Musicals at Richter presents a Snappy Addams Family

Let’s be honest: Is there anything more comforting than getting lost in a particular piece of entertainment?

For some, there is nothing better than curling up with a bucket of popcorn and spending the night with the original Star Wars trilogy. My father rereads his naval novels at least once a year. And for those of us who love nothing more than a good piece of theatre, there are certain shows that we all keep coming back to. The Addams Family is one of those shows for me and Musicals at Richter’s current production is no exception.

Upon entering the theater grounds, the set appears simple. A simple backdrop painted to look like a concrete wall. But as the show progresses, the audience quickly learns that the painted walls are actually wheeled flats that turn to become the iconic Addams mansion, making for easy set changes on the beautiful new stage that MAR is still in the process of building. The trees behind the stage truly contribute to the feeling of being in Central Park. Kudos to director/set designer Skip Ploss on such a simple yet ingenious set design.

Living inside this cleverly designed set house are our beloved Addams – Gomez (Jacob Rogotzke), Morticia (Ariana Straznicky), Wednesday (Madison Bielmeier), Pugsley (Nathan Reilly), Uncle Fester (Ted Schwartz), Cousin Itt (Nicholas Byrne), Grandma (Jen MacNeil Danenberg), and Lurch (Thomas Woodman). Additionally, the spirits of Addams past (Jackie Alleva, Blu Arbesman, Sarah Bollecke, Taylor Byrne, Ciara Cuneo, Isabella Didio, Christian Eklund, Alex Kirkman, Zoe McCartney, Lynn M. Priest, April Smith, David Stevenson, and Molly Tarnowski), join the living for celebrations.

Fans of the comic, original 1960’s TV series, or 90s movies will remember that the family delights in everything dark and they are all devoted to each other. In the musical, this solid belief system of the family is thrown into upheaval when Wednesday brings home a boy named Lucas (Nicholas Eklund). But Lucas isn’t just any boy – his mother Alice (Denise Milmerstadt) is the queen of everything sunny and his father Mal (Michael Solano) is an uptight businessman.

The absolute standout in this cast is Ted Schwartz’s Uncle Fester. Ted brings a sense of truth to Fester that is difficult to achieve without letting the character fall over the top. His portrayal is charming and funny and he is easily one of the best vocalists in the cast. Also notable is Madison Bielmeier as Wednesday. But where this cast absolutely shines as a whole is the amount of fun each and every one of them has while they perform. Every principal character and every member of the ensemble of ancestors beam joy as they sing and shimmy across the stage.

Full Disclosure (Addams Nerds: See what I did there?), I will always be team Broadway Addams, which has a slightly different plotline than the version that local theaters and high schools perform. But despite Richter’s squidless production, I highly recommend taking a trip to Richter Park; once the lights go down you may mistake for Central Park. I guarantee that you will have one (not-so) normal night at the theater and you will leave with a smile on your face and a song in your heart.

And who knows – maybe this production will turn someone into an Addams fan and keep the legacy alive.

“The Addams Family” is playing outdoors under the stars at Musicals at Richter in Danbury through July 22. Performances Friday through Sunday evenings, with specially discounted performances on Thursday July 13 and 20. Grounds open for picnicking at 7 PM with curtain at 8 PM. Bring chairs and blankets for seating. Soft drink and snack concession on site. Tickets and further info: musicalsatrichter.org.

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Photo credit David Henningsen Photography.