Stage Sounds: The Addams Family

The Addams Family is an American institution at this point, but I still don't think many people know it has its own musical. My first ever trip to NYC was during its Broadway run, but I didn't get to see the show until a few years ago, and now I've seen two different youth productions of it. It's a fun show, to be sure, but I will say kind of like Shrek it's just not as catchy as many other shows out there.

The Addams Family is a musical with music & lyrics by Andrew Lippa and book by Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice. Based on the 1930s comic strip of the same name by Charles Addams, the show opened in 2010 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre (located on W 46th Street), where it ran for 722 performances before closing in 2011. The show has also seen tours in Asia, the UK, and the US as well as a concert in the West End in 2024. The original Broadway run was nominated for two Tony Awards in 2010, though it didn't win either. There's no film adaptation of the show, but the original '60s sitcom, the '90s films, the recent animated films, and of course the hit Netflix phenomenon Wednesday are all excellent mediums to meet this family if you haven't.

For this post, I will be focusing on one song for each main cast member from the original Broadway cast recording, but will be skipping the Honorable Mentions portion because, as I mentioned earlier, a lot of this music just didn't resonate with me personally. Warning: potential spoilers ahead.

Gomez Addams (Baritone/Bass)

Spotlight Song: Happy/Sad

Original Broadway (2010): Nathan Lane

Gomez is so goofy, so over-the-top-hopelessly-romantic, and honestly a pretty great dad and husband. Nathan Lane is an absolute legend, and honestly was a great choice for the part. Gomez doesn't have too many solos in this ensemble heavy show, but Act II's Happy/Sad is such a sweet song from a father to a beloved daughter. At his core, Gomez has always just wanted the best for his family.

Right and wrong, who’s to say which we should refuse/All we know, love survives either way we choose/Here you are the edge, go ahead and fall/Don’t resist, I insist, love still conquers all/I’m feeling happy, I’m feeling sad/A little childish, a little Dad/I think of all the days you’ve known, all the ways you’ve grown/See you on your own, and then/I’m feeling happy and sad again

Morticia Addams (Mezzo-Soprano/Alto)

Spotlight Song: Just Around the Corner

Original Broadway (2010): Bebe Neuwirth

All hail Morticia, the queen of all things spooky and elegant. Bebe Neuwirth was pretty perfect casting here, playing the Addams matriarch with poise, grace, and ever simmering frustration. I wish Morticia had more solo moments, but Act II opener Just Around the Corner is a really fun moment for her even as she's feeling betrayed by Wednesday and Gomez. She may love her life, but she's always thinking with one foot in the grave.

My daughter’s getting married, I can’t believe it’s true/She doesn’t asks her parents before she says, "I do"/And what about my husband, oblivious, naive/This evening’s getting serious, these Ohioans won’t leave/But I can’t let these latest problems rob me of my bliss/For when I’m scared of true disaster, I remember this/Death is just around the corner waiting patiently to strike/One unplanned electrocution, that’s the kind of end I can comprehend/When I’m feeling uninspired or I need a little spree/I’m reborn knowing death is just around the corner coming after me

Wednesday Addams (Soprano/Mezzo-Soprano)

Spotlight Song: Pulled

Original Broadway (2010): Krysta Rodriguez

If Morticia is queen, then Wednesday is absolutely the crown princess of the daunting and the grim. Krysta Rodriguez has a great voice, bringing a spark of life to Wednesday that normally wouldn't be there if not for her newfound love. Wednesday gets her spotlight earlier than the others with Act I's Pulled as she vents her confusing feelings to her brother as she stretches him out on the rack. It's kind of fun throughout the show to see the typically stoic Wednesday a little shaken up.

I don’t have a sunny disposition, I’m not known for being too amused/My demeanor’s locked in one position, see my face, I’m enthused/Suddenly, however, I’ve been puzzled, bunny rabbits make me want to cry/All my inhibitions have been muzzled, and I think I know why/I’m being pulled in a new direction/But I think I like it, I think I like it/I’’m being pulled in a new direction/Through my painful pursuit, somehow birdies took root/All the things I detested, impossibly cute/God, what do I do

Uncle Fester (Tenor/Baritone)

Spotlight Song: The Moon and Me

Original Broadway (2010): Kevin Chamberlain

Uncle Fester is such a delightful weirdo, you can't help but like him and be a little creeped out by him. Kevin Chamberlain was the only member of the original cast to see a Tony nomination, which is a little crazy, but he did do an excellent job. Fester's solo, Act II's The Moon and Me, is a surprisingly tender and beautiful ballad as he sings about his love of, yes, the moon. It's honestly a pretty gorgeous song with some really nice vocal moments for a tenor to show off their chops.

When the daylight ends and the moon ascends/I would rather be just the moon and me/When I feel her pull, then my heart is full/And the night is softly, sweetly calling, "Fester, look and see"/La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la/It’s a dream that’s coming true when the moon says, "I love you"

Mal Beineke (Tenor)

Spotlight Song: Let's Not Talk About Anything Else But Love

Original Broadway (2010): Terrence Mann

Mal sucks, which is kind of the point of his character, but he does at least redeem himself by the end of the show. Terrence Mann was my Javert (Les Miz fans all have our own perfect castings that no one can top, after all), and he's also been fabulous in Apple's Foundation series. Mal's song, Act II's Let's Not Talk About Anything Else But Love, is a fun trio between he, Gomez, and Fester. It's not exactly a showstopper, but it's alright.

Can’t we talk about anything else but love/Love that launched a thousand ships/Please, let’s talk about anything else but love/Love that causes war and famine/Can’t we speak about real estate/Love of wife, Watergate/Love of children/Seasonal fluctuation in the prime interest rate/Love of chocolate, you must love chocolate/Everybody loves chocolate, say you do, say it

Alice Beineke (Soprano)

Spotlight Song: Waiting

Original Broadway (2010): Carolee Carmello

Alice starts off as a bit of a wet blanket, but then there's that turning point where she becomes really quite interesting. Carolee Carmello does a great job pouring that yearning for a different way of life into her vocal performance as this character. Alice's moment, Act I's Waiting, is a surprisingly deep moment commenting on how trapped she feels as a housewife. It's a relatable moment in the show for a lot of women, and really satisfying that she ends up with a happy ending.

A woman waits for marriage, a woman waits for children/She waits for her big Mal to come back home/At five o’clock, or six o’clock, ’til it’s nine o’clock/And there’s no clock to ease the pain, pain she can’t explain/As the woman waits in the dark/For a spark that was once there/That isn’t there, not ever there/Alone and waiting, and wailing/Whining and waning/Wanting and wasting and woe/Waiting, fixating/Debating, lose weighting/Ice skating, lactating and so

Lucas Beineke (Tenor)

Spotlight Song: Crazier Than You

Original Broadway (2010): Wesley Taylor

I know we should be intrigued by the man who catches the eye and captures the heart of Wednesday Addams, but I think the most interesting thing about Lucas is, in fact, Wednesday. Wesley Taylor plays this part well, a nerdy, somewhat plain guy who loves Wednesday because she's the first risk he's ever taken in his life. Act II's Crazier Than You is a really fun duet between the couple, showing their devotion to each other that could grow into something akin to Gomez and Morticia given time. Lucas isn't a bad character by any means, just...boring.

I’m not impulsive, and yet, I truly love you/I’m not deranged, I’d ever ask that of you/But in this moment, I feel I’ve changed/I wanna climb Mt. Everest, go to Mozambique/I wanna be impulsive, want to be unique/Can you believe I mean it when you hear me shriek/I’m crazier than you, I’m crazier than you/And now, I’ll prove to you exactly how/I’m crazier than you, I’ll do what you can do/From here on in, I give my solemn vow

Pugsley Addams (Tenor)

Spotlight Song: What If

Original Broadway (2010): Adam Riegler

Pugsley's a weird little kid, but at least he's aware of it. Adam Riegler does wonderfully showcasing a more tender side of Pugsley, a boy who loves his sister dearly and is just afraid of losing her to someone else. Act I's What If is a shockingly sweet moment that details just that struggle, with plenty of Addams style humor thrown in. It sets up the second act of the show well, too, moving the plot along smoothly.

What if she never tortures me anymore, how would I manage/What if she never nails my tongue to the bathroom floor/What if she walks away leaving me a-ok/Hiding each power tool, why would she be so cruel/I could stab my arm myself, could rip my tonsils out/Could set my hair aflame, I could spray my eyes with mace/But face the fact, without her/It wouldn’t be the same

Grandma Addams (Soprano)

Spotlight Song: When You're an Addams

Original Broadway (2010): Jackie Hoffman

The enigma that is Grandma Addams is not a prominent singing role in the show, but she's still a part of the family. Jackie Hoffman plays the unhinged crone that no one's sure who she's actually related to with the right amount of dark humor. Show opener When You're an Addams is one of the only time she gets to sing, but she makes the most of it. She's such a fun character.

When you’re an Addams, you need to grab a bow and arrow/When you’re an Addams, you need a moment to explode/Just pour a potion, flip the switch and wait ’til things get hot/When you’re an Addams, you have to really stir the pot

Especially as we move ever closer to Halloween, I hope you enjoyed checking this show out today. Happy listening, and see ya'll next week!