review - THE ADDAMS FAMILY - Desert Foothills Theater

Zachary Snyders, Alek Rahman, Sam Chartier, and Kayla Dobbs
photo by Tiffany Bolock

highlights from local critics reviews - (click link at bottom of each review to read complete review)

Click here for more information on this production that runs through October 15th.

"... with a superb cast of teenagers who expertly embody these iconic characters, Desert Foothills' Youth Theater's production of the show is as funny and charming as the wacky family themselves....with an upbeat score with clever lyrics by Andrew Lippa, who also wrote the music, and a book by by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice filled with an abundance of one-liners, comical sight gags and funny situations opened on Broadway in 2010. ...the plot is still fairly basic and there is the unfortunate addition of an ensemble that is never truly incorporated into the plot; I've yet to see a production where they are truly used effectively....Though the musical focuses on all of the members of the Addams family, Gomez and Morticia are most prominent throughout, and Sam Chartier and Alek Rahman do an excellent job of creating characters filled with moments of insanity, love, charm and poignancy. Chartier's crazy accent, which is constant and consistent throughout, is hilarious and his ability to deliver his many wacky one-liners so every joke lands and gets big laughs is exceptional. ...Rahman makes Morticia a loving wife and mother but also instills the character with a sense of melancholy that makes you truly understand the pain and confusing she is going through as a woman whose children are growing up and who questions her husband's intentions when she suspects he isn't being truthful with her. They both have lovely singing voices...As Wednesday, Kayla Dobbs is feisty and charming with a rich singing voice. Grant Roberts is hilarious and appears to be having a blast as Uncle Fester, and Zachary Snyders brings a sweet and charming, completely sly nature to the playful Pugsley. ...Director Mark-Alan C. Clemente has not only found a talented cast to bring these characters to life but also keeps the pace fast and loose, and the jokes flying, yet he doesn't let the heart of this close-knit family get lost under the zany one-liners. I only wish Clemente were able to find a way to better incorporate those pesky ancestors who show up in the act one opener and stick around for far too long without ever serving any purpose in the plot. ...While not everything...works, and the plot does require the audience to already have some familiarity with the kooky characters, the score is fun, the book is funny, and the characters are incredibly lovable even though they are also very eccentric, gothic and ghoulish. With a gifted cast and fun direction, Desert Foothills Youth Theater production is a crazy and fun time.. " -Gil Benbrook, Talkin' Broadway (click here to read the complete review)