Cast of Toby’s Dinner Theatre production of “The Addams Family” includes, from left: David James as Grandmama, MaryKate Broullet as Wednesday, Lawrence B. Munsey as Gomez, David Bosley-Reynolds as Lurch, Priscilla Cuellar as Morticia, Shawn Kettering as Uncle Fester, and Jace Franco as Pugsley. (Photo/Jeri Tidwell)
GHOULISH BROADWAY MUSICAL
BASED ON 1960s HIT TV SHOW,
AT TOBY’S DINNER THEATRE
THROUGH MID-APRIL
Characters originated by
Cartoonist Charles Addams
in New Yorker magazine
come to life onstage
By Eddie Applefeld
It was a few seasons ago, as best I can recollect, I saw a production of “The Addams Family” at the Hippodrome. I recall enjoying it and thinking it was very funny.
So along come the folks at Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia with their own production of this show.
The story got its start as a film in 1991 with Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston. In April of 2010 it became a Broadway musical with Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth as Gomez and Morticia, plus Christopher Lloyd as Uncle Fester, that enjoyed moderate success for not quite two years, closing at the end of December 2011.
The folks at Toby’s have mounted a very well-polished and smooth musical production of their own. That to me is no surprise since just about every show I’ve seen there has been excellent.
The theater and a number of its acting family have been recipients of Helen Hayes Awards. Kudos have to go out to the people who took care of the sets, costumes, songs, dancing and special effects.
I thought the costumes were particularly effective. After all, in some scenes it had to appear as if the actors were coming out of tombs.
The cast of characters you’d be familiar with if you watched the iconic TV show of the mid-1960s — or are old enough to remember the New Yorker cartoons by Charles Addams on which it was based — include: Morticia, Gomez, Uncle Fester, Pugsley, Lurch, Thing, Cousin Itt, Wednesday and Grandmama.
“The Addams Family” original cast from 1964-66 show on ABC-TV (autographed photo).
Carolyn Jones was the original Morticia; Jackie Coogan was Uncle Fester; Ted Cassidy was Lurch; and John Astin, who was born in Baltimore and educated at Johns Hopkins University — and who currently teaches method acting and directing in the Theater Arts and Studies Department at JHU — was Gomez.
At Toby’s the current cast and production team pull it off quite well.
Lurch for example has no real lines. His acting is accomplished by facial
expressions and grunts. Of course at the end he does perform a song and
dance.
In my opinion, it is more difficult to portray a character people know than don’t. The same is true of actors in the movies.
The basic premise in Toby’s musical production is that Wednesday falls in love with a “normal” boy. And of course her family is anything but.
One night the boy’s parents are supposed to meet the Addams Family at the Addams’ home. However this is not likely to be your typical “Let’s drop by and meet the folks” evening. And it surely isn’t.
It gets really crazy when Morticia suggests they all play the game, Full Disclosure, the object of which is to tell those gathered something you never told anyone before.
I had a wonderful evening at Toby’s — including the buffet, which goes from fruit, to the main entrées, veggies, salad bar, dessert and ice cream bar. The theater is easy to find, just off Route 29.
There’s plenty of free parking. You can certainly dress casually; however reservations are required. And they’re not just saying that — most shows are nearly sold out.
Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia, where both the food and shows are first-rate.
To operate a theater this size requires a lot of talented, hard-working people. But the buck stops with Toby Orenstein, who opened the Columbia theater (at 5900 Symphony Woods Road) in 1980 and which is now celebrating its 35th season.
For more information and tickets go to tobysdinnertheatre.com or call 800.88.TOBYS (800.888.6297).
“The Addams Family” runs through April 19th.
mistermedia@comcast.net
Editor’s note: A Marylander since day one, Towson University graduate and member of the local media for over 30 years, Eddie Applefeld is currently handling promotions at WCBM TalkRadio (680AM). For Eddie’s complete thumbnail biography, click “Staff” under the Main Menu at left.
