If you loved the TV show “The Addams Family,” you just might die laughing at the delightfully dark musical comedy of the same name.
Birdsboro’s 1st Street Players bring Charles Addams’ kooky characters to life with singing and dancing and some great one-liners.
The cast includes some familiar faces as well as some newcomers. Jessica Pennington, who recently played the narrator in “Murder Ballad,” is cool and sultry as Morticia Addams. She gets to show off her vocal talent in numbers like “Secrets,” “Just Around the Corner” and “Let’s Live Before We Die.” The latter is a duet with Sean C. Hafer who plays her devoted husband, Gomez.
Hafer looks and lives the part, creating the creepy chemistry of this iconic couple. He has numerous songs in this production, but my favorites are the previously mentioned duet and “Trapped,” when he is caught between the demands of his wife and daughter.
Cheyenne Hails is feisty and fierce as his daughter, Wednesday, and has a voice perfect for delivering songs like “Pulled” and “Crazier Than You.”
Her pain-loving kid brother Pugsley is played with flair by Andrew Bausher and the two have a believable, if wacky sibling relationship. The scene with “Pulled” is one of the funniest in the show.
There are a couple of scene-stealers in the family — Liz Limper plays the over-the-top Grandma Addams with panache.
You will not forget Chris Weiss as Uncle Fester, the oddest of them all. His numbers with the dancing ancestors all dressed in different white costumes are plain fun to watch and his unique vocals in “Fester’s Manifesto” and “The Moon and Me” are spot on.
Colin Lynch, who has performed in several previous productions including “Seussical the Musical,” plays a more grown-up role as Lucas Beincke, Wednesday’s would-be fiance. He gets to demonstrate his vocal talent in “Crazier Than You” with Hails. His parents are played with comedic flair by Bill Leech and Deanne Leech. Deanne in particular has some wonderfully crazy moments in this show.
Bringing back fond memories of the TV show is Sean Lynch as Lurch, the mostly silent butler, who then surprises everyone with some deliciously deep and dark notes.
The delightful dancing ancestors clad in white are played by Gregory Boyer, Steve Daniels, Ben Daniels, Ben Jupina, Panayiotis Clauser, Aaron Higgins, Molly O’Brien, Aly Dynda, Kara Snyder, Sarah Geiger, Annie Kitchell, Samantha Funk, Nicole Greenfield, Katherine Lindsley, Amanda Giancola, Andrea Keck, Natalie Brown, Jordan Koury, Olivia Gardella, Nolan Watts and David Hutcko.
The show is directed by Melissa Kaufmann. The Addams Family orchestra is conducted by musical director Nathan Patton.
Choreography in this facility always amazes me – they somehow pack 20 dancers on a stage the size of a large living room and deliver complicated routines with precision. Suzanne Shinn is the mastermind behind this show’s impressive dance numbers. The costumes are impressive, particularly those of the ancestors. Linda Bechtel, Lori Wisser and Missie Flannery are responsible for these creations..
You still have time for a creepy and crazy visit with the Addams Family next weekend. The show continues at the Birdsboro Community Theater through Aug. 14 at 301 E. 1st St., in Birdsboro. Remaining show times are Aug. 12 and 13 at 8 p.m. and Aug. 14 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $22 ($15 for ages 12 and under). Call 610-404-8436. More information is available at <www.1ststreetplayers.com>.
