The opener of Walnut Street Theatre’s current season has audiences rolling over in their graves with laughter. The musical THE ADDAMS FAMILY, directed and choreographed by Richard Stafford, is a ghoulish gauntlet of hijinks and hilarity.
The musical takes place in the modern day and follows a grown-up Wednesday Addams (Abbie Parker), who has reached that certain age when you clash with your parents’ values. Being an Addams, though, this means Wednesday is foregoing her past hobbies such as playing with dynamite and instead is starting to embrace puppy dogs, butterflies, and (gasp) yellow dresses. Worse still, she has fallen in love with an All-American normal boy from Ohio, Lucas Beineke (Galen Graham). When Wednesday tells her odd but genial father Gomez (Damon Bonetti) that she and Lucas are planning to marry, his shock is quickly replaced with horror when she persuades him to keep the engagement a secret from the ever-watchful eye of domineering matriarch Morticia (Lindsey Bliven).
The plot takes place over the course of one day. Lucas and his parents, Mal (Don Daniels) and Alice (Christina Stroup), have been invited to dinner at the Addams Estate. Upon their arrival, their normalcy comically contrasts with the likes of eccentric familiar faces such as moonstruck Uncle Fester (Kelly Briggs), unhinged Grandma (Mary Martello), the pint-sized chainsmoker Pugsley (a role doubled by Kieran Gallagher and Tristan Monaghan; Gallagher performed on opening night), and of course the towering monosyllabic doorman Lurch (Aren Duffy). Even Thing and Cousin Itt make appearances. Sans Gomez, both families are in the dark about Wednesday and Lucas’s plans, and Gomez frantically tries to play peacemaker when disclosures are made, the families’ clash, and things go awry.
THE ADDAMS FAMILY works as a musical because it’s relatable. While it’s helpful to have familiarity with the TV show or movies to get a feel for the different Addams family members, it’s not necessary. The plot and themes are simple and straightforward, borrowing from comic classics, including LA CAGE AUX FOLLES and Kaufman and Hart’s YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU. The characters are “pulled” in different directions, and the narrative simply allows the humorous results to play out.
Of course, the show would be nothing without the iconic cast, and Walnut Street Theatre has assembled a troupe of dynamic actors who turn in consistently hilarious performances. Of special note is Bonetti, who masterfully embodies both sides of Gomez. He’s the proud head of the creepy and kooky family, while also being a loving family man desperately trying to please his headstrong wife and his even more headstrong daughter. This relatability, combined with his dynamic comic timing and physical comedy, allows him to command the stage as he jumps from fencing with Lurch, to wooing his wife, to keeping up with the Beinekes.
The vocals among the cast are strong, ranging from solid to stellar. On the stellar side is Parker as Wednesday who, in her solos, exhibits a boisterous belt with excellent breath control. Also, one of my favorite moments of the show is Alice Beineke’s sudden “transformation” from humble housewife to…something else, and Stroup did not disappoint; her late-Act 1 solo “Waiting” can only be classified as a showstopper. The live orchestra (led by rotating conductors across the different performances) backs up the vocals without overpowering. During parts of their fast-paced songs, some of Morticia and Gomez’s lyrics were hard to pick up, but overall this was not a major problem. Some of the musical numbers listed in the opening-night playbill did not match those performed on stage; for instance, the listed duet “Where Did We Go Wrong?” was nowhere to be heard.
Like the performances, the set (designed by John Farrell) is always in motion. It cleverly features forced perspective for depth and several moving set pieces that serve different functions. The choreographed scene changes happen fluidly, not hidden, yet not distracting. Along with the appropriately moody lighting (designed by Julie H. Duro), multiple areas inside and outside the Addams Estate are cleverly depicted. I also enjoyed the smart use of practical effects, including Thing’s puppetry, critters skittering across the stage, and the monster under Pugsley’s bed.
One aspect I particularly admired about this production was Stafford’s use of the ensemble “ancestors.” Near the top of the show, Fester enlists the help of the Addams Family ancestors to help ensure true love prevails and everything works out with the family. This allows more actors than just the leads to take part in the show. In lesser productions, these ancestor actors would be featured in just a few scenes, but Stafford has them all over the place. They’re lounging around the Addams Estate, snooping around Central Park, and appearing in and out in most other scenes. They are fully part of the show, as opposed to an afterthought.
THE ADDAMS FAMILY arrives at Walnut Street just in time for the Halloween season. It’s a great musical for families who enjoy a little of the absurd with a few touching moments among all the hilarity.
Walnut Street Theatre’s
THE ADDAMS FAMILY
Running through 11/01/2026
Review submitted by:
Paul Recupero
Author’s Bio:
PAUL RECUPERO has directed and performed in numerous plays and musicals at various venues in the greater Philadelphia area. Recent favorite productions include Bonnie and Clyde, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, City of Angels, and Children of Eden. He also has directed several shows for Devon Prep’s theatre program. Paul enjoys all types of writing and has placed as a semifinalist in two national playwriting contests. He is a two-time winner of The Pennsylvania Lawyer Magazine’s Short Story Contest. Paul earned his J.D. from Villanova University School of Law and works as senior editor for a nonprofit’s national bar exam prep course. He resides in Malvern with his wife and daughter.
