The Addams Family Musical
- 25-28 October 2023
- Queen Anne's Performing Arts Centre, Reading
Director & Choreographer
Nick Brannam
Musical Director
Trevor Defferd
Assistant Director
Sara El-Hanfy
Assistant Choreographer
Denise Schult
The Addams Family, a comical feast that embraces the wackiness in every 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 wasn’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.
Book by
MARSHALL BRICKMAN
and RICK ELICE
Music
and Lyrics
ANDREW LIPPA
Based on characters Created by Charles Addams
Originally produced on Broadway by Stuart Oken, Roy Furman, Michael Leavitt, Five Cent Productions, Stephen Schuler, Decca Theatricals, Scott M. Delman, Stuart Ditsky, Terry Allen Kramer, Stephanie P. McClelland, James L. Nederlander, Eva Price, Jam Theatricals/Mary LuRoffe, Pittsburgh CLO/Gutterman-Swinsky, Vivek Tiwary/Gary Kaplan, The Weinstein Company/Clarence, LLC, Adam Zotovich/Tribe Theatricals. By Special Arrangement with Elephant Eye Theatrical
Performed by The Sainsbury Singers, an award-winning musical theatre group based in Reading. The Addams Family Musical was presented through special arrangement with and all authorised performance materials were supplied by Theatrical Rights (TRW). theatricalrights.co.uk
The verdict....
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“What an outstanding show! Everything from the casting, orchestra, staging and lighting made for an exceptional show performance. The entire production was of West End quality. The leads who played Morticia and Gomez were so authentic I believed them to be of a professional standard. Once again The Sainsbury’s Singers deliver an all round entertaining show. Bravo!”
“It was an amazing production full of music, comedy, spookiness and everything you’d want before Halloween. I said to my boyfriend that it was almost like going to a London theatre and watching professionals perform and do what they do best.”
“The whole show was just amazing, from the actors to the smallest prop, the singing and dancing were so in tune, the whole production quality is better than many mainstream movie musicals.”
“Honestly one of the best shows I’ve seen in years. Every part was played so well. Every song performed brilliantly. It’s been easy to recommend to anyone who’ll listen!”
“Very high standard performance by the actors and orchestra, very smooth at scene changes.”
“The characters were spot on. Felt like we were taken on a journey with the Addams. Thoroughly enjoyed it.”
“It was funny, a great performance, and great interaction with the crowd. We loved it!”
“What an excellent production – It ticked all the boxes for me, with fantastic acting, singing, costumes and music and it was very funny too (especially Grandma, hilarious!). A thoroughly enjoyable show – thank you!”
“I was not familiar with this musical but it proved to be very enjoyable. The show was very well presented and the cast was energetic and enthusiastic. I had a great evening. The venue was also good. Thank you.”
“I am Head of Drama at Queen Anne’s and I have 37 years teaching experience. I loved the show and, as a rule, I don’t really like musical theatre! There was great enjoyment from the cast and the show was very professional; far better than some of the stuff I’ve seen in the West End!”
“A fun packed evening with hilarity in spades! Fabulous acting and pitch perfect singing. We especially loved Fester, Pugsley and Grandma but all actors performed to a high professional standard. Costume and make-up deserve a special mention. So much to enjoy.”
“Superb performance! Thoroughly enjoyed it. A great mix of acting, singing and humour. Costumes and makeup were excellent. The live orchestra was the icing on the cake – amazing musicians! The whole thing was excellent and made for a really wonderful evening out. Thank you to all”
“A fantastic show! I took my 12 year old daughter who also loved it! Great songs, super costumes and wonderful singers. A show for young and old and anyone in between! Highly recommend it.”
“Absolutely first class! Gomez and Wednesday Addams – incredible singing voices – West End quality!”
“What a knockout show! Such strong performances and really great singers. I loved it!”
“Exceeded all expectations! A truly professional performance. Not a missed note or misplaced step in the fabulously choreographed dancing. Brilliant comic timing. And live music! Superlative!”
“The show was absolutely brilliant last night. Every single member of the cast worked so hard all show and it paid off. The ensemble’s outfits were so detailed and varied it was a joy to watch them all be their characters. The leads were all incredible, we were just blown away.”
“Great show, well executed and very funny! Phenomenal cast and supporting band, must watch this year!”
“What a time we had! The show was so much fun. Wasn’t the same as the films in style but the performance was at a professional level. The music was so catchy we were singing it on the way home.”
“Surprising, delightful and outstanding performance, dancing and singing, doubled with live musicians playing several instruments. Most enjoyable family day out of this half term.”
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“Fantastic performance, we loved the singing! It’s clear a huge amount of dedication went into preparation for this.”
“A fantastically entertaining show with excellent performances from the whole cast. Casting was excellent with both performing and singing from everyone being top notch. Set design was excellent too and really added to the show!”
“I wasn’t expecting such a professional looking production in terms of the costumes and set for an amateur society. Not an expert but singing seemed to me to be of a high standard. Will definitely look out for future shows.”
“Excellent night out, with some belly laughs for good measure! Great comedic timing, excellently cast, and powerful voices all around. Great to have a light hearted funny show during these dark times. Thank you.”
“A very fun and entertaining production. I would watch it again!”
“The cast were fantastic, fully invested in their characters, and with great voices coping well with the tricky score. Thoroughly entertaining.”
“Thoroughly impressed with the whole show package. The singers were amazing, the costumes very good and the stage production for a venue of that size was also way beyond expected. I would definitely come to watch another show in the future.”
“Fun show, some great lead performances, in particular Lucy Hutson playing Morticia and the actor playing Gomez. They both gave fantastic vocal performances. I particularly loved how Lucy embodied Morticia and held that character throughout. Overall a strong cast”
I was delighted to join The Sainsbury Singers for their spooktacular production of The Addams Family which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was such a fun show and very entertaining, with great characters, catchy tunes, and a witty script.
The production was very well cast, and all of the principals produced outstanding characterisations, which were clearly recognisable and very well developed. The quality of their acting was excellent, with good pace and the director had ensured that they brought out all the humour and poignancy of the script. The MD had done a good job working on the many songs with the lead principals and ensemble and the quality of the singing and harmony was outstanding. Every one of the musical numbers had been well developed and this accomplished cast gave splendid performances both in their singing and dancing.
This ensemble was fabulous, with all these actors working together as a cohesive group and each performer playing their own ancestor role with energy and accuracy. They had all developed the characterisation of their roles with engaging physicality, movement and gestures that fitted their ancestor perfectly.
The costume team had done a great job to provide the characters with the iconic costumes that are synonymous with the Addams Family. The costumes for the ancestors were also excellent and authentic for each of the individual characters. They were cleverly designed to follow the Addams Family timeline through the ages and then dyed grey to give the right effect for the dead and undecided. Altogether, this was an excellent production and one to be very proud of!
Cate Naylor – NODA Regional Representative (District L13)
Meet the team...
| Character | Played by |
|---|---|
| Gomez Addams | Steve Jewell |
| Morticia Addams | Lucy Hutson |
| Fester Addams | Dean Davis |
| Grandma Addams | Cath Hannan |
| Wednesday Addams | Jessica Wilkins |
| Pugsley Addams | Jo Shannon-Little |
| Lurch | Simon Moore |
| Lucas Beineke | Dan Wainman |
| Mal Beineke | Brian Bretney |
| Alice Beineke | Cat Hill |
Addams Ancestors: Alex Hutson, Becca Harrington, Brigitta Rostyo, Chris Thomas, Denise Schult, Elysia Robinson, Hannah Scarisbrick-Rowe, Jessamy Vincent, Josh Bethel, Kate Petford, Kaz Grainger, Kelly Herman, Laura Manderson, Laura Rountree, Laura Schult, Lorraine Cox, Maea Rulton-Best, Mel Constance, Michael Schult, Penny Sentance, Rosie Sumner, Sam Viner, Sarah Morris, Sean Faulkner, Stephen Cox
Conducted by Trevor Defferd
| Instrument | Played by |
|---|---|
| Violin | Victoria Stapleton |
| Cello | Bryony Rawstron |
| Bass | Jonathan Williams |
| Reed 1 | Anna O’Brien |
| Reed 2 | Victoria Benjamin |
| Trumpet | Gregor Spowart |
| Keyboards | Cameron Baker, Anton Gwilt |
| Percussion | Luke Wyeth |
Production team
| Role | Person |
|---|---|
| Director/Choreographer | Nick Brannam |
| Musical Director | Trevor Defferd |
| Assistant Director | Sara El-Hanfy |
| Assistant Choreographer | Denise Schult |
Back stage
| Role | Person / Team |
|---|---|
| Prompt | Melanie Gogerly |
| Production Coordinator | Jackie Stoffels |
| Lighting Design and Operation | Rebecca Simons |
| Followspot Operator | Richard Haygreen |
| Production Technical Coordinator and Lighting Programmer | Louis Martin |
| Stage Manager | Caroline Saunders |
| Assistant Stage Manager | Alison Saunders |
| Set Construction | Steve Brannam |
| Stage Crew | Joe Daniels, Karen Korna, Mike Smith |
| Sound Design & Operation | Dan Bryan |
| Props | Alison Saunders, Kazia Grainger, Simon Turner (2nd Chanceprops) |
| Costume Designer | Laura Schult |
| Costume Team | Emma Fry, Hannah Rakowska, Jo O’Mahoney, Laura Schult, Louise Quelch |
| Makeup & Hair Design | Laura Schult, Rosie Sumner |
| Front of House Presentation | Jessamy Vincent |
| Front of House Manager & Fire Marshal | Olivia Land |
| Front of House Co-ordinator | Michael Schult |
| Front of House Liaison | Kate Petford, Lucy Hutson |
| Bar Manager & First Aider | Claire Wilson |
| Front of House Team | Melany Anderson, Rachel Masters, Elaine Harvey, Amelia Holman, Jake Land, Eve MacDonald, Alex Maitland, Zoe Masters, Gabi Petford, Jorgia Petford, Andy Schult, Colin Schult, Maria Carratt, Hils Latimer |
Suppliers and collaborators
| Role | Person / Team |
|---|---|
| Lighting / Sound Equipment Hire | Dinrino Theatre Services |
| Webmaster | Kim Hollamby |
| Marketing Officer & Publishing Manager | Jessamy Vincent |
| Creative & Digital Marketing Lead | Dan Wainman |
| Marketing Team | Dan Wainman, Denise Schult, Eve MacDonald, Hannah Scarisbrick-Rowe, Jessamy Vincent, Kazia Grainger, Louise Quelch, Steve Jewell |
| Photography (Rehearsal and Dress rehearsal) | Emma Ramskill |
| Biography Photos | Johanna Shannon-Little (jslittlephotography.co.uk) |
| Ticket Officer | Stephen Cox |
| Fundraising Lead | Michael Schult |
| Fundraising Assistant | Lorraine Cox |
| Social Team | Louise Quelch, Kate Petford |
Many thanks to…
The Grange United Reformed Church; Maureen Keeble, Tyndale Baptist Church; John Kemp; Lee, for his kind loan of the knight costume, indeed our knight in shining armour!
Book – MARSHALL BRICKMAN, born in Brazil of American parents, attended New York public schools and the University of Wisconsin, where he received a double baccalaureate in both science and music.
Book – RICK ELICE. On Broadway: Jersey Boys (Best Musical, 2006 Tony Award, 2007 Grammy Award and 2009 Olivier Award); The Addams Family; Peter and the Starcatcher (winner of five 2012 Tony Awards);and The Cher Show (winner of two 2019 Tony Awards). In the pipeline: The Princess Bride and Smash, co-written with Bob Martin; Silver Linings Playbook, a musical adaptation of the popular film; The Marvels, a musical adaptation of the popular novel; and Treasure, an original musical written with 2021 Ed Kleban Award-winner Benjamin Scheuer. From 1982-1999, as creative director at Serino Coyne Inc, Rick created and produced ad campaigns for more than 300 Broadway shows, from A Chorus Line to The Lion King. From 1999-2009, he served as creative consultant for The Walt Disney Studio. Charter member, American Repertory Theatre. Trustee, The Actors’ Fund. BA, Cornell University; MFA, Yale Drama School; Teaching Fellow, Harvard University. Heartfelt thanks to those he’s been lucky enough to know, whose work makes him grateful for the day he was born: Sondheim, Stoppard, Bennett, Prince, Fosse, Robbins, Nichols, Tune, Nunn, Timbers, McAnuff, Laurents, Lippa, Stone, Taymor, Papp, Schumacher, Schneider, Costello, Coyne, Brickman, and eternally, Roger Rees.
Music and Lyrics – ANDREW LIPPA is currently at work on numerous projects for stage and screen. New titles include Fairy Tale, written with Adam Gopnik, which tells the story of a father, a son, and the birth of Disco; La Casa de las Flores, written with Bob Martin and based on the hit Netflix Mexican television show; The Turning Point, based on the classic film and novel, for which Lippa is writing the book, music, and lyrics; and an original Christmas film musical titled A Totally Awesome Christmas Story with 10 new songs. His epic choral work Unbreakable had its world premiere with The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus in San Francisco with 300 artists onstage including Mr. Lippa. Many more choruses across the country have presented this new work and the original cast recording, produced by legendary producer Leslie Ann Jones, was released by GhostlightRecords.com. He conducted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in a new production of his A Little Princess in concert in London at the Royal Festival Hall in May, 2018 to a sold-out crowd of nearly 3,000 people.