‘ADDAMS FAMILY’: BIG FUN IN A SMALL PACKAGE
For a big show like “The Addams Family” musical, it’s impressive how well it works on San Diego Musical Theatre’s snug stage.
The comic and spooky musical by Marshall Brickman, Rick Elice and Andrew Lippa opened Saturday at SDMT’s home theater space in Kearny Mesa. The production boasts a cast of 19 actorsinger-dancers and a multitude of costumes and scenery which — in the relatively small theater — makes for big entertainment value for the up-close audience.
The 2009 Broadway musical was inspired by Charles Addams’ longrunning “Addams Family” single-panel comics series in The New Yorker magazine, which also spawned a 1960s-era TV show, multiple films and, most recently, the wildly popular Netflix TV series, “Wednesday.”
In the musical adaptation, the Addamses are a comically ghoulish family who live in a Gothic mansion in New York’s Central Park, where daughter Wednesday has invited her secret fiancé, Lucas Beineke, and his uptight parents, Alice and Mal, to meet her family, and chaos ensues. The musical’s first act is its best as the characters are introduced and some of the score’s best songs are featured, but all of this production’s full-cast
song-and-dance numbers shine.
The musical’s physical production is impressive, with exceptional choreography by Aaron Pomeroy, playful direction by Carlos Mendoza, wonderfully detailed costumes by Chong Mi Land, amusingly spooky scenery by Mathys Herbert, multi-hued lighting by Michelle Miles and good sound by Brandon Boomizad. Music director Richard Dueñez Morrison coached all the singers, who perform to a recorded score.
Film actor and producer Mauricio Mendoza makes a rare San Diego theater appearance in the lead role of family patriarch Gomez Adams. He is the twin brother of show director Carlos Mendoza, and they’ve worked together many times over the years
producing Latin song and dance revues. As a result, Mauricio is one of the rare actors playing the Castilian character Gomez who actually speaks fluent Spanish and can flawlessly perform tango and other Latin dance steps.
Mendoza is quite funny in the role, and he shares great stage chemistry with the charismatic Erica Marie Weisz, who’s a knockout in the role of family matriarch Morticia Addams. But it’s Lena Ceja, as Wednesday, who steals the vocal spotlight with her charming personality and powerhouse singing.
Also fun are Ryan Burtanog, who is sweet and sensitive as the family’s quirky Uncle Fester; Alexis Zimmerman as Lucas’ repressed mother, Alice Beineke; exuberant A.J.
Gange as Wednesday’s kid brother, Pugsley; Carson Inouye as Lucas Beinecke; Ryan Fahey as father Mal Beineke; Jackson Marcy as the Addamses ultra-tall butler Lurch; and Debbie Nicastro as the Addamses’ creepy Grandma.
Filling out the cast as the “ancestors,” a singing-anddancing corps of the undead unable to return to their graves until the Addams family’s troubles are resolved, are Laura Bueno, Christine Gillilan, Darrand Hall, Carissa Hamann, Katey Konderik-Oducayen, Sarah Pierce, Luis Sherlinee, Nick Siljander, Jaxon Smith and Eli Wood.
“The Addams Family” is entertaining seasonal fare for the Halloween season and this production delivers a lot of value for the dollar.