Musical Influences in The Addams Family

Dramaturg DiariesThe Addams FamilyMusical Theatre

Jun 5

CREATING THE ADDAMS FAMILY MUSICAL

News first broke that Elephant Eye Theatrical (EET) would be producing an Addams family musical adaptation in spring of 2007 (Jones). Spearheading the project would be playwrights Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, who had collaborated on the Tony-winning Best Musical Jersey Boys in 2006, and composer Andrew Lippa (Jones, 2007). In June 2008, Playbill reported Broadway legends Bebe Neuwirth and Nathan Lane would be leading the cast as Morticia and Gomez Addams, respectively (Gans & Jones, 2008). Lippa says the casting of Neuwirth and Lane as Morticia “unquestionably” impacted the songwriting for those characters, and began shaping the roles to the actors (Simonson, 2019).

Musical Motifs in The Addams Family

When writing the score for The Addams Family, Andrew Lippa adopted the motto, “whatever’s funniest stays” (Video Exclusive!, 2010). Like the original comics, much of the show’s comedy comes from parody and subverting audience’s expectations. Lippa particularly loves the dark humor of the Addams family, stating that “writing the lyrics [had] been a great joy, because these characters get to say things that other people don't get to say” (Simonson, 2009). In an interview with Playbill, he explained his approach to writing the score:

“Musically, we're writing a musical about a family. We underscored the word ‘family’ in ‘the Addams Family.’ And this family is multi-generational. I decided the score was going to represent that notion. The score's very character-based, and each of the characters sings in [his or her] own language. Gomez is represented by Flamenco-style Spanish music; and Wednesday is represented by a certain amount of contemporary pop music; and Uncle Fester is old vaudevillian in our show, and he's sort of the host of our evening, so he speaks in a vaudeville presentation style” (Simonson, 2009).

Playbill. (2011, June 22). “Andrew Lippa on making ‘The Addams Family’ Cohesive” [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/mZ4PcZ_SIVY?si=ZVD4kvzkvQ6tvG31.

Morticia Addams

To create the character of Morticia Addams in The Addams Family Musical, Andrew Lippa explored Eastern European folk music, borrowing from their emphasis on strings. Morticia's musical motifs evoke Romani and flamenco sounds, blending her Eastern European background with Gomez's Latin heritage. Lippa also parodies traditional musical theatre throughout the show's lyrics and score; Morticia's solo "Death Is Just Around the Corner" inverts the classic optimistic musical theatre song "Put On a Happy Face" from Singin' in the Rain (Kelly & Donen, 1952).

Morticia’s Playlist

▶︎ KRIVO SADOVSKO HORO
Barcelona Gipsy BalKan Orchestra (2018)

▶︎ NIŠKA BANJA
Olivera Katarina (1969)

▶︎ TWO GUITARS
Traditional Russian Gypsy Folk Song (n.d.)

▶︎ MONTI CSÁRDÁS
Szalai Hungarian Gypsy Band (2009)

▶︎ PUT ON A HAPPY FACE
Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

▶︎ DEATH IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER
The Addams Family (2010)

Gomez Addams

Composer Andrew Lippa uses Latin guitars and flamenco sounds to represent the romantic Addams patriarch. Like Morticia, Gomez has the opportunity to parody classic musical theatre; his song "Morticia" in the first act is a play on "Maria" from West Side Story (Bernstein & Sondheim, 1957).

Gomez’s Playlist

▶︎ BESAME MUCHO
Trio Los Panchos (1950)

▶︎ FANTASIA
Sabicas (1990)

▶︎ MARIA
West Side Story (1961)

▶︎ MORTICIA
The Addams Family (2010)

Wednesday Addams

Wednesday Addams has a contemporary pop punk theme, representing the youth culture of the time. Wednesday's songs feature energetic electric guitars, contrasting the acoustic flamenco strumming found in her parents' songs. However, she does share her parents' affinity for parody — in "Pulled," Lippa spoofs the Disney princess "animal whisperer" trope when he has Wednesday sing to and accidentally kill a small bird.

Wednesday’s Playlist

▶︎ WELCOME TO THE BLACK PARADE
My Chemical Romance (2006)

▶︎ BRING ME TO LIFE
Evanescence (2003)

▶︎ SK8ER BOI
Avril Lavigne (2002)

▶︎ THE ONLY EXCEPTION
Paramore (2010)

▶︎ SNOW WHITE SINGS WITH ANIMALS
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

▶︎ PULLED
The Addams Family (2010)

Uncle Fester

Uncle Fester serves as the narrator in The Addams Family Musical, providing asides and musical interludes for the audience. In the show, Uncle Fester is in love with the moon and hopes everyone else can find that same undying devotion. This leads Fester to interfere with the family’s ancestral ceremony and pull the strings needed for Wednesday to be with Lucas.

Composer Andrew Lippa took inspiration from early 20th century vaudeville when writing music for Uncle Fester. His musical motifs are lighter than the rest of the family, with delicate plucky piano techniques and soft ukulele strumming. Fester, too, directly parodies iconic musical performances in film history. His solo "The Moon and Me" begins with a simple ukulele ode to the moon that evokes Audrey Hepburn performing "Moon River" in Breakfast at Tiffany's (Edwards, 1961), and concludes with an interpolation of Claude Debussy’s “Clair de Lune” (1905).