audience, that should be a sign the joke isn't very funny. Good jokes don't require explanation.

There is exactly one reason to the see the show: Nathan Lane. He is trying his very best to make this all work, but the material is just too weak. He gets as many laughs as he can out of the sub-par material he's given. He's definitely giving it his all, and most of the evening's laughs come from him.

Nevertheless, the audience was wildly enthusiastic, clapping and snapping along. I suspect this will still have a decent enough run.

Random side note about some peoples' stupidity...during act 1, Jackie Hoffman has a line about making "Mary Poppins look like Medea." The woman behind me turned to her daughter and loudly whispered, "Medea is the woman with all the snakes in her hair." Updated On: 3/23/10 at 12:34 AM

[bjh2114]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 12:48am

Her act 2 "Death is Just Around the Corner" number isn't very good...when you have to literally explain the "corner/ coroner" reference to the audience, that should be a sign the joke isn't very funny. Good jokes don't require explanation.

While I agree 100% with the rest of your review, this is the one part I don't quite agree with. I actually really enjoyed this number. I thought the lyrics were clever, and the tune was catchy (at least it's the song I was humming when I left the theatre). And as for the joke, I think the joke IS that she explains it to the audience. It's not like she's trying to clarify it. She and the writers are well aware that it's a terrible pun, and so the wink at the audience is what MAKES it funny. At least the rest of the audience (and I) laughed at that moment.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 12:54am

Random side note about some peoples' stupidity...during act 1, Jackie Hoffman has a line about making "Mary Poppins look like Medea." The woman behind me turned to her daughter and loudly whispered, "Medea is the woman with all the snakes in her hair."

Better than the woman behind ME when I saw it who thought she said Madea.

As in:

Updated On: 3/23/10 at 12:54 AM

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/23/10 at 2:14am

Sorry if this isn't coherent. I am tired.

I was also there tonight. I really don't know what to make of it. The first act was pretty entertaining. The second act was very messy at times. The score is completely forgettable. One pop song after another. Why would this creepy family be singing these bubble-gum sounding pop tunes? I don't get it. Such a disappointing score.

Quite possibly the most disappointing of all is that they have assembled the most perfect cast. All of these actors are perfect for these roles. But unfortunately the writers could not write them appropriate material for their talents. I don't understand how you get Bebe Neuwirth in a perfect role for her.....but you don't tailor the role to properly suit her talents? It just doesn't make sense. I think they all did the best they could. Bebe does the best she can with this material, but it clearly Lane's show. But how nice of him to give her the last bow.

The best parts of the show were the fantastic design and overture. I don't think it's quite the disaster some are making it out to be, but it's pretty disappointing.


Updated On: 3/23/10 at 02:14 AM

[Jamie Pierce]

Posted: 3/24/10 at 1:04am

I'm just not sure about Bebe's characterization. Her Morticia just doesn't seem appropriately stoic (which is odd since Bebe has made her career being just that). It's as if she's almost too perky in the role. Sounds strange, but you know what I mean?

[wicked91]

Posted: 3/26/10 at 1:29pm

any updates on the show? i know someone compared it to la cage... but i see it more as a twisted, you can't take it with you.

[bwayguy22089]

Posted: 3/26/10 at 3:08pm

I'm pretty sure they just have Bebe a new Act 1 number called Tango, Tango, Tango. Anyone seen it since then?

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/26/10 at 3:09pm

^ I don't think that number was ever officially part of the show. It wasn't at this past Monday's performance.

[mina3]

Posted: 3/26/10 at 3:32pm

"Tango, Tango, Tango" was performed at the invited dress and cut before the first preview. Maybe they've added it back in, with or without revisions?