The Addams Family Coming to Broadway: Neuwirth to Star- Page 3

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/25/08 at 12:35pm

the BWW article says nobody has been cast in the actual production yet. And pli1018, I was thinking that when I saw August: Osage County.

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/25/08 at 12:56pm

Thank God for Bebe! So damn perfect. And it will be brilliant to see her back on Broadway creating a role in a new musical.

I can't believe some of you really thought Murney would get this over someone so brilliantly fit for the role like Bebe. Murney would just wail, belt, scream, and riff over Lippa's score. Bebe will sing in AS the character.

[H.Higgins]

Posted: 6/25/08 at 1:03pm

This is a really interesting conversation.

1) In what universe would Gomez be a "romantic lead"? He'll be the male lead, yes, but the "romantic lead"? That term suggests a stock character with certain attributes and certain plot journeys that really don't apply to this character in this piece. Gomez is ROMANTIC towards his wife, yes, but that certainly doesn't make the character a "romantic lead". Those would be the likes of Sky Masterson and Emile DeBeque.

2) I agree with those that mention the character of Gomez in terms of the original cartoons (the whole inspiration here) and the television series. Gomez is charming towards Morticia, but he's definitely a ham. We know Nathan Lane is ideal for the ham part, but I can absolutely see him "kissing up Morticia's arm", giving her those puppy eyes that he does so well. Their flirtations are supposed to be charming, but also exaggerated and silly. I think he would excel at that.

3) Raul Julia was amazing in the films. And yes, his was a suave, sexier take on Gomez, but that being said, Julia was a brilliant comedian and he still brought a wide-eyed silliness and sleazy edge, too. Actors suggested here like Paulo Szot and Antonio Banderas based on the film portrayal would be sexy, yes, but lack the camp, humor, and silly charm that Raul Julia had in droves.

4) I'm really surprised that so many people are completely against the notion of Nathan Lane in the role, but would want Danny Burstein. It seems to me that both would bring very similar things to the character.

Posted: 6/25/08 at 1:06pm

""The Addams Family" is a project of the Chicago-based Elephant Eye Theatrical and is currently slated to tryout in Chicago during 2009."


WHOO-HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Theater Loop

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/25/08 at 1:06pm

Let's hope the director can get Lane to ACT and not resort to his usual screaming madness. The guy is capable of giving a disciplined performance, but rarely does.

[madbrian]

Posted: 6/25/08 at 1:07pm

I really don't want to see Lane hamming it up to the audience, and I don't know if he's capable of anything else. All the staged break-ups on The Producers, where he broke character, turned me off to him.

[MungoGypsy8232]

Posted: 6/25/08 at 1:12pm

I guess this is why Bebe dropped out of 9 to 5! I'm sure she'll be awesome, just not my top choice for the role! Michael Cerveris would be a better Uncle Fester than Gomez! I can see Nathan Lane as the part, but like madbrain said, he better not ham it up because it'll just ruin the piece.

[MungoGypsy8232]

Posted: 6/25/08 at 1:13pm

Oh, and Mary Louise Wilson as Granny is perfection though I doubt that'll happen.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 6/25/08 at 1:24pm

How does that work? Since Bebe is attached to the project, but the project doesn't actually "start" for a year, does she get paid until then? Or how does that work? Sort of like Celia being attached to "Saved" for a year.

[logan0215]

Posted: 6/25/08 at 1:26pm

Carol Kane played Grandma in the film



She's been doing theater acting (most recently in Wicked).


Why not have her reprise her role?

I agree that Gomez should be suave but with the ability to do comedy. When Lane attempts Suave, he comes off like he's doing a suave-shtick which I don't think is appropriate.

Although advanced in age, wouldn't Jonathan Pryce make a great Gomez? He's got the suave down and we've seen his comedic chops in DRS...
Updated On: 6/25/08 at 01:26 PM

[broadwayjim42]

Posted: 6/25/08 at 1:29pm

Thank you Dollypop, madbrian and mungogypsy....I'm afraid of him coming in, hamming up the joint and spoiling it all in the process.

I've said it about other performers...there's a fine line between genius and ham. Lane's problem is he crosses than line more often than not and in his case, I find it annoying and off-putting.

[MisterRussell]

Posted: 6/25/08 at 1:32pm

I always thought Tim Curry would be a great Gomez ...

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/25/08 at 1:33pm

Over at ATC, they brought up Bebe's height as a problem. But that can obviously be fixed.

They don't seem as excited over there for Bebe as we are. Weird.

[barcelona20]

Posted: 6/25/08 at 1:33pm

Pryce is far too old.

And Cerveris would be a ridiculous choice for Fester. You think just because he is bald that qualifies him for the role???

[H.Higgins]

Posted: 6/25/08 at 1:34pm

-- "I always thought Tim Curry would be a great Gomez ..."

Yes! Perfect!

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/25/08 at 1:37pm

PS. I hope Lippa's score is more traditional Broadway than his belty rock/pop feel of WILD PARTY. It probably will be more traditional considering the casting Bebe and Nathan. They aren't pop belters.

[jacobtsf]

Posted: 6/25/08 at 1:39pm

RentBoy- She is only (officially) attached to a reading.

[broadwayjim42]

Posted: 6/25/08 at 1:39pm

Tim Curry's actually a year older than Jonathan Pryce....

[MungoGypsy8232]

Posted: 6/25/08 at 1:41pm

"And Cerveris would be a ridiculous choice for Fester. You think just because he is bald that qualifies him for the role??? "

No? I think he would be a great Fester because Michael Cerveris proved to be quite funny at the Tony Award pre-show. It would be a great chance for him to take on a different role and prove what a capable actor that he is. Yes, he's bald but they can always put a baldcap on another actor so that is not the case. Just thinking aloud.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 6/25/08 at 1:43pm

Matthew Gumley, who is one of the Michaels in MARY POPPINS would make a perfect Pugsley.

The press release seems to be calling Reidel a liar by saying no one has actually been cast.
Being "attached" to a project is a very loose term, usually it means they are interested or the producers are interested in that particular actor/actress.

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 6/25/08 at 2:06pm

I wanna play Cousin Itt....He was my favorite.

[Pocketsquared Fanadu]

Posted: 6/25/08 at 2:22pm

Actually, my vote is for Cubby Bernstein as Pugsley...

[Not Barker, Todd.]

Posted: 6/25/08 at 2:49pm

"Why not have her reprise her role?"

I haven't seen the film, and now, nor do I care too, but they may want something different for that character, since it's not based on the movie.

"I agree that Gomez should be suave but with the ability to do comedy. When Lane attempts Suave, he comes off like he's doing a suave-shtick which I don't think is appropriate."

But it might be appropriate for what they are going for.

Joe, could you please post the real cartoon? The fake Gomez is bothersome.

[Not Barker, Todd.]

Posted: 6/25/08 at 2:56pm

[Weez]

Posted: 6/25/08 at 3:27pm

Michael Cerveris has been proving himself to be a funny man for quite a while longer than this year's Tonys. I remember last year's Tonys pre-interviews where he reckoned he definitely wouldn't win Best Actor, so was threatening to turn up in his pyjamas and get roaringly drunk. Damn, I wish he had, and then won. It would've made my summer, and been so entertaining that we may even have avoided all the w*** afterwards. ^_^

I like the idea of Cubby as Pugsley. But kids grow so fast that it's brobably best to wait until it's due on Broadway before thinking about kid-casting, and then we will probably be looking at unknowns.

Cousin Itt was always my favourite too...