They're creepy and they're kooky, and in Syracuse City Arts Council's production of "The Addams Family", they're hilarious, heartfelt, and hauntingly delightful. With a surprisingly polished blend of humor, heart, and visual style, clever direction, a strong cast, and whimsy, this production proved that this theatre can deliver big theatrical fun! I was put under an enjoyable spell from the moment that curtain opened to reveal everyone's favorite spooky family in a cobwebbed world.
Not only have I seen this show over 10 times the last 4 years, but I've also participated in 3 different productions of this show as well, and I can honestly say that the level of talent from this cast was some of the best I've seen and heard! Gomez, played by Adam Gneiting, had a suave charisma and nailed the essence of the head of the Addams household. Gneiting's connection with each character through the show was fantastic, and his voice filled the space so well. Amy Carter as Morticia perfectly embodied the elegance and wit so hauntingly. Carter's biggest standout moment throughout the performance to me was during the dance break in "Tango De Amor" with sharp movements and a poised focus that she displayed through each move that had me entranced! When it comes to the character Lucas Beineke, I find that this character is never one that I'm a fan of. I feel that he is usually played very bland or obnoxious, however, Bryson Wanner took this character and made him my favorite character in the whole show. Wanner's commitment to the role really showed throughout the production with an awkward yet sweet take on the character and he really pulled through showing the depth of the character and really channeling the humor as well. Alongside Wanner, Emma Scanlon as Wednesday was stunning and had fantastic chemistry with Wanner. Scanlon had one of the most crystal clear voices I've ever heard! She also had the best deadpan throughout the whole show, even when singing, and yet had so much emotion in her voice and was the perfect portrayal of Wednesday that balanced out that intense, fierce and totally iconic character. This was one of the biggest ensembles I've seen in this show, and I loved seeing more ancestors brought to life that I'd never seen before. Some standouts in the ensemble to me were Megan Ashley, Ashlyn Sealy, and Kyra Scanlon. Ashley was stunning as the flapper ancestor, and had this energy that just lit up the stage. She also had some hilarious moments and really knew how to fill space during certain moments of response from ensemble. Sealy showed off some beautiful dance moves and had several featured dance moves that added the perfect extra levels to the choreography in ensemble numbers. Scanlon had a beautiful smile that caught my eye several times and I really enjoyed watching her find these moments throughout the show to make special connections with her fellow ancestors and you could tell she enjoyed being on that stage. Overall, there was just something so wonderful that resonated with me with this "spooktacular" cast!
This production's success was driven in large part by its creative team. Direction by Heather Ganus and Taylor Sachs really showed off the thoughtful process of this strong show. Along with direction, music direction by Brandee Burke really lead this cast with a strong musical element. The solos from lead characters were all very well done and you could tell lots of work went into learning this music, and I know firsthand that this music is not the easiest to learn, and those big ensemble numbers with this cast had some great and crisp harmonies. Choreography by Ganus, Mikayla Thorne, and Cora Hamblin was lively and really helped work in that final element to support the quirky tone of the show.This team really worked hard to ensure the cast hit all the right notes, both figuratively and emotionally!
The Syracuse High School stage is one that I am familiar with, having done some shows there myself, and I will say nearly every technical element was perfectly balanced and just absolutely stunning on that large space! The set design by Erin Steed was wonderfully done and captured all of the spooky and kooky areas of the Addams house. One of my favorite things was the incorporation of these cut outs in the main part of the set that looked like picture frames. The ancestors mostly utilized these, and I thought it was brilliant! Light design by Taylor Sachs was a perfect use of craft to elevate the production. It drew lots of positive focus using moody hues and shadows and this played a vital role in shaping the tone of each scene and the whole show. Being fairly familiar with this space, going into it, I figured there would be sound issues because that seems to usually be a bigger tech issue with this space, however, there was minimal issues other than a few moments where microphones were cutting out, and for the most part they seemed to fix and balance those issues out fairly quickly! Camille Chapman is no stranger when it comes to costume designing "The Addams Family" and seeing this different take on the costumes was great! The costumes still had that classic and iconic take that you'd normally see with time period costumes mixed in for the ancestors, but lots of these costumes stood out so much more than many I've seen before and mixed in with the hair and makeup (Brook Shearer) everything looked like it was straight out of a film.
This show was a testament to the power of community theatre. Showcasing the creative, hard work and heart that makes community theatre so special. The production brought the Addams family to life in the best way possible and will be one that won't be forgotten anytime soon. If you're looking for a night of laughter, tears, talent, and heart, this is the perfect show for that. It was a production that reminds us that being normal is overrated and that sometimes the kookiest families are the ones we cherish the most. Get tickets quick as the show closes on July 21!
Theatre matters, theatre is important, theatre is impactful.
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