Sunday, April 11, 2010
Theater Review - 'The Addams Family' - Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth on Broadway
NYTimes.com: "Imagine, if you dare, the agonies of the talented people trapped inside the collapsing tomb called “The Addams Family.” Being in this genuinely ghastly musical — which opened Thursday night at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater and stars a shamefully squandered Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth — must feel like going to a Halloween party in a strait-jacket or a suit of armor. Sure, you make a flashy (if obvious) first impression. But then you’re stuck in the darn thing for the rest of the night, and it’s really, really uncomfortable. Why, you can barely move, and a strangled voice inside you keeps gasping, “He-e-e-lp! Get me out of here!”"
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4 comments:
Even as a kid in my generation, I feel my Adam's Family exposure was limited. I saw the TV show a few times on boomerang, but I only knew the family by large generalities and pop culture references. I was really hoping that this show would act as the spark that might get my fascination in this classic family going, so I would be motivated to read all the old comics, and see the movies. I feel, after reading this, that this musical will be nothing special, and though it may spark some interest, it has just as good a chance of turning me off the franchise.
Then again, if it is really bad, that might motivate me to see if the old movies were good. One thing is for certain, I want to see this show.
Wow, this shows no mercy. I'm really upset this got bad reviews, not only because I really loved the set, but because the actors are just so great. Even the new finds, like Krysta, is an incredibly talented singer. Either way, I don't think it's right to trust the reviews. The more reviews I read, the more I realize that they usually just sound pretentious and don't actually summarize the play very well. It's just unfortunate that this was in the NY Times, and I'm betting lots of people will read this. I can't wait to see what happens in the box office. Also, it might be deserving, but I still think it's a bit of a douche move to mention every single person involved in the show at the very end, even though it's apparently better to get a bad review than not be mentioned at all, so says Mr. Sondheim.
It sounds like the creative team for this production banked on the fact that the Addams family is well-known and appeals to a few generations, while ignoring actual storytelling. I love Nathan Lane, so it makes me sad that he is doing a show that sounds so poorly thought out. It makes you wonder if he just took the part for the money or if he actually believed in the artistic value of this show.
I too love Nathan Lane and would hope that he subscribed to the artistic vision of the show before signing on for a paycheck, but then again, who is going to turn down a job in these economic times? I hope that the bad reviews are unfounded and overly critical because I have a dear attachment to the Adams Family. I watched the show often as a kid and was frequently referred to as cousin it, as I've always had long hair. Anyway, I really want to see this show, despite the reviews.
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