‘The Addams Family’ to open at historic Scottsdale theater

Greasepaint Theatre presents the musical comedy, “The Addams Family,” Oct. 21-30 at Stagebrush Theatre in Scottsdale.

Music and lyrics are by Andrew Lippa with book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice.

“The Addams Family” features an original story, and it’s every father’s nightmare. Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family — a man her parents have never met. And if that weren’t upsetting enough, Wednesday confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother.

Now, Gomez Addams must do something he’s never done before — keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents.

The show is based on the morbidly witty Addams family cartoon created by Charles Addams. Family patriarch Gomez Addams and his beloved wife Morticia guide their clan through the perils of living singularly in a world of uninteresting “normal” people.

The musical captures the essence of the original cartoon — love and beauty are seamless, and stronger than anything opposing it. The original musical opened on Broadway in April 2010, starring Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth, with a successful run of 722 shows followed by a national tour. The show garnered many of Broadway’s accolades including the Drama League Award for Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre, for Nathan Lane, according to a press release. 

Andrew Lippa, Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice have many other credits to their names. Most recently, Lippa has written Big Fish, a musical adaptation of the 1998 novel. Brickman and Elice most recently co-wrote the screenplay Jersey Boys. 

The Greasepaint production is directed by Meribeth Reeves with musical direction by Michael Samuel and choreography by DeAnn Mauro and stars Matthew Harris as Gomez Addams, Alice Liners-Johnson as Morticia Addams, Samantha Zell as Wednesday Addams, Abraham Newsum as Uncle Fester, Becca Courtney as Grandma Addams, Matthew Enge as Pugsley Addams and Joshua Hengst as Lurch.

Showtimes are:

•  7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21
•  7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22
•  2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23
•  7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28
•  7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29
•  2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30

Tickets are $25 by calling the box office at 480-949-7529 or visit greasepaint.org. The historic Statebrush Theatre is in the Old Town Scottsdale area at 7020 E. Second St.