Snap, Shiver and Roar as The Addams Family Brings Fun, Freaks, Kooky Antics and Family Follies.

Halloween 2025

It all starts with the opening strains of that unmistakably recognizable melody, and instantly the audience is pulled into the creepy, kooky, and altogether spooky world of The Addams Family. Who can resist joining in the fun by snapping their fingers twice at the appropriate spot? Certainly not the Kravis Center audience on Halloween night, when many attendees arrived in costumes perfectly suited for the occasion.

Playing at the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts from October 31 through November 2, this touring production of The Addams Family from Big League Productions, Inc. is a gleefully ghoulish treat, one that embraces the show’s comic absurdity while keeping a genuine heart beating beneath the cobwebs.

The Addams Family. Photo by Meredith Mashburn Photography

Featuring music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice (the same duo behind Jersey Boys), The Addams Family opened on Broadway in 2010 starring Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth as the unshakably romantic Gomez and Morticia. Based on Charles Addams’ iconic single-panel cartoons and the 1964 TV series, the musical marks the first stage adaptation of his work.

The plot revolves around Wednesday Addams (Melody Munitz), now grown up and—to her family’s horror—in love with a perfectly ordinary young man from Ohio, Lucas Beineke (David Eldridge). When Wednesday begs her father Gomez (Rodrigo Aragon) to keep her engagement secret from Morticia (Renee Kathleen Koher), the dashing patriarch must do something unthinkable—something he’s never done before: lie to his wife. Cue the carnage.

While the original production was a visually lavish experience that divided critics, this newly revised version is truly a diabolical delight. Having seen the original version, I can say that the updates are transformative to the feel and flow of the show. It’s funnier, easier to follow, and far more enjoyable by focusing more on the comedic than the macabre. For younger audience members there are even current pop-culture references to things like TikTok, the phrase 6-7 and Taylor Swift.

The Addams Family Photo by Sarah Smith

Aragon is in fine voice as the suave Gomez, trying to balance his passionate love for his wife with his paternal devotion to his daughter while keeping her secret. Koher’s Morticia is a savory combination of quiet sensuality and fiery zest. Together, they are well matched.

The Addams Family Photo by Sarah Smith

Munitz’s Wednesday is darkly funny yet vulnerable. Her first-act solo, “Pulled,” is one of the show’s best songs, though her voice occasionally strays into a strident tone. One of the pleasant surprises in this production is Logan Clinger as Pugsley, grappling with disappointment at the possibility of losing his sister as his torturous playmate once she’s married. His piercing laugh and admirable singing voice make for a memorable performance.

The Addams Family. Photo by Meredith Mashburn Photography

As Wednesday’s youthful paramour, Eldridge’s Lucas is all things wholesome and sincere. His perky yet repressed mother (Allie Tamburello) and long-suffering father (Tucker Boyes) form a solid comedic pairing. Timothy Hearl as Uncle Fester, Shereen Hickman as Grandma, and Jackson Barnes as Lurch all take turns stealing scenes. Hearl’s comic timing is that of an experienced vaudevillian, which I found myself smiling almost every time he was on stage. Barnes delivers a hilarious wordless monologue explaining how Lurch came to be, using pantomime and grunts to pure comic genius. Hickman’s semi-raunchy rambling complaints about the state of the world and her decaying body seem semi-improvised, but the audience eats them up.

The Addams Family Photo by Meredith Mashburn Photography

Set design and lighting for this production are first-rate. The Addams mansion, wrapped in all its Gothic glory, is set amidst Central Park, with moonlight glinting off wrought-iron gates and an ever-present mist curling around the tombstones of the family cemetery. Clad in ghostly attire, the ensemble of Addams ancestors is used to full advantage throughout the show, fleshing out scenes and transitions alike. The humor is broad but smart, and the pacing crisp. Each number feels energetic and focused from the welcoming opener “When You’re an Addams” to the rousing finale “Live Before We Die.”

The Addams Family. Photo by Meredith Mashburn Photography

This tour of The Addams Family is produced by Big League Productions, Inc., celebrating 31 seasons of touring Broadway musicals worldwide. With the runaway success of Netflix’s Wednesday series rekindling global fascination with this famously morbid clan, this tour couldn’t be timelier. It’s a reminder that being “normal” is overrated and that love, no matter how dark or twisted, can still light up the night.

The Addams Family
October 31–November 2, 2025
Dreyfoos Hall, Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
Tickets start at $39.10 (including fees)
For tickets and information, visit kravis.org or call 561-832-7469. kravis.org