Chilling out a surreal Family affair
PUBLISHED ONJuly 19, 2013 12:00 AMBySeah Kwang Peng
The Addams Family: A New Musical Comedy's characters (from left) pilgrim (Jake Delaney), flight attendant (Lexie Dorsett), Lurch (Dan Olson) and Caveman (Aaron Fried), take a break in the lounge between appearances.
SINGAPORE - They may appear spooky on stage but the cast and crew of the musical comedy, The Addams Family, are approachable and fun-loving off-stage.
The musical is now on at the Festive Grand Theatre in Resorts World Sentosa.
Before each evening's performance, the cast hang out at a lounge in T-shirts and sneakers, snacking and chatting.
The scene is more surreal between acts when the actors, with their costumes on, are sprawled on the sofa. You might see the Frankenstein-lookalike Lurch (Dan Olson), who speaks very little on stage, chatting with Caveman (Aaron Fried) on the couch.
Just before the show starts, company manager Deborah Barrigan is joking with Pugsley Addams (Connor Barth) and Uncle Fester (Shaun Rice) behind the stage curtains as audience members, metres away, file in to their seats.
As the main characters go on stage, the other actors sing along to the music and stretch on the floor just behind the stage, sometimes in pitch darkness.
Ms Barrigan keeps an eagle eye on this photojournalist to ensure that I do not use my flash or accidentally stick a leg or camera out beyond the drapes into the audience's line of sight.
Singapore is the show's first stop in Asia, after travelling to 50 cities in the United States.
The cast were concerned that "the show would not translate to the local audiences because it is an American musical, but the clapping, laughter and the reactions from the audiences on the first night were encouraging", says Ms Barrigan. Book it
THE ADDAMS FAMILY: A NEW MUSICAL COMEDY
Where: Festive Grand Theatre, Resorts World Sentosa
When: Till July 28, 8pm (Tuesdays to Fridays), 2 and 8pm (Saturdays and Sundays)
Admission: $55 to $175 from