author: Jake Schwartz
Full Disclosure: The Addams Family Musical is one of my all-time favorite musicals. It’s goofy, campy, and a lot of fun. Sure, the book is a little outdated and kind of cringey at times – but the show has a lot of heart. So I was absolutely thrilled when I was asked to review this show, and it did not disappoint. There were a couple hiccups that I’ll get into, but overall I enjoyed my night at the theatre!
Now I’m not sure if they just did this because it was opening night, but the show started with a 10-minute speech relating The Addams Family to Christianity. Third Wall Productions is based out of a church, so part of me understands why this decision was made – I just was a little surprised when that was the direction the curtain speech went.
Once the curtain opens, you are immediately greeted by the phenomenal set – designed and built by Pat Rudai (who also portrayed Lurch.) The set was beautiful and visually stunning, complete with a grand staircase. I have seen a good number of shows at Third Wall, and this might be the best set I’ve ever seen them have. I want to give a special shoutout to Andrew Vida’s lighting work. The lights were stunning, and highlighted the moods of the scenes perfectly.
Continuing on with the superb design elements, the costumes looked phenomenal as well! Caitlin Johnston and Amy Rudai (who also doubles as Grandma) really knocked it out of the park, giving all the ancestors their own unique flair. My personal favorites were the caveman and the insane asylum ancestor. Makeup by Cecily Feliz and Hannah Leischner really completed the looks of many of the characters, especially the Addams ancestors. It is absolutely, Broadway quality makeup work.
Director Mea Holloway’s staging is pretty standard, a lot of the action in the show takes place downstage. Nevertheless, she still communicates her vision with some creative choices that I’ve never seen in the show before – such as Wednesday sword fighting with Gomez at the beginning, Alice’s costume transformation at the end of Waiting, and the entirety of “The Moon and Me” (which I will not spoil because it was absolutely hilarious.) Holloway gets the most out of her actors and overall succeeds at telling the story of the show.
Music Director Mandee Roberts did an excellent job creating a wonderful sound throughout the show. Everyone in the show had a great singing voice, and the harmonies blended together very nicely. The pit, conducted by Billy Georg, also sounded great and was balanced very well with the actors. Given the nature of the space, a worry of mine was that the pit would overpower the actors. I can happily say that did not happen, and everyone was very audible.
Moving on to individual performances, the standout of the show was Kristen Cooley as Fester. From the second the curtain opens, Cooley completely encapsulates the wacky, yet powerful nature of Fester. She is absolutely hilarious, especially when she shows up with a basketball. Cooley’s wacky performance is worth the price of admission alone. I also want to give a special shoutout to Zoë Bisante who plays Pugsley. They had such a beautiful singing voice, and they clearly have a bright future ahead of them.
I also really enjoyed the performances of Tia Silver and Finch van Greunen, who played Wednesday and Lucas respectively. They play off each other very well, and both of them make a beautiful sound when they’re singing together. Van Greunen does an excellent job capturing the nervous and anxious energy that Lucas carries throughout the entire show. Silver plays a more mature Wednesday, one who knows what she wants and will fight for it. She has a powerful voice, and absolutely nails the songs “Pulled” and “One Normal Night.”
Leading the family is Eliyahu Kheel as Gomez and Valerie Pasquale as Morticia. Individually, the two of them have beautiful voices and sing their songs excellently. However, I did have some issues with the performances. One area that didn’t quite land for me was the central relationship between Gomez and Morticia. Their chemistry felt somewhat underdeveloped, and I never fully felt the sense of history, intimacy, and genuine connection that should make their marriage believable.
At the end of the day, did I enjoy this production of The Addams Family Musical? Absolutely! And I’d encourage all of you to get your tickets and go support the local theatre. Third Wall is a great organization that always puts on a fun show.
Runtime: 2 Hours 15 Minutes, 15 Minute Intermission.
The Addams Family plays through November 22nd 2026 with Third Wall Productions, in residence at Chestnut Grove Presbyterian Church— 3701 Sweet Air Road in Phoenix, MD. Tickets are available by at the door or in advance online.
