The Addams Family

[edjames]

As I feared, mediocre reviews!

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/theater/reviews/09addams.html?ref=theater

 

http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/theater/not_altogether_ooky_ZVxoMHGEoaq9yJJlHa7tNI

 

Also, beware when purchasing tickets! the frist 15 rows are consider PREMIUM SEATING! Regularly priced orchestra seats start in row O.

 

I fear this production will have a short run much like Young Frankenstein.

 

ED

[+ Lucky]

The NY Daily News calls it half-baked, saying it "wears thin" and "festers."

 

The Wall Street Journal says "I've seen that show before" pointing out, as do others, that the show resembles the storyline in LaCage aux Folles. They too did not like the songs.

 

Variety, too, is disappointed.

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117942554.html?categoryId=33&cs=1&ref=ssp

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303411604575168152141751426.html?mod=WSJ_LifeStyle_Lifestyle_6

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2010/04/09/2010-04-09_nathan_lane_and_bebe_neuwirths_new_broadway_musical_the_addams_family_just_feste.html

[Lankypeters]

As I feared, mediocre reviews!

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/theater/reviews/09addams.html?ref=theater

 

http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/theater/not_altogether_ooky_ZVxoMHGEoaq9yJJlHa7tNI

 

Also, beware when purchasing tickets! the frist 15 rows are consider PREMIUM SEATING! Regularly priced orchestra seats start in row O.

 

I fear this production will have a short run much like Young Frankenstein.

 

ED

 

The NYTimes review is hardly "mediocre." "Genuinely ghastly"? Come on. It's an outright pan, the likes of which I haven't read in some time.

[RockHard]

Poor Nathan and Bebe.

 

The NYTimes review is hardly "mediocre." "Genuinely ghastly"? Come on. It's an outright pan, the likes of which I haven't read in some time.

 

Took the words right out of my mouth.

 

David Letterman had the cast on recently and the number they performed was entertaining. I guess as a whole, the creators couldn't make it work. Too bad.

 

How many times must we sit through another reincarnation of "let's act normal as the weirdos come to dinner?" Originality is hard to come by these days.

[Guest ChgoBoy]

 

Originality is hard to come by these days.

 

You can say that again, No pun intended. It would appear that what has in the past, and continues to plague Hollywood still today, is now finding its way to off and on Broadway.

 

Just look at these exciting remakes coming our way in 2010/2011 from the creative geniuses on the left coast.

 

1) Wall Street

2) Poltergist

3) Nightmare on Elm street (without Robert England even)

4) Piranha 3D

5) Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood

6) Iron Man 2

7) 21 Jump Street (2011)

8) A star is Born

9) An American Werewolf in London

10) Arthur ( With Meryl Streep - rumored)

11) Barbarella

12) Children of the Corn (development)

13) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

14) Chips (yes, "Ponch" Poncherello is coming back)

15) Escape From New York

16) Fantastic Voyage

17) Footloose

 

And the list goes on. There are even rumors that Chevy Chase is going to do yet another "Vacation" film.

 

Hopefully, this trend from Hollywood will not find the same depth of residence in the American theater. That would indeed be a shame.

[skynyc]

I think that Brantley had written that review...

 

before he even saw the show. The review was funny, and biting and satiric, and was certainly more about itself and his intelligent wordplay, than actually addressing the show.

 

I have to say that while I found the show flawed, I enjoyed much of it. (True, I find much to like about most live theater, so I am not exactly impartial.) Nathan Lane is a tour de force and Kevin Chamberlin as Fester is delightful. There were some problems with the book, and more with the score, but overall, I did not feel that I had wasted my time.

I hope for the sake of those involved that the show survives as long as Young Frankenstein did...which ran most of a year, yes? A review like that would normally close a show in a week, but I believe the advance for Addams Family was huge. And the audience around me loved it. A woman sitting behind me said afterwards..."It was pretty stupid." And her friend laughed and said, "Have you seen the TV show...it was stupid, too...stupid and fun."

Folks have commented that Bebe didn't have enough to do, and sadly that's part of the nature of the role...she's supposed to be completely deadpan. And yet, her second act opener was one of the highlights of the show.

Folks have complained that the plot is the same as La Cage...boy and girl from different worlds who have fallen in love. Yes, but the story wasn't new for La Cage either. It's probably the single most overused plot line in the history of entertainment. I don't think it was mis-used here.

Jackie Hoffman was riotous as Grandma, and apparently ventures off script enough to keep the rest of the cast on their toes each night. I wonder if she sings "Maniac" at every performance or if that particular snippet changes nightly.

Sets and costumes are great.

While I wasn't in a premium $250 seat, (which is insane) I was in a $135 seat...I would say I got $100 worth of entertainment out of it. And sitting with three friends after I easily got the extra $35 as we discussed how we would have fixed it.

Also, the swag at the concession stand is awesome, and I am sorry my budget is tight right now. I loved the umbrella with a different character on each panel, and the Lurch cocktail shaker is on my birthday list.

I went from this show to Anyone Can Whistle (separate comment on that thread.) Yes, very different shows, but the experience of both was somewhat similar in that both were flawed material, with stellar performances.

[Guest OCBeachbody]

I think the "Vacation Film" remake sequel is a short film or something for priceline or travelocity.... I have seen snip its on cable