As soon as the iconic theme music from “The Addams Family” came across the loudspeakers, the lively crowd in Goldstein Auditorium Thursday night snapped along to the famous beat.

“The Addams Family” musical opened to a packed audience in Goldstein Auditorium on Thursday night. Well-known characters were shown in a new, singing and dancing but still, ever-gloomy light. The First Year Players show received a standing ovation to wild cheers and the classic double snaps, well known from the theme song to the classic television series. Additional shows will take place Friday and Saturday evenings.

The Addams Family is no ordinary family. Goméz, the pinstripe-wearing Spanish father, Morticia, the mother whose death is “just around the corner,” the Grandma who may or may not be a blood relative and Lurch, the straight backed, groaning butler on platform shoes.

“I’ve been a huge fan of Wednesday since I was little,”said Caroline Friedman, a freshman television, radio and film major and cast member. “In the fifth grade I dressed up as her for Halloween and it’s really cool to play someone as iconic as her.”

Friedman played Wednesday, the famous sour-faced daughter of the Addams parents. In the musical, Wednesday is the source of great tumult amongst the Addams when she falls in love with a normal boy.

Jacob Dehahn, a freshman industrial design major thought the best part of the show was the set and direction.

“Most shows they focus so much on having a big set elaborate set and they focused on like being minimalistic and focusing on the dancing and acting itself, which made it even better than I thought it would be,” Dehahn said.

The set was simple but effective, staying largely in one place throughout the show. A rotating set piece represented everything from a tree to an elaborate section of wallpaper. A two-tiered house in the background backed it up with a door for an entrance and an upper platform from which Uncle Fester would serenade his one true love, the moon.

The largely static set accommodated the spooky ensemble of “living, dead and undecided.” The cast was dressed in intricate costumes ranging from tuxedos to corsets, from rags to bloody night gowns. The costume designer, Simon Perez and her team paid attention to even the smallest details to compliment the elaborate makeup. The faces on stage were pale with scars and blood and, in the case of Goméz Addams, a pencil mustache.

Each scene was filled with fun quips and jokes that were constantly met with laughter from the receptive audience. Friedman said she thought the funniest moment of the show happens when Grandma tells Pugsly to stay away from her potions and to not meddle in the situation.

“It’s a hilarious moment, and Danielle Cooper (who plays Grandma) kills it. She makes me laugh every time,” Friedman said about her cast mate.

Despite Pugsly interfering with his sister’s relationship, his interference works out for the best in the end, bringing all of the characters back together. The show ended with a full cast tango number that brought the family back together.

Isobella Antelis, a freshman film major, said she thought the show was well cast and that it relayed the theme of family very well.

“I’ve watched ‘The Addams Family’ since I was a kid. I just actually watched it the other day on Netflix so to be able to see it on stage was really cool for me,” Antelis said.

Clarification: In an earlier version of this story, it listed Maddeline Hoffemier as the costume designer, as it was listed in the play’s program. Simon Perez was the costume designer for the show.

Published on April 10, 2015 at 1:57 am

Contact Rachel: rcgilber@syr.edu