Addams Family is a Rib Tickler
It is fun watching when something that would be considered abnormal is flipped 180 degrees and becomes normal, while that which is normal is spatula-ed into the air and returns to the frying pan as abnormal. Such is the plot of AUI's production of the Addams Family, currently entering its second week of production at UL-L's Burke Hall. When I was a lad in the 1960's we waited with baited breath for the monthly arrival of The New Yorker. It used to impress the heck out of adults watching us become enveloped by the august periodical, but in point of fact, we were looking for the monthly Charles Addams cartoons.
With that same anticipation, I sat myself down in the nosebleed section of Burke to watch director Travis Guillory's thespians do their thing. For the most part, my expectations were met, full force. It seems that Gomez (Ken Harrelson) and Morticia (Ali Roberts) Addams have two young'uns: Wednesday (Abby Boudreaux) and Pugsley (Trey Menard). The names nicely foreshadow their personalities, looks, and behavior. Wednesday/Juliet has fallen for Lucas Beineke/Romeo (Eric Schneider) who is pretty darn normal in every respect. Their passion is so strong that they plan on marrying. Ah, love. Neither Gomez/Morticia (Capulets) nor Lucas's parents, Mal (Milton Resweber) and Alice (Cindy Hebert)/Montague are particularly smitten with their children's choice d'amour or their respective parents. May I repeat myself? Ah, love.
The Beinekes are somewhat outnumbered by the Gomez gang. In addition to parent and child, the Addams are supported by their out-of-Frankenstein butler Lurch (another aptly named character, whose vocabulary reminds the audience of a constant gargling noise), bald-headed Uncle Fester (see my previous comment), and fright be-wigged Grandma, the only unnamed character in la famille Addams. If that isn't enough to give the poor Beineke's a case of the frissons, they are also confronted by eighteen long-deceased (well, sort'a, anyway) ancestors who whoosh about the house in spectral spider-web splendor.
Did I mention that the show is a musical? One of the strong points of the show is the humor that infects both the lines as well as lyrics. Unfortunately, the audience had to listen very carefully for the lines because the volume of the orchestra tended to drown out the amplified voices of the actors. The result was more noise than music. Another sore spot was the unnecessary accents sported by some of the cast. I have never been a fan of accents unless, a) they are absolutely necessary, b) they are done consistently and c) are well enunciated. Because of the orchestra's volume beating against the shores of a marginal accent, many of the lines spoken by one of the show's principals were lost to the ether. The words would have been far more understandable were they done in the performers' normal voices. Face it, how many times have you, gentle reader, left a performance in a huff because the actor didn't use an affected accent. One of my favorite performances of Romeo and Juliet was given at a university in Alpine, Texas. Shakespeare with a West Texas accent was a bit “different” at first, but by Act I, Scene 2, I didn't notice the twang at all.
Now that that rant is put to bed, let's look at some of the shows brighter stars. Abby Boudreaux, who acted and sang the role of Wednesday, was wonderful. Not only was Abby the spittin' image of Charles Adams' interpretation of the elven-size young lady, she was an on-stage dynamo, always keeping the energy of the show going. She serves as an effective standard bearer for the remainder of the casts' singing. I unhesitatingly give her one of the show's Georgies.
Another stand-out was Trey Menard's interpretation of Wednesday's little, and thereby often tortured, brother, Puggsely. For a little'un, Trey's comic timing is razor sharp. His top-shelf performance was made all the more inspired by the fact just the weekend before he helped close The Wizard of Oz in his significant role of the Cowardly Lion. Really, really good job, Trey.
Let me also cast the limelight on Travis Guillory's choreography. Good dancing serves as the frame for the picture of the acting and singing. I've been to shows where weak choreography is based on the choreographer's watching the movie a dozen or so times, and then do a monkey-see, monkey-do. Remember, a movie's choreographer has degrees in the art and decades of experience and the dancers have a similar vitae. Guillory's choreography reflected his dancers ability, and that makes all the difference. The dancing was fun, energetic, and well performed. I'd also give a Georgie to Travis Guillory as a choreographer. Well done, Travis.
It is well worth your time to hie thee to Burke Hall on either the 14th or 15th of August at 7:30 or, on the 16th, catch yourself the Sunday matinee at 3:00 p.m.
Break a leg.
Ray Blum,