the addams family

I went to the theater last night brimming with anticipation - really, people, do you know how long I have WAITED to see Nathan Lane in a musical in Chicago? A very very very very long time, ever since no one wanted to go to The Producers with me back in whenever that little show made its pre-Broadway run here (2001? 2000?). Yeah, you know how it goes. A little show comes out to Chicago, hoping to go to Broadway, and then it dies here and no one hears from it again. Oh, wait, I'm sorry - The Producers went on to win something like 13 Tony's. And no.one.wanted.to.see.it.with.me. Then when they finally DID want to see it with me it was TOO LATE because you could not get tickets for love nor money. And THEN I got over it and went to New York on my own, and I still never saw it with the original cast because the tickets were so expensive. And I'm still bitter (have you noticed??) - but we will leave that tale of woe for another time and just say that I've been wanting to see Mr. Lane live for a very long time. With Bebe Neuwirth, no less. Tickets on my birthday? Oh yes, please. A little gift (aw, such good taste! you know me so well) - from me to me.

Anyway. Back to the show. It opens with our titular gruesome family in the graveyard, saying goodbye to daughter Wednesday (Krysta Rodriguez). No, she hasn't died, she's simply grown up, and has to embrace the family values by making several promises to the assembled clan - dad Gomez (Mr. Lane), mommy Morticia (Ms. Neuwirth), Uncle Fester (Kevin Chamberlin), brother Pugsley (Adam Riegler), Grandma Somebody (whose, we're not quite sure, but the old girl DOES smoke a lot of pot in the attic - played by Jackie Hoffman), and Lurch (the splendidly large-voiced Zachary James). But Wednesday has a secret - she's in love with a wonderful guy, who makes her think of sunshine and rainbows and makes her want to wear yellow. Mom makes her invite the boy and his family, from the exotic land of Ohio, over to the house for dinner. Wednesday pleads with her parents to be normal, so the Beinekes will like them so she can continue to see her boyfriend, Lucas.

Well, I am sure you can guess that mayhem ensues as the family attempts to be "normal" and during the course of the meal, "The Game" is played - it's full disclosure time. A drink from the family chalice and then you spill a secret. Without giving anything away here, a prank by Pugsley meant for his sister goes wrong, the Beinekes make for the door, but a hurricane pops up (!) requiring the guests to stay in chez Addams for the night. It's all about love and family, about growing old (the never ending cycle of life, death and dried fruit - pefect for this old prune on her birthday!), about finding yourself, and all that other great stuff. What big splashy musical dreams are made of, and all that. The entire cast was magnificent - they sing! they dance! they collect instruments of torture! I knew I'd love Nathan and Bebe, and they were wonderful (what STAR POWER!) but the entire cast was solid.

The show was everything I wanted it to be and more - complete with monsters under the bed, unexpected sword fighting, humor and charm in spades, sexy tangos (I am channeling Bruno Tonioli here and saying, with a raised paddle and pump of the fist "TEN! You are the GODDESS of the TANGO! Spectacular! Spectacular!) and, well, a giant squid.

I'm going again. Who's coming with me?