The Long Island Advance
Dark is okay when brilliantly hilarious
It starts with the famous harpsichord strains and percussive finger snaps. Then Thing, the hand, scuttles across the stage.
The Addams family appears. In a graveyard. A couple of them look sort of regular, if Goth is your thing. Mother Morticia (Jennifer Byrne), severely glamorous with long, black hair and plunging neckline; her husband Gomez (Aaron De Jesus), distinguished in a sharply styled suit; son Pugsley (Rivers O’Neal in Friday’s performance), a stickler for explosives; and Wednesday (Malia Monk), who carries a crossbow instead of a Coach bag. But Grandma (Sydia Cedéno) is a white-haired, wild-eyed apparition; Uncle Fester (Jim Borstelmann) is bald, round with a white face, in love with the moon; Lurch (Ellis Gage), the butler, looks like Frankenstein. Benign, but strange. This family revels in the intoxicating smell of a graveyard. What a crew!
Prepare to laugh frequently and loud (my stomach hurt) in this sparkling production of The Gateway’s “The Addams Family Musical Comedy,” in Bellport, as these leads—plus The Ancestors, six dead relatives summoned out of the crypt who shadow the Addams Family with hilarious, wordless, gestures, stationary busking and full-tilt dancing—play their roles to the hilt.
When the company launches into the “We’re the Addams Family” opening number, one of the lyrics is putting some poison in your day. But they also sing of love, passion, and humor, emphasizing their uniqueness with a line dance, bunny hop and the twist. The cast’s joy in being strange is so shiningly out there, it’s contagious. The number got loud cheers.
(There were a lot throughout the show.)
About the ancestors: Keira Ballan as a pirate, Kelly MacMillan as a 19th-century courtesan with Jose Contreras as a cave man, Eric Daughterman as a nobleman, Chance Ingalls as a pith helmet adventurer are the marvelous, comedic, dancing and singing additions.
They can’t return to their dead status again until successfully conspiring to get Wednesday and her sweet square, Lucas (an adorable Jared Goodwin with great pipes), from Ohio, married.
The set is amazing. The Addams Family lives in a mansion on two acres in Central Park and the park scenes are right out of Disney: starry night, full moon, old-growth trees, lacy branches and Manhattan skyline in the distance. The story revolves around whether Morticia finds out from Gomez—after he promised Wednesday to keep a secret from Morticia—that her daughter wants to marry normal. His family from Ohio is coming to dinner.
The production numbers are imaginative and gleeful, like this one. Little birds pop out from the wall tweeting where Wednesday tortures her brother on a rack (he loves it; Rivers O’Neal is a spirited, annoying brother) and sings about changing from dark to… softer. She unwittingly grabs one of the warblers too hard and oh, dear, it’s dead in “Pulled.” Malia Monk plays Wednesday expertly with her withering stare, but that yearning to be in love. Great voice.
Jim Borstelmann’s ebullient Uncle Fester is a hilarious treasure, whether gleefully prancing through vaudeville steps or singing “The Moon and Me,” and… flying up to his beloved! Sydia Cedéno (formerly Abuela Claudia in last season’s “In the Heights’) is fab as the eccentric 102-year-old Grandma, with a pet rat. Feisty, she even hikes up her skirts and says, “Call me Cougar!”
Lurch, ah Lurch, played by Ellis Gage, is a master in lurching, but also timing. (He also sings. Wow!) Watch him when he meets and admires Alice Beineke. That would be poem-spouting Crystal Kellog, who accidently drinks Grandma’s potion and rips open her dress letting loose to “Waiting.” (More cheers.) Gil Brady plays her husband, grumpy Mal Beineke, who eventually redeems himself at the end.
The “Tango De Amore” dance scene is gorgeous, with Morticia and Gomez. Jennifer Byrne said she’d hoped to emulate Angelica Huston, who played Morticia in the movie and nailed it—ramrod straight, imperious, dry sense of humor, but also kind. Her voice range is alto, mezzo-soprano, soprano. Aaron De Jesus as Gomez is perfect; his earnest passion for Morticia is something all women wished they had. Wonderful voice, whether it’s exasperation, despondency or love.
Ten stars for the orchestra; kudos to music director Andrew Haile Austin. They had to bundle a bass in the pit.
Snappy dialogue, fast-paced jokes, great dancing thanks to director/choreographer Keith Andrews and associate choreographer Kelly MacMillan.
Patch.com
Full Disclosure: The Gateway's "The Addams Family" is a Smash Hit!
Snap your fingers! "The Addams Family Musical" plays to packed houses at The Gateway Playhouse, so drop everything and get tickets!
Saturday night's audience buzzed with excitement as the lights dimmed, the curtain remained mysteriously closed, and a first-rate orchestra, led by the talented Musical Director Andrew Haile Austin, played the overture. A moment later, explosive laughter filled the theatre when the disembodied hand known as "Thing" scurried across the front of the stage.
Anticipation grew, the curtain opened, and the ghoulishly dressed Addams Family stood upstage, regaling in the intoxicating smell of the graveyard. Broadway veteran Jim Borstelmann rocked the role of Uncle Fester, the show's fourth-wall-breaking narrator and devoted selenophile. When feisty Uncle Fester ritualistically danced on graves and conjured six dead ancestors from the crypt, the audience knew they were in for a spooky and altogether ooky good time.
Before seeing "The Addams Family Musical," I thought this show would be best staged during Halloween. However, the storyline is all about love, making it the perfect Goth Valentine's treat for the whole family. When Borstelmann belted out "But Love," with its catchy lyrics, "Let's not talk about anything else but love," that jazzy show tune set the amorous mood of this creepy, kooky musical rom-com.
Since 1938, when Charles Addams first introduced his wickedly wacky characters in his single-panel cartoons in The New Yorker, people from all walks of life have been enthralled with the eerie eccentricities of the Addams Family. In the mid-1960s, Addams' cartoon creation inspired the ABC black-and-white sitcom starring John Astin as Gomez and Carolyn Jones as Morticia. In the 1990s, Addams' beloved characters resurrected on the big screen with "The Addams Family" and the sequel, "Addams Family Values," starring Christopher Lloyd, Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, and Christina Ricci. Two other films, "The Addams Family" and "The Addams Family 2," opened in 2019 and 2021. A supernatural mystery comedy series, "Wednesday," starring Jenna Ortega, currently airs on Netflix.
In 2010, "The Addams Family Musical" opened on Broadway, starring Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth. With a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice and music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, this dark musical comedy revolves around the grown-up Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, and her desire to wed a sweet, smart young man from Ohio. The time has come for her boyfriend and his "normal" parents to meet Wednesday's family. Think the "Odd Couple" meets "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," and you know the evening is ripe for high-voltage tension, plenty of belly laughs, and an abundance of gallows humor gimmicks.
Aaron De Jesus commanded the stage as Gomez Addams, the stylish, charming, but ghoulish head of the Addams family. De Jesus has powerhouse vocals, which he demonstrated throughout the show. His captivating solos, "Trapped" and "Happy Sad," were two of the show's high points.
Jennifer Byrne delivered a bewitching performance as Gomez's sophisticated wife and the matriarch of the Addams clan. I loved watching Byrne slither across the stage, dressed to kill in Morticia's signature skin-tight dress with a plunging neckline "cut down to Venezuela." The audience laughed when Byrne regally descended the stairs, donning a June Cleaver crisp white apron. The standout song, "Just Around the Corner," with its haunting lyrics, was the perfect vehicle for Byrne to showcase her incredible vocal range. Watching De Jesus and Byrne perform their sensuous "Tango De Amor," joined by the dancing Ancestors, was worth the price of admission.
The part of Wednesday calls for a strong actor whose fierce facial expressions and body language can reveal her dark side and a deadpan comic who can convincingly deliver sardonic lines. Remarkably, Malia Monk's passionate portrayal of Wednesday fits that bill. Jared Goodwin gave a note-worthy performance as Wednesday's love interest, Lucas Beineke, and the onstage chemistry between Monk and Goodwin was palatable.
Gil Brady gave a nuanced performance as Mal Beineke, Lucas's uptight, control-freak father. Broadway star Crystal Kellogg aced the role of Alice Beineke, a people-pleasing, misunderstood wife and dutiful mother who speaks in annoying rhymes. When Alice accidentally ingests a potion that takes "the lid off your id," Kellogg rips loose and sings her heart out during her sensational solo "Waiting." Monk, Goodwin, Brady, and Kellogg's stellar vocals held the audience spellbound with their heartfelt delivery of the love song "Crazier than You."
Sydia Cedeño, a natural-born comic, received some of the biggest laughs of the evening with her spot-on performance as Grandma, a woman with tricks up her sleeve and a wicked sense of humor. As the Frankenstein-like butler, Lurch, Ellis Gage stole the show every time he let out one of his long, guttural "Ughhhs." Gage amazed the audience with his outstanding vocals during the showstopping number "Move Toward the Darkness."
Rivers O'Neal and Asher King share the role of Pugsley. The performance I attended featured King, a long-time student at the Gateway Acting School. All that theatrical training was not in vain since King gave a killer performance as Pugsley Addams, the mischievous prankster passionate about explosives. King showcased his vocals during the woeful tune "What If," where Pugsley laments how terrible life would be if his big sister, Wednesday, never tortured him anymore.
The extraordinarily talented ensemble of ghostly Ancestors, who serve as a Greek Chorus, includes Kelly MacMillan, Jose Contreras, Keira Ballan, Jorge Echeverria, Jade Milam, Chance Ingalls, Juliana Andrea Betancur, and Erik Daughterman.
Dustin Lawson's dramatic gothic makeup and outstanding wig and costume designs enhanced the musical's macabre mood. Under Keith Andrews' astute direction, the entire cast delivered award-worthy performances, and his eclectic choreography, featuring a line dance, bunny hop, twist, tango, a chorus line, and vaudevillian steps, added to the overall success of this stellar production.
Keep your eyes open for Cousin Itt's appearance! Charles Addams' wacky and wonderful characters have been haunting people for almost 100 years, so with that ghoulish guarantee, go see this "to die for" musical.
Dan's Papers
For a Ghoulishly Good Time See 'The Addams Family' at The Gateway
Cross your arms, snap your fingers and sing, “They’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky, they’re altogether ooky, The Addams Family.” That’s right, they’re back, alive, as deliciously ghoulish as ever in The Addams Family musical at Gateway.
This blissfully bizarre family came to life through the pen of cartoonist Charles Addams and ran in The New Yorker circa 1930s. The television series based on Addams’ cartoons brought this eccentric family into our homes for two seasons from 1964 to 1966 starring Carolyn Jones as Morticia and John Astin as Gomez. These quirky characters also invaded the big screen with the box office hit The Addams Family film (1991) and a sequel, Addams Family Values (1993). Both casts included Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd and Christina Ricci. The most recent incarnation came in the popular Netflix series, Wednesday, starring Jenna Ortega.
The Addams Family musical, with book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, and music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, enjoyed a successful run on Broadway starring Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth from April 8, 2010 to December 31, 2011.
The Addams Family musical is riotously entertaining mixing macabre family values with normalcy, shaking them together and producing the most intoxicating treat. The plot centers on this tight-knit clan whose world is suddenly turned upside down. Their precious Wednesday, the daughter of darkness, announces that she has a “normal” boyfriend, Lucas Beineke, and when he and his family come for dinner tonight everyone is to act “normal.” Additionally, she confides to her dad that she loves this young man and begs him not to tell her mother. Gomez has never kept a secret from Morticia, so this puts him in a very precarious position.
When Lucas and his family arrive, they are greeted by the Addams Family who are trying to act “normal.” During the course of this hilarious evening, secrets are revealed leading to life altering results.
The Gateway’s director, Keith Andrews, takes us on a rollicking ride with a cast that has slipped into their quirky characters as easily as slipping into a well-worn pair of comfortable shoes even on opening night. The vocals from the entire cast are outstanding and choreography also by Keith Andrews is synchronized and spirited, blending smoothly into each scene as if it was part of the dialogue. Musical director Andrew Haile Austin and the orchestra give a rich, energetic accompaniment.
Careful thought has been given to every technical aspect of this production. The spectacular sets designed by Julian Crouch and Phelim McDermott glide on and off stage making for seamless transitions and impressive visual from the giant spiked iron graveyard gates to the New York City skyline, to an enormous tree with knots resembling eyes that might come to life a la Wizard of Oz. The well-executed lighting design by Jośe Santiago adds ghostly effects as does sound design by Ben Takitch. Costumes by Janine Loesch are dazzling, especially Morticia’s long, sinewy gown with daringly low neckline that Gomez describes as “plunging all the way to Venezuela.” Dustin Lawson’s wig and makeup design gives a signature look to each character.
The cast is sheer perfection. Jennifer Byrne’s Morticia is everything we want this character to be from her appearance to her attitude. Byrne is willowy, properly deadpan and so passionate with a mezzo-soprano that rings throughout the theater. Aaron De Jesus’s Gomez is short in stature but big on swagger with swashbuckling swordplay reminiscent of Errol Flynn. His complete devotion for Morticia and the kids is touching. Jim Borstelmann, replete with white mask and dark circled eyes, plays Uncle Fester with childlike playfulness. Relishing his role as narrator, he breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to the audience.
Borstelmann has a show-stopping moment when he confesses he is in love with the moon and, through a technical trick, floats up to it singing “The Moon and Me.” Malia Monk, with wide eyes and soaring soprano, becomes Wednesday rejoicing in all her morbid antics, but confused by her new feelings of love for Lucas and determination to become “normal.” Rivers O’Neal is such fun as the Addams Family’s mischievous and masochistic son, Pugsley. He constantly seeks attention, especially from Wednesday who regularly tortures him on a rack and all he screams is “more.” Sydia Cedeño as Grandma is devilish and sarcastic, yet she shows wisdom that comes with age when advising Pugsley. Ellis Gage, with legs that stretch for miles and low guttural sounds, is a hoot as the hulking butler, Lurch.
The Beineke family is outstanding. Jared Goodwin as Wednesday’s boyfriend Lucas Beineke looks like an all-American boy, tall with wisps of blond hair and adorable. He appears very “normal,” but he did fall in love with eccentric Wednesday in Central Park while she was shooting pigeons with her crossbow. Lucas’ parents, the Ohioans, appear as normal until events unravel revealing another side to them. Gil Brady gives Mal Beineke the proper starchy, passionless, close-mindedness necessary so that we completely understand when his wife, Alice, played with gusto and a powerful soprano by Crystal Kellogg, transforms from upbeat and respectable mom into a weeping mess.
The Addams Ancestors, the ensemble, are multi-talented dancers and singers who add so much to the overall creepy, kooky fun of the show.
With support from
Bellport Box Office
Tuesday - Sunday, 11am - 6pmClosed Monday
631-286-1133
boxoffice@thegateway.org
