[Review] Addams Family Musical in Singapore (2017)

Direct from the UK, The Addams Family have recently moved into the MES Theatre at Mediacorp and have brought along their entire clan, who are classified as being either living, dead or undecided.

For those who are still unfamiliar with this musical comedy, it is written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, the creators of multi award-winning Jersey Boys, with music and lyrics by Tony Award nominated Andrew Lippa.

Differing from the TV series, in this musical, Wednesday Addams is all grown up now and has a shocking secret that only her father Gomez knows – she has fallen in love with a sweet young man (Lucas Beineke) from a normal respectable family. Having been pleaded by his daughter to keep his “cara mia” Morticia in the dark, audiences will get to see whether Gomez manages to keep Wednesday’s secret until the two families meet for dinner, which turns out to be an eventful evening. Will love triumph or will there be disastrous consequences?

Photo Source: Mediacorp Vizpro

Playing the iconic role of Gomez Addams is established actor, Cameron Blakely, who was recently seen in Singapore’s season of Les Misérables as Monsieur Thenardier and also has a string of theatrical and film credits to his name. He seemed at ease with the role and sounded very convincing with his Spanish accent.

The role of Gomez’s beloved wife, Morticia Addams, is played by Rebecca Thornhill, who joins this show direct from the West End production of Mathilda The Musical, playing Mrs Wormwood to great acclaim.

If you had watched the previous run of this musical in Singapore in 2013, which was from the USA, this current production showcases a brand new orchestration and presentation. The sets look different in this West End version and it has also scaled down on the number of props used as compared to the Broadway version. According to the producers, having fewer props makes it easier for the show to go on tour.

Opening set:

Music is played live and you can find the musicians in the orchestra pit. Now this is what the real musical theatre experience should be like!

It’s funny how my favourite scenes in the musical have changed with this UK production. My new favourites are the opening scene and “Pulled”.

Wednesday Addams is played by Carrie Hope Fletcher, who previously played Éponine in Les Misérables. Apart from having an impressive theatrical and acting credit, she also has a strong social media following.

I loved her vocals, especially in “Pulled” and found that this song seems to grow on you, as I was even singing it when I got home.

25-year-old Grant McIntyre made the role of Pugsley Addams very believable and I wouldn’t have guessed his age if I didn’t know it!

Full Disclosure – this scene is one of the highlights of the show, so do pay attention otherwise you might miss the plot!

Photo Source: Mediacorp Vizpro

Excerpts from the musical:

There were many comedic moments in the show and I especially liked the part when Uncle Fester, played by Cory English, took a dig at the members of the audience who were seated at the cheapest seats!

During the night that I watched the show, somehow the audience didn’t get it when Lurch, played by Dickon Gough, broke out in song. I guess probably only true Addams Family fans will find it funny, as they will know that this butler usually only speaks in a series of grunts and groans.

I was somewhat horrified to find that “Thing”, whom I’ve always known to be a hand, turned out to be an arm in this show!

Despite feeling unsettled by the new interpretation of “Thing”, another one of my favourite songs is “Crazier Than You”, which features Wednesday and the Beineke family.

Photo Source: Mediacorp Vizpro

I thought the sound system at the MES Theatre was excellent, as we could hear every single word that was being spoken and sung. However, during some of the group scenes, the lead singer sometimes gets drowned out by the other vocals and thus I felt it could have been better if the sound balancing was tweaked a little.

Photo Source: Mediacorp Vizpro

The cast members divulged that they had injected some of their own interpretations to their characters. I thought they all did a great job!

Family ties are extremely strong in the Addams Family, so do come and meet this kooky family. I’ll leave you with parting words that the entire Addams clan will articulate to you,
“It’s family first and family last
And family by and by
When you’re an Addams
You do what Addams do or die!”

Venue:
MES Theatre at Mediacorp
[Map]

Getting There by MRT:
One North Station – take exit A and walk towards the left for about 11min.

Show Dates:
15 Nov 2017 – 03 Dec 2017

Show Times:
Tues – Fri: 8pm
Sat & Sun: 2:30pm & 8pm

Ticket Prices:
$65, $95, $135, $165 (excludes booking fee)

Special thanks to Mediacorp Vizpro for the invite to The Addams Family musical!

The Addams Family Musical in Singapore – Part 2 (Backstage Tour)

As mentioned in my previous post, we had the opportunity to meet the entire cast onstage about 15mins before the start of the show, with strict instructions not to touch anything as everything on the stage had already been preset for the show. We were then hurriedly ushered offstage and back to the main auditorium as the show was about to begin.

After the curtain call, we made another trip backstage for a tour of the set. This backstage tour was as part of “The Addams Family Facebook Fans/Bloggers Special” event organized by the Communications team of Resorts World Sentosa (RWS).

We were divided into about 4 or 5 groups and were told that each group would have a “guide” to show us around.

A door opened and out came Shaun Rice, who portrays Uncle Fester in the musical. He still had some makeup on but had already changed out of his stage attire. I took a picture with him before he led the first group off on their tour.

I was assigned to be in the fourth group and had to wait patiently for our “guide” to arrive. The previous group had already left with Dan Olson (Lurch) and we didn’t know who to expect to lead our group as it depended on who was the next person who appeared through the doorway…

In the meantime, I was looking around and saw this TV screen in the “Quick Change” room (also the Production Office), which shows what’s happening both on and off stage.

The guide for our group finally showed up and I was pleasantly surprised that it was Jesse Sharp!! Wow…backstage tour with Gomez!! The cat got my tongue for a while… ^_^

Photo Credit: Resorts World Sentosa

We had a wander onto the stage…

Here’s a closer look at the set…

Depending on the angle and the correct lighting, the set and props can look more 3D. If you look at this picture below, it’s hard to tell but the gravestone is actually a piece of flat board.

The head of the Addams family divulged that he really liked the Festive Grand theatre as it has a lot of depth and a huge space backstage as compared to the theatres in the US. Hmm…really? I was surprised to hear that.

If you have watched the musical, you may have noticed two TV screens placed at the front on each side of the stage – these aren’t prompters but they are actually used for the cast to watch the conductor as there isn’t any orchestral pit in this theatre and the musicians are located backstage. Wow…so they have no assistance whatsoever in the event that they forget their lines/lyrics!!

The cast and company do not rehearse much as they are already performing 8 shows a week so there isn’t any need for further rehearsals unless there is a change to one of the cast members or if the dance choreographer thinks that something isn’t quite right. For the show in Singapore, there was a change in the cast for the role of Pugsley, as the boy who acted in the US tour couldn’t travel to Singapore. Thus, they had several rehearsals two weeks before the show for the newest member of the cast to be familiarised with everything.

I went over to meet Dan Olson, who plays Lurch, and found him to be really really TALL!!

Grandma Addams (Amanda Bruton) then showed up minus makeup and costume. Gosh…what a difference! Here’s a picture of Shaun Rice (Uncle Fester) and Amanda Bruton (Grandma):

Took a picture with two of the Ancestors – the lady on my left is Elizabeth Hake but I’m not sure who the guy is especially under all that makeup! I spotted them patronising that fast food chain with the golden arches after our backstage tour. Guess it’s comfort food? 😉

Now let’s have a look at the props… oh lookie here – what’s that hiding behind the staircase?

It’s Cousin Itt!!

Some of the costumes used in the show…

The same costumes taken from a different angle and a clearer view of Uncle Fester’s costume and “legs” used during that black light scene in which he sang a love song to the moon (“The Moon and Me”).

Pugsley’s costume used in the scene when he was carrying his pet.

 

These trees were used by the Ancestors in the Central Park scene where the Beinekes were trying to find their way to the Addams’ house.

Grandma’s apothecary cart – see if you can spot the bottle of Acrimonium!

Bed used in the scene where Pugsley thinks there is a monster under the bed… Do you see one?

There were just too many props backstage and I wasn’t able to photograph everything! In the following picture, we can see the moon and stars used in “The Moon and Me”, the duck which Wednesday shot, the rocket used by Fester to fly to the Moon, the chalice used in the “Full Disclosure” game, etc…

Part of Gomez’s collection of exotic torture devices, which was demonstrated to Mal Beineke in one of the scenes.

This was the gate in the graveyard which the Ancestors exited from when they were summoned back to the land of the living.

Tables from the dining scene when the traditional Addams family game “Full Disclosure” was played, as well as the lever (on the right of the photo) which Wednesday used as part of the contraption for torturing Pugsley in “Pulled”.

 
Photo Source: Resorts World Sentosa

A close-up of one of the dining tables:

It was a brief but interesting tour of the backstage of The Addams Family Musical. Many thanks to RWS for organising this!

For more details about the musical, check out The Addams Family Musical in Singapore – Part 1 (The Show)

The Addams Family Musical in Singapore – Part 1 (The Show)

“They’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky, they’re altogether ooky: The Addams Family.” – A familiar tune when I was growing up as my parents loved watching re-runs of TV series and I thus learned to appreciate the morbid, macabre world of the Addams Family (though not that I would approve of it in REAL life).

For those who have no idea who the Addams are and what this musical is about, the show is based upon The Addams Family characters created by Charles Addams in his single-panel gag cartoons, which depict a ghoulish American family with an affinity for all things macabre.

I’ve always loved musical theatre and when I heard that this musical was coming to town, my interest was sparked but I couldn’t really envision how the world of the Addams’ could be translated into a musical! Anyway, off I went to satisfy my curiosity…

Outside the entrance to the Festive Grand Theatre at Resorts World Sentosa:

Brief Synopsis (quoted from advertising material for the musical):

The weird and wonderful family comes to devilishly delightful life in THE ADDAMS FAMILY. This magnificently macabre new musical comedy is “a visually satisfying, rib-tickling, lunatic musical that will entertain you to death!” says Toronto Post City. Created by Jersey Boys authors Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice, Drama Desk-winning composer/lyricist Andrew Lippa (The Wild Party), choreographer Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys) and Olivier Award-winning costume and set designers Phelim McDermott & Julian Crouch (Shockheaded Peter) with direction by four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks, THE ADDAMS FAMILY “is full of charm, wit and surprises that explain why it’s a hit on its national tour” (CBS New Orleans). THE ADDAMS FAMILY features an original story and it’s every father’s nightmare. Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family. A man her parents have never met. And if that weren’t upsetting enough, she confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother. Now, Gomez Addams must do something he’s never done before – keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents. Come meet the family. We’ll leave the lights off for you.

I had the privilege of meeting the entire cast (from the United States) in full costume 15min before the show started and also went on a backstage tour after the show (but you can read more about that in my next post).

Photo Credit: Resorts World Sentosa

Pre-show announcements under normal circumstances would request the audience to turn off their mobile phones or put them in silent mode, however at this show we were also told “…thumb screws, flame throwers and guillotines are not allowed during the performance but are strongly encouraged during intermission”. It was a nice touch which helped to set the right mood before the show… 🙂

The scene opened in the Addams family graveyard where the entire family had gathered to celebrate life and death in a yearly ritual connecting past, present and future.

From Left: Grandma (Amanda Bruton), Wednesday (Jennifer Fogarty), Lurch (Dan Olson), Gomez (Jesse Sharp), Morticia (Keleen Snowgreen), Uncle Fester (Shaun Rice), Pugsley (Jeremy Todd Shinder)

Photo Source: Resorts World Sentosa

Their dead ancestors were then summoned from the grave to join in this celebration and this led to a song and dance routine which had some interesting dance moves including one called “rigor mortis” – that cracked me up!

Photo Source: Resorts World Sentosa

We were then introduced to Wednesday’s new (normal) boyfriend, Lucas Beineke and his parents, Mal and Alice (who spoke in rhyme).

I fell in love with Jennifer Fogarty’s vocals especially in “One Normal Night” where the different characters had their own interpretation of what “normal” meant to them.

The turning point in the show for the Beinekes was the dinner scene when they were invited to participate in the traditional Addams family game “Full Disclosure”.

As explained by Gomez,
“FULL DISCLOSURE!
IT’S A GAME THAT WE PLAY
LET YOUR DARKEST SECRETS GIVE
YOU AWAY
FACE YOUR DEMONS AND THEN
HAPPILY SAY
I’M PLAYING FULL DISCLOSURE
WITH ALL THESE CRAZY HAPPY PEOPLE
FULL DISCLOSURE!”

Photo Source: Resorts World Sentosa

Some local touches had been added to the script as there was even a mention of Singapore’s national icon – the Merlion!

The ever endearing Uncle Fester has been one of my favourite Addams characters and never fails to tickle my funny bone.

Photo Source: Resorts World Sentosa

One of my favourite visual scenes was when Fester sang a love song to the moon (“The Moon and Me”). The use of the black light technique coupled with the depth of the stage created a lovely illusion of Fester “swimming” towards the moon. Ahhh…it was simply magical to watch.

During the first half of the show, I had almost drawn a conclusion that Lurch had the easiest lines compared to the rest of the cast, as most of the time he just gave inarticulate moans in various intonations. However, I was both amused and impressed with his bass vocals when he broke out into song during one of the later scenes.

Fans of the TV series will appreciate some elements from the TV series being incorporated into various parts of the musical, like the signature theme song with the four-note bass line and finger-snap punctuation, as well as the sound of the doorbell. There are also brief appearances by Thing and Cousin Itt.

Jesse Sharp did a brilliant job of portraying Gomez Addams, with his slick moves and charm. Kudos also to the entire cast for their excellent sense of comic timing!

I must also applaud the set designers and well as the lighting designer for making the sets look believable! There were realistic looking props and yet also simple props and backdrops which came to life when the lights came on, as the stage lighting gave them a whole new dimension! Great job guys!!

This was a fantastic musical comedy which kept me thoroughly entertained! With witty lines and catchy music, there’s never a dull moment in the show! A MUST WATCH!!

 

Date: 9-28 July 2013
Time: Tue-Sun 8pm, Sat & Sun 2pm
Venue: Festive Grand Theatre, Resorts World Sentosa
Ticket Prices (Excludes Booking Fee of $3 per ticket):
Peak Period (Fri & Sat 8pm) – S$175, S$135, S$95, S$65
Non-Peak Period (Sun-Thur 8pm, Sat & Sun 2pm) – S$165, S$125, S$85, S$55

Venue & Admission Rules:
▸ No admission for infant in arms and child below 7 years old. Children aged 7 years old and above must purchase a ticket for admission.
▸ No outside food is allowed into the venue.
▸ No Photography, Video recording and Audio recording is allowed for this event.

Duration: Approx 2 hours 30 min
Interval: Approx 20 min

Official website – http://www.tafontour.com
FB page – http://www.facebook.com/theaddamsfamilymusical

Official Trailer:

Finally, those who feel famished after the show and want a piece of the Addams, can buy these baked goodies:

Check out what happened when I went backstage in The Addams Family Musical in Singapore – Part 2 (Backstage Tour)

**Disclaimer** I was invited to watch the musical as part of “The Addams Family Facebook Fans/Bloggers Special” event organized by the kind folks at Resorts World Sentosa but do note that this does not influence my review of the show.