The Addams Family is a pop culture mainstay. First introduced as a cartoon and published in The New Yorker from the 1930s to the1960s, followed by the original television series, which lasted only two seasons, they have survived in our collective consciousness and public display for nearly a century. Perhaps it was the catchy theme song, or the early attempts at spooky special effects. Most likely, it’s that there is something relatable about these characters that has inspired a number of film adaptations, cartoons, television shows, and even this beloved musical.

With The Addams Family, we are invited into a reality that is likely quite different from our own. They are unique, on the fringe, a little strange, to say the least. Mom loves man-eating plants. Wednesday loves torture and the dark. Pugsley loves mischief and explosions. Dad loves them all. And that’s to say nothing of the rest of the family! What is consistent in all Addams Family adaptations: it is a commentary on how a self confident family who doesn’t follow social mores exists in a world that expects a certain kind of “normalcy”. We, the audience, are part of the ‘normal’.

The stage adaptation takes this clash of worlds and asks a question often asked in musicals–what happens when people from different backgrounds fall in love?  In fact, most love stories involve some sacrifices, some altered expectations, and some joyful surprises.  Once families get involved, these dynamics become even more intense.

When the love story becomes a marriage story, the merging of families can be exciting and meaningful, but also difficult and filled with anxiety. There is just so much to discover about each other.

I adore my wife. We were both almost 40 when we got married and pretty confident in the ways we lived our lives. Whether navigating our own strong opinions about which cupboard should hold the drinking glasses or which movie to watch on a Saturday night, or considering more consequential decisions about work and home and family, we brought our backgrounds and experiences with us. When we interact with each other’s families, we confront traditions, complex relationship dynamics and a whole lot of history. In many of these moments, I have noticed that my notions of how things should be done sometimes turn into judgments of her notions or of her family’s way of doing things. And so I find that even though my in-laws do not carry crossbows in Central Park, have a zombie for a butler, or a disembodied hand for a pet, I see myself as “normal” and others as “strange”.

And here is where we return to The Addams Family. This show is deceiving. It draws you in as a typical broadway musical with catchy songs, funny one liners, fully danced kick-line and characters you think you know. But it quickly becomes an invitation to evaluate how you view what is normal.These mysterious and kooky characters struggle with what it means to belong in their own family and consider how they might accept what seems strange in others. After so many years living in my own version of normal without being challenged by my relationships to consider any alternatives, my life is richer and much more interesting because of a love story and a merging of lives and families. I am excited to help bring such a story to life, with the humor and suspense and ultimately the heartwarming tenderness of The Addams Family.



Rob Moffat