Overview
Synopsis
In the kooky, upside-down world of the Addams Family, to be sad is to be happy, to feel pain is to feel joy, and death and suffering are the stuff of their dreams. Nonetheless, this quirky family still has to deal with many of the same challenges faced by any other family, and the spookiest nightmare faced by every family creates the focus Lippa, Brickman, and Elice’s musical: the Addams kids are growing up. The Addamses have lived by their unique values for hundreds of years and Gomez and Morticia, the patriarch and matriarch of the clan, would be only too happy to continue living that way. Their dark, macabre, beloved daughter Wednesday, however, is now an eighteen year-old young woman who is ready for a life of her own. She has fallen in love with Lucas Beineke, a sweet, smart boy from a normal, respectable Ohio family — the most un-Addams sounding person one could be! And to make matters worse, she has invited the Beinekes to their home for dinner. In one fateful, hilarious night, secrets are disclosed, relationships are tested, and the Addams family must face up to the one horrible thing they’ve managed to avoid for generations: change.
Show Information
Context
The Addams Family is a musical based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles Addams. While many television and film adaptations have been made, the musical is the first stage production based on Addams’ concept and takes all inspiration from the original cartoons with a completely original plot, separate from the characters’ on-screen story lines.
Work began on The Addams Family in 2007, when producers first gained rights to write a musical about these beloved characters from the
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NOTE: This synopsis is based on the script for the original Broadway production.
Act One
(“Addams Family Theme/Overture”)
The eccentric, morbid, fun-hearted Addams family — patriarch Gomez, his wife Morticia, their children Wednesday and Pugsley, Grandma, Uncle Fester, and servant Lurch — are celebrating their yearly ritual of summoning their ancestors from the dead. As they do so, they explain to the audience what it means to be an Addams: one must have a sense of humor, a taste for
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Interactive Character Map
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Character Portrayals
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Scenes
Songs
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A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number.
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
THEMES
The Inevitability of Change and Growing Up
The musical centers on the tension between tradition and transformation, as the Addams family—accustomed to centuries of unchanging macabre bliss—confronts Wednesday's maturation into an 18-year-old woman in love and seeking independence. This theme manifests in her engagement to Lucas Beineke, prompting parental anxieties about losing their "dark" daughter, Gomez's bittersweet reflection on her growth in "Happy/Sad," and Morticia's
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"Ah, the intoxicating smell of the graveyard! Once a year when the last leaf of autumn falls, we gather to honor the great cycle of life and death. Come, every member of our clan—living, dead, and undecided—and let us celebrate what it is to be an Addams."
Gomez (spoken, Act I)
This opening monologue, delivered by Gomez as he summons the ancestors, immediately immerses the audience in the Addams family's gleeful inversion of conventional values, where decay and death are sources of
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Directorial Vision
The Addams Family lives or dies on the balance between its macabre comedic style and its genuine heart. While audiences come for the iconic, quirky ghoulishness, the show is fundamentally an intimate domestic comedy about family, growing up, and the terror of change.
The central directing challenge is preventing the show from devolving into a series of disconnected gag sketches. One effective approach is to anchor the entire production around the concept of unconditional love tested by truth. The Addams clan embraces everything painful or dark, yet they struggle with ordinary human secrets. Treat the bizarre humor as the family’s normal baseline rather than an inside joke with the audience; the comedy lands much harder when the actors play the eccentricities with absolute sincerity and high emotional stakes.
Biggest Directing Challenges
- __Managing Tone
Discussion Questions
Big Question
What does it truly mean to be "normal," and who gets to decide?
Discussion Questions
- Morticia and Gomez have a remarkably loving, passionate, and supportive marriage, yet their approach to parenting and family life is completely unconventional. In what ways does the Addams family challenge traditional ideas of what a "good" family looks like?
- Wednesday Addams undergoes a massive shift when she falls in love with Lucas Beineke. How does love change her perspective on her family's dark traditions, and why does this shift cause so much tension between her and Morticia?
- Gomez finds himself caught in the middle between his wife, Morticia, and his daughter, Wednesday, when Wednesday asks him to keep a secret. How does this conflict test Gomez’s values, and what does his dilemma reveal about balancing loyalty to a spouse versus a child?
- Alice Beineke appears to be the picture-perfect, conservative housewife at the beginning of the story. How does her accidental consumption of the truth potion at dinner reveal her hidden desires and unexpressed frustration?
- During the game "Full Disclosure," the characters are forced to reveal secrets they have been hiding. Why are secrets so destructive to the relationships in both the Addams and Beineke households, and how does honesty ultimately change their dynamic?
- The Ancestors act as a chorus throughout the musical, helping guide the action and influencing the living characters. What purpose do these ghosts serve in exploring the theme of family heritage and tradition?
- Mal Beineke and Gomez Addams have vastly different attitudes toward life, work, and passion. How does interacting with Gomez push Mal to reevaluate his lifestyle and his relationship with Alice?
- Uncle Fester serves as both a narrator and a champion for love throughout the show, even falling in love with the Moon. How does Fester’s childlike, unabashed optimism contrast with the darker, more cynical elements of the story?
- The musical contrasts the eccentric, macabre Addams family with the seemingly conventional, straight-laced Beineke family. By the end of the show, which family actually seems healthier or more authentic, and why?
- Wednesday sings about pulled in two directions during "Pulled." How do the conflicting desires to stay loyal to one's roots while also growing up and forming a new identity create tension for young adults?
- The show uses humor and absurdity to explore dark topics like death, pain, and horror. How does using comedy allow the musical to address deeper themes like acceptance, fear of change, and unconditional love without feeling overly heavy?
- The Addams family embraces their quirks without worrying about fitting into mainstream society. When have you felt pressure to conform to someone else's definition of "normal," and what can we learn from the Addams family about accepting ourselves and others?
Key Terms
A low female vocal range used in opera and musical theatre, often assigned to mature or dramatic roles.
A male vocal range between tenor and bass, often used for romantic leads, villains, or father figures in opera and musicals.
The lowest male vocal range, typically associated with characters of authority, wisdom, or villainy in opera and musicals.
In musical theatre, the script or spoken text of the show, not including the music or lyrics.
A character type marked by odd or unusual behavior, often used for comedic or dramatic effect.
An additional performance or musical number requested by the audience after the conclusion of a show.
Music or a scene presented between the acts of a play or opera.
A literary and dramatic style emphasizing horror, emotion, and the supernatural. This term plays a vital role in understanding theatrical structure and is commonly encountered in stagecraft or performance settings.
The complete text of an opera, musical, or other extended vocal work, including all spoken dialogue and lyrics. The libretto provides the dramatic structure and narrative arc, serving as a guide for both performers and directors to align story and music.
Relating to the gruesome or morbid, often used in theatrical works that explore death or horror. Macabre themes are prevalent in Gothic drama and add emotional weight through dark imagery and mood.
A powerful female figure who leads a family or social group, often featured in dramatic works as a symbol of strength, tradition, or authority. Matriarchs play pivotal roles in both classical and contemporary theatre as central moral or emotional anchors.
Short for mezzo-soprano, a female voice type that sits between soprano and contralto, common in opera and musical theatre.
Relating to death or disease, often used to describe the tone or themes in dark or tragic plays. Morbid elements in theatre provoke reflection and emotional impact.
A character or voice that tells part of the story, offering commentary or background. Narrators are frequently used in children’s theatre and epic productions.
The process of assigning musical parts to instruments in an ensemble. Orchestration helps shape the sonic texture and emotional tone of a score.
An instrumental introduction to a musical or opera, presenting themes that will appear throughout the production. Overtures set mood and anticipation.
The male head of a family or group, often dramatized in theatre to explore power, legacy, and traditional authority.
The repetition of a song or theme earlier introduced in a musical, usually to reflect character change or emphasize emotional development.
The written music for a theatrical or operatic work, including vocal and instrumental parts. The score is essential for rehearsals and performances.
The highest female vocal range in classical and musical theatre, often associated with youthful or romantic leads.
A male vocal range above baritone, commonly featured in opera and musical theatre for romantic or heroic lead characters.
