Andy Cohen
They’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky. And beginning Oct. 8, you can revisit this altogether “ooky” bunch, as Studio Tenn opens its 17th season with "The Addams Family."
Based on the marvelously macabre characters created by the legendary cartoonist Charles Addams, this 2010 musical comedy features a Tony-nominated score by Andrew Lippa ("The Wild Party"; "Big Fish") and a sassy book from Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice (the Tony Award-winning team behind "Jersey Boys"). The story centers on that “ultimate princess of darkness,” Wednesday Addams – who has fallen in love with a so-called “normal” boy, and wants to invite his parents over to meet hers.
What follows may well be one of the wackiest dinner parties on record, as “an unforgettable night of shocking confessions, hilarious culture clashes and family chaos unfolds.”
“It’s such a fun show, with a great message and lot of heart,” said Studio Tenn Artistic Director Patrick Cassidy, who is directing the production. “It really felt like the perfect way to kick off our new season — and just in time for Halloween. I love Lippa’s score. There are so many great numbers, and we have an amazing cast. But it’s also a really big show — big sets, lots of locations, tons of tech. There are all these huge scenic pieces that we use to create the different locations. There’s a lot going on, so the challenge becomes how do we keep everything moving smoothly?”
Cassidy enlisted the help of the Addams Family Ancestors, the show’s hard-working ensemble, which serves as a Greek chorus of sorts.
“I started thinking about the Ancestors — these wonderful ghostly spirits — and how we could use them to create more movement and fluidity,” he said. “They’re on stage all the time, so let’s have them moving all the scenic pieces into place. Let’s put everything on wheels, and let the Ancestors work their magic. I worked closely with our choreographer, Anna Claire Perry, and it’s been a lot of fun watching it all come together.”
Cassidy is also quick to credit Studio Tenn’s resident designers, including scenic designer Andrew Cohen, costume designer Devon Renee Spencer and sound designer Danny Northup, along with visiting lighting designer Stephen Moss.
“We have such a terrific team,” he said. “These are all extraordinarily talented people on their own. But they also work really well together. They know each other. They understand each other, and they’re great collaborators. Everyone plays well together in the sandbox, which is so important when you’re working on a big show like this one. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve been able to do in this space, and can’t wait for audiences to see it.”
Cohen agrees, noting that “there’s a great deal of trust that runs both ways with Patrick, which is nice. We’ve done so many shows together now, and I think that opens up a lot of interesting ideas, as we rethink these large shows and sort of make them our own.”
For The Addams Family, Cohen says he drew inspiration from a variety of sources – starting with Charles Addams’ original cartoons from The New Yorker.
“It’s funny, but when I was first talking with Patrick about the show, he kind of reminded me: ‘Remember, they’re creepy and they’re kooky,’ referencing the song from the old TV show,” he said. “It sounds silly, but that was actually really helpful in finding my direction. It was a good reminder that we didn’t want to go too dark or scary. So I went back to the original illustrations. I went back to the show, just to remind myself of the original tone. Of course, there’s a little bit of Tim Burton in there, especially with him doing the Wednesday series on Netflix. I looked at things like Crimson Peak and What We Do in the Shadows, and then sort of Tim Burton-ized it all. I mean, there’s not a 90-degree angle anywhere on the set – it’s just really wonky and flared. There’s a weird, kind of forced perspective that gives this whole world its own aesthetic and charm. Then there are all these great little details — hidden skulls and little homages to the Haunted Mansion from Disney World. The footlights on stage are actually little hands, like the character Thing. That’s the sort of textural storytelling that I get excited about.
“I think the Turner Theater is actually a really interesting place to do this musical,” he added. “It forces us to get creative, because it’s such a large musical. But that’s the fun – designing for the space, finding ways to surprise the audience, playing with scale, and still making it feel really intimate. I’m excited to have audiences step into this world with us, and just have some fun. It’s going to be a great time.”
The Addams Family runs Oct. 8-25 at The Turner Theater, at The Factory at Franklin, 230 Franklin Rd. To learn more, visit https://www.studiotenn.com/the-addams-family