The Addams Family
List Price:
Our Price: $10.57
You Save: $8.41 (44%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Music CD
See more CD details
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
CD Details
Composer: Andrew LippaPerformer: Krysta Rodriguez
Performer: Nathan Lane
Performer: Bebe Neuwirth
Performer: Wesley Taylor
Performer: Jackie Hoffman
Performer: Kevin Chamberlin
Performer: Zachary James
Performer: Terrence Mann
Performer: Carolee Carmello
Edition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
Format: Cast Recording
CD Release Date: 2010-06-08
Music Label: DECCA BROADWAY
Soundtracks:
- Addams Family Theme
- Overture
- When You're An Addams
- Pulled
- Where Did We Go Wrong
- One Normal Night
- Morticia
- What If
- Full Disclosure
- Waiting
- Full Disclosure - Part 2
- Just Around The Corner
- The Moon And Me
- Happy/Sad
- Crazier Than You
- Let's Not Talk About Anything Else But Love
- Let's Not Talk About Anything Else But Love (Reprise)
- In The Arms
- Live Before We Die
- Tango De Amor
- Move Toward The Darkness
Music reviews of The Addams Family
Music Review: About Seventy Years Later, The Addams Family Lives On
Rating: 5 Stars
**Spoiler Warning: This review contains details from the plot of the Broadway show. If you haven't already seen the show, you may want to skip this.
Note: I've loved the Addams family as far back as I can remember, and fell in love with it over and over again as I saw the many different versions. As such a big fan, I though it appropriate to make this soundtrack my 100th review. As fair warning, this contains quite a bit of detail about the plot of the show, so anyone who hasn't already seen it may not want to read this.
As a lifelong fan of the Addams Family, this soundtrack was definitely a must-have item, particularly after seeing the play itself. For many fans, it was difficult to imagine an incarnation of the Addams Family where the characters would spontaneously start to sing. However, Andrew Lippa's score alongside the clever plotline easily managed to bring the family back to life in a way that was creative and original without straying too far from the true Addams spirit. The play finds the family several years later, with Wednesday now a young adult who has fallen in love with a "normal" boy, Lucas Beineke. Having invited Lucas and his family over for dinner, both families must learn to adapt to their children growing up as well. The true genius of this play lies in the way in which it shows how even a family as decidedly unusual as the Addamses go through identical issues to that of the apparently normal Beinekes. Through excellent casting decisions and the generally well-written score, this play makes an incredible addition that keeps the family fresh, introducing them to new fans while never straying too far away from the classic family we know and love.
As expected, the soundtrack begins with the classic Addams Family theme song, which sounds incredible with an orchestra backing it. This quickly moves into the play's overture, which provides a nice overview of much of the music which is to come. It is a beautiful medley of the tunes of many of the other tracks that are included here, and even some that were cut or re-worked from the Chicago version of the play for the Broadway version. "When You're An Addams" begins with a short speech from Tony Award winner Nathan Lane playing Gomez Addams, summoning members of the Addams family to celebrate what it means to be a member of the family. This is a great track that introduces many of the Addams' eccentricities, even including vocals by the Addams ancestors in a stunning segment. This track is especially great for summing up the family philosophy: "When you're an Addams, you're obligated to the clan. It's family first, and family last, and family by and by." This is a theme prevalent in every incarnation of the family, as the focus has always been on the family as a unit and a close-knit group. "Pulled" is one of the highlights of the show, with Krysta Rodriguez playing Wednesday who here sings of being pulled in a new direction due to her love for Lucas. The track perfectly balances staying true to the original Wednesday character while at the same time reflecting how her feelings are changing. Of course, it doesn't hurt that Krysta is an excellent vocalist who suits the part incredibly. She sounds appropriately conflicted about her changing feelings and loyalties to the family. "Where Did We Go Wrong" is the first track to showcase Bebe Neuwirth as Moritica, alongside Nathan Lane, wondering if they'd failed as parents. Here, Gomez and Morticia believe that Wednesday's new cheerfulness is a sign that they've done something wrong, and plan on cancelling the dinner with Lucas and his family. "One Normal Night" is a definite highlight of the show, where both Wednesday and Lucas beg their parents to just "be normal" for that one night. The brilliance of this track lies in how it shows that even a seemingly normal boy like Lucas worries about his parents embarrassing him or being weird, just as much as Wednesday who undoubtedly has a strange family. This is a track that anyone can relate to. It is also the first song to feature vocals from Wesley Taylor as Lucas, whose voice complements Krysta's impeccably.
"Morticia" features an excellent performance from Nathan Lane, as Gomez worries about his wife's sudden fear of growing old. He sings passionately of his love for her, yet not knowing what to do when she rejects his offer to tango. In the original version of the play, it was mentioned that Gomez and Morticia tango every day to keep their relationship fresh. In true Gomez Addams style, his response to being rejected is to believe he should kill himself, only to be stopped by the ancestors. The same response was seen in the original Addams Family TV series (and again in The New Addams Family), in any episodes where Gomez believed Morticia was more interested in another man. The lyrics to this track are simply brilliant. "What If" is yet another relatable song which features Adam Riegler as Pugsley, worrying about what would happen to him if Wednesday really moved away with Lucas. The only real problem is that while Wednesday has aged to 18, Pugsley does not seem much older than in other versions, making it somewhat inconsistent. There is only supposed to be three years difference between the children, so Puglsey should be 15. However, Adam both looks and sounds much younger. In any case, this song is important to the plot as here Pugsley plots to give Wednesday a potion to bring her back to her previous darker self. "Full Disclosure" takes place during dinner with the Bienekes, and describes a traditional game the family plays in which everyone drinks from a chalice and reveals a secret. While it is a fun song to listen to, it is one of the few that works much better with the accompanying visuals that watching the play provides. In the course of the song, Pugsley slips the potion in the chalice intended for Wednesday, but Lucas's mother begins to choke and is given the chalice instead. As a result, the normally cheerful poet, Alice Beineke, breaks into a slinky track about her disappointments as a wife. This is one of the most amazing performances as one would never have expected such a powerful voice to come from the character whose part up to this point had been limited. Carolee Carmello definitely delivers a show-stopping performance here. This if followed by "Full Disclosure Part 2" in which Wednesday announces that she and Lucas are engaged, so he won't be returning home with his parents. As with the first part, this track makes more sense in the context of the play, however for the purpose of the soundtrack alone, it helps to keep track of the plot. The soundtrack leaves out the sounds of the storm which prevent the Beinekes from leaving, however.
The next track "Just Around the Corner", marks Act Two of the show, skipping the Entracte which would have made a nice addition. This track gives Bebe Neuwirth her first song on her own, as Morticia sings about her daughter's engagement and her husband's clueless comments (earlier in the play, Gomez inadvertantly implied Morticia was getting old, and then kept digging himself deeper into trouble as he tried to fix it). Here, Morticia sings about taking comfort in the idea that death is on its way. In the show, this song was accompanied by an excellent dance number as well. "The Moon and Me" is one of the few tracks where Kevin Chamberlin as Fester gets a chance to shine. In the play, Fester has quite a large role as he is the narrator of the story, so he'd always been featured in a few other tracks. In "Full Disclosure", Fester confessed to being in love with the moon, so this track is his love song to it. Despite it being a bit of an odd concept, one cannot help but find it a touching love song. "Happy/Sad" is another of the show's more relateable tracks. After fighting with Lucas over the idea of running away together, Wednesday runs into her father who ends up singing of his feelings about her growing up. Like all parents, he's experiencing conflicting feelings about his eldest child growing up. Although some have initially found this track boring, it quickly becomes a favourite as one begins to reflect on the message. "Crazier Than You" is another highlight, in which Wednesday and Lucas address their argument. Wednesday worries about how they can be together when Lucas has not yet proven he can be as "crazy" as she is. She fears that they may not have a future together after all. Through the song, Lucas shows his willingness to change, even challenging Wednesday to shoot an apple off his head with a bow and arrow. This track once again shows how well Krysta and Wesley's vocals complement each other. "Let's Not Talk About Anything Else But Love" has Gomez and Fester attempting to talk with Mal Beineke about love, while he makes repeatedly tries to end the conversation. Here, he shows how he doesn't believe in love and it hasn't done any good for anyone. It's another track that makes a fun listen but works much better with the accompanying scene in the play.
"Let's Not Talk About Anything Else But Love (Reprise)" continues the track with the addition of Jackie Hoffman as Granny, a hilarious character in the play whose best parts are unfortunately not included on the soundtrack. It's not all that different from the first part, but gives a decent little showcase to Jackie so it makes for a nice inclusion. Prior to this, she was only really featured giving advice to Puglsey in "What If", so it's good for her character to get a little more soundtrack time. "In The Arms" is another track that would make no sense without seeing the play. In it, Mal Beineke gets trapped by a giant squid in the Addams home, which somehow makes him realize his love for his wife. Here, we get to see how much he has changed from even two songs back, where he didn't even believe in love. This track wraps up the Beineke's storyline with the couple happily reunited. "Live Before We Die" serves the same purpose for Gomez and Morticia. Although Morticia starts out resistant, still worrying about the future although she slowly succumbs to her husband's love. The track has the couple reaffirming that they will face the future together because "side by side, [they're] as gloomy as can be." In the original incarnation of the play, in place of this track there was a swordfight scene between Gomez and Morticia, who at the time hated him for his insensitive comments, as well as catching him teaching Alice to tango (which she saw as equivalent to cheating). Both cases culminate in Gomez and Morticia starting to tango, a stunning visual scene and one of the highlights of the play. The soundtrack offers "Tango de Amor", the instrumental for this scene which is beautiful in its own right. Finally, "Move Toward the Darkness" closes the soundtrack with a song about embracing the future and the unknown. This is the only track to feature actual vocals from Zachary James as Lurch. This is another track that some have found boring initially, but quickly grows as one listens to the lyrics. It also closes off with the classic line, present in every incarnation of The Addams Family: "Are you unhappy, darling?" "Yes, yes, completely."
Overall Mark: 5/5
For anyone who hasn't seen the play, this soundtrack probably won't be of much interest. However it makes a wonderful addition to the overall collection of Addams family material. It also tends to reaffirm a personal long-held belief that the Addamses, despite their eccentricities, are very much a healthy and normal family. In every incarnation, the family has been shown as one that is devoted and committed to one another, no matter what. This play in particular shows how even the strangest of families share the same core problems: fears of aging, worrying about being bad parents, children growing up, etc. Lucas's family makes a nice counterpoint to them. As different as they are, they face nearly identical problems. Both Wednesday and Lucas fear their parents embarrassing them in front of the one they love, and therefore beg for just "one normal night." Both sets of parents go through some kind of problem in their marriage, and are able to overcome it. Despite worries that a musical would not suit the nature of the family, its creators managed to strike a perfect balance between involving the music and staying true to the family. Before this, it was hard to imagine much of the family singing and many feared that the play would "ruin" the characters. Instead, it brings out another level to the family and appropriately brings their story forward in time somewhat to keep things current. The all-around amazing cast gives new life to characters who many in the current generation are not particularly familiar with, as the last show or movie to do with the family was already over a decade ago. Aside from the plot itself, the music and lyrics are beautifully done and always remain true to the character. Despite the disbelief in the idea of the family singing, it never comes across as forced or unnatural. One can only wonder what form the family will take on next.
Description of The Addams Family
The weird and wonderful family created by The New Yorker cartoonist Charles Addams comes to life on Broadway this spring - featuring all the memorable characters: Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Lurch, Grandmama, Wednesday and Pugsley. Written by Jersey Boys authors Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice, Drama Desk-winning composer/lyricist Andrew Lippa (The Wild Party), and directed by Julian Crouch (Shockheaded Peter) and Tony Award winning Jerry Zaks. Starring Tony Award winner Nathan Lane (The Producers) as Gomez and Bebe Neuwirth (Frazier) as Morticia.Broadway & Vocalists CDs
Music Genres
Bestsellers in Broadway & Vocalists CDs
George Shearing, Mel Torme - Elegant EveningSHEARING,G/TORME,M; Release date: 1990-10-25; Music CD
Best price: $7.05
Price in other shops:
Stan Getz - Spring Is HereRelease date: 1993-01-11; Music CD
Price in other shops:
Rosemary Clooney - Girl SingerRelease date: 1999-04-01; Music CD
Best price: $8.97
Price in other shops:
The Blenders - NogRelease date: 1998-10-20; Music CD
Best price: $9.71
Price in other shops:
Brave Combo, Tiny Tim - GirlTIM,TINY/BRAVE COMB; Release date: 1996-03-19; Music CD
Best price: $10.36
Price in other shops:
Belleville a Cappella Choir - Southern Journey, Vol. 11: Honor The Lamb - The Belleville A Cappella ChoirRelease date: 1998-02-10; Music CD
Best price: $83.93
Diane Schuur - Love SongsRelease date: 1993-05-11; Music CD
Best price: $4.00
Price in other shops:
![Love Is the Thing [Vinyl] Image](/images/noimg.gif)
Nat King Cole - Love Is the Thing [Vinyl]Release date: 1996-11-19; Music CD
Best price: $169.99
Linda Ronstadt - Linda Ronstadt: Greatest HitsRelease date: 1998-01-13; Music CD
Price in other shops:
Buddy Rich, Sammy Davis Jr - Sounds of 66Release date: 1996-09-17; Music CD
Price in other shops:
Similar CDs
Spider-Man: Turn Off the DarkRelease date: 2011-06-14; Music CD
Best price: $8.31
Price in other shops:
Original Broadway Cast - WonderlandRelease date: 2011-05-03; Music CD
Best price: $10.85
Price in other shops:
Shrek-The Musical - Shrek: The Musical - Original Broadway Cast RecordingRelease date: 2010-06-28; Music CD
Best price: $12.66
Price in other shops:
Original London Cast Recording - Sister ActRelease date: 2009-03-29; Music CD
Best price: $11.81
Price in other shops:
Catch Me If You CanRelease date: 2011-06-28; Music CD
Best price: $10.93
Price in other shops:
Original Broadway cast - Priscilla: Queen of the DesertRelease date: 2011-04-05; Music CD
Best price: $12.75
Price in other shops:
Billy Elliot: The Musical (Original Cast Recording)Release date: 2006-02-07; Music CD
Best price: $9.23
Price in other shops:
Memphis: A New Musical (Orginal Cast Recording)Release date: 2010-03-30; Music CD
Best price: $12.31
Price in other shops:
How to Succeed in Business Without Really TryingRelease date: 2011-06-07; Music CD
Best price: $9.24
Price in other shops:
The Book of Mormon (Original Broadway Cast Recording)Release date: 2011-06-07; Music CD
Best price: $9.94
Price in other shops: