The Addams Family is in a somewhat different position to the other musicals I’ve discussed in this series. While they were based on books or movies (or in one case, real history), The Addams Family has a whole assortment of material to choose from. The family has been a part of cartoons, animation, live action movies and television series, and more. As such, the musical is more an adaptation of a set of characters rather than a story.
It shouldn’t be a surprise then, that one of the two biggest changes in this iteration of the familiar family is that The Addams Family adds a plot.
The Plot
Many iterations of the Addams family are shorter forms of media. A cartoon strip, a twenty-minute television episode, etc; media forms where a longer cohesive plot isn’t necessary. Even two of the more famous long form adaptations-the early 90s films The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993)- are more structured as a series of sequential shenanigans with a loose plotline that pops in every now and then to keep them connected.
The Addam’s Family (the musical’s) plot is fairly straightforward. Wednesday is in love with a man from a family that is not just normal, but aggressively the opposite of the Addams in every way. She invites him and his aforementioned normal family over for a dinner, and hijinks ensue.
Now I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing that the other versions don’t contain a lengthy plot (it’s just different) I do think it’s necessary that the musical has one. Musicals as a medium require some kind of change in a character’s emotional state or personal development. They require conflict.
In other words, the characters need something to sing about.
The introduction of Lucas’s family serves in a few ways. It allows for characters that need to change without having to force the Addams to do so. The Addams are good the way they are. It is the Beinekes, Lucas’s family, that need to change to embrace themselves and become happier in their own lives. And of course, everyone needs to learn to be a bit more accepting about lifestyles that are different than their own.
The Beinekes also provide the perfect foil. It’s all fun to present the Addams’ unusual lifestyle, but the true comedy comes from having someone completely normal for that lifestyle to clash up against. The Beinekes allow the musical to show off the weirdness of the Addams in a way it couldn’t otherwise.
You may have noticed I said the addition of a plot is one of two major changes. As for the other, let’s talk about-
Wednesday
The first change to Wednesday is that she’s aged up. Her age isn’t clear or completely consistent among all other Addams family portrayals, but she generally seems to be between the ages of six and twelve, so always a child. Not so in the musical. This version ages her up to around eighteen.
An odd side effect of this is the age difference between her and Pugsley. This version lists him as about eleven. In most other materials, they seem to be fairly close in age, so by aging up Wednesday so much but not Pugsley, they have a much larger age difference than before.
It may seem a weird change at first, particularly if you are deeply familiar with the other iterations portraying Wednesday as a child, but it works. Not only does it allow for the cohesive plot, but having an older Wednesday in a musical means that older actresses can portray Wednesday. This allows the musical to make the role more vocally intensive and challenging, because she doesn’t have to be played by a child actress.
The other change to Wednesday is exactly what the plot hinges on: she is in love. In love with someone that is the complete opposite of the Addams, no less. In “Pulled” Wednesday sings about how falling for Lucas has made her feel, but the real change to Wednesday is her motivation. Wednesday wants to leave Lucas’s family with a good impression of her and her family. This means that for once, Wednesday is motivated to make the family seem normal and minimize their quirks.
Conclusion
All of these factors combine to make an adaptation that is both true to the spirit of the characters it adapts, and an emotionally satisfying musical. The result is quirky and charming, much like the Addams themselves.
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