Halfway
through the second act of Webster Theatre Guild’s Friday night staging of “The
Addams Family,” fire alarms began to scream through the auditorium and halls of
Webster Thomas High School. The action onstage ceased, and the house lights
flipped on as more than 200 attendees reluctantly made their way into the
chilly, clear October air. There was no danger of a fire; the disruption was
simply caused by an over-exerted fog machine that was creating spooky
Transylvania effects.
The 20-minute fire alarm interruption
happened around 9:30 p.m., just late enough for families to be tempted to stay
inside their warm cars and head toward home. Many families were also standing
outside, with children awake far past their normal bedtimes and excitedly
pointing at the fire truck that roared into the parking lot. The “second
intermission,” as one parent told their fidgeting child, was unexpected.
“The Addams Family” is a relatively
new musical with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa (“The Wild Party,” “Big
Fish”) and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice (“Jersey Boys”). The show
opened on Broadway in 2010 and featured Nathan Lane in the role of family
patriarch (and narrator) Gomez. It’s a kitschy, corny ride that immediately
breaks the fourth wall, and the entire two-hour show is based on the premise of
daughter Wednesday falling in love with a boy at school and inviting him and
his parents to dinner.
The show normally features a small
to mid-sized cast, perhaps 15 people at most. In Webster Theatre Guild’s
version, directed by George Barberi, the ensemble alone consists of nearly 30
Addams “ancestors” — on top of about 10 lead roles — who all perform intricate
choreography by Mandi-Lynn Griffith-Gurell during select songs. It’s an ambitious
amount of people to cast, but makes sense in the context of community theater.
More cast members means more loved ones to fill seats and laugh at each scene
(which Friday’s audience did with great enthusiasm).
The technical time spent on “The Addams
Family” shines through every scene, from the innovative, multi-faceted set
design (constructed by many of the cast members) to the elaborate costume
design (of more than 30 completely white outfits, along with a flawless Addams
Family aesthetic) by Peggy Zorn.
Leading the cast as Gomez is Steve
Marsocci, a frequent local performer who has a flair for characterization and a
pleasant singing voice (fortunately, since Gomez leads a fair amount of the
musical numbers). Opposite him is Kate Bond as Morticia, who started the night
a tad robotic but quickly warmed into the role of the frosty, sensual Addams
matriarch. The leading couple has a natural chemistry that makes their eventual
conflict as well as the loving scenes between them even more believable. As
love-struck daughter Wednesday, high school junior Tessa DeGrace is at once
earnest and deadpan, owning the stage with her impressive vocals during songs
like “Crazier Than You.”
Other especially notable
performances come from Aaron Grippo (Fester) throughout the show; Robin
Morris-Gaylord (Alice) for an exhausting, hilarious end to act one; Ann Rhody
(Grandma) for the frequent comic relief; and John Caboot (Lurch) as the sleeper
scene-stealer.
The one hiccup during the night
(other than the accidental fire alarm) came from the pit orchestra, which at
times seemed like it couldn’t hear the vocalists (and vice versa), resulting in
a few flat pitches and botched harmonies. And while Webster Thomas High School
seems like a nice, recently upgraded venue, it’s simply not built for full-scale
musicals with large sets and more than 40 people on stage, the way Geva or The
Auditorium Theater are. It constantly felt as though the cast would spill off
the stage into the pit.
After the West Webster fire crew finished
its walkthrough on Friday night, the alarms were turned off and the crowd
trickled back inside to watch the rest of the second act. At the end of the
performance — which concluded around 10:30 p.m., about 30 minutes later than it
normally would have — there was a standing ovation, and the mostly full
auditorium was, surprisingly, still mostly full.
It wasn’t that the show itself was
too mind-blowing or suspenseful or expensive to abandon during the fire alarm,
but that the folks in the audience were deeply engaged with the people on stage
— their mothers, brothers, grandparents, friends, neighbors, teachers, students
–performing dream roles and small roles alike. Cellophane-wrapped bouquets from
Wegmans had to be handed out, selfies had to be taken, hugs and congratulations
had to be given. This is the beauty: the family of community theatre.
This article appears in Oct 16-22, 2019.
