VENICE — New at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre is an out-of-this-world love story — at least in the case of Uncle Fester (Jordan Bunshaft), who is in love with someone who lives at the moon.
But that is just the subplot of the story of the Addams Family, who live on some two acres in the middle of what might be Central Park but also seems to have a cemetery or multiple crypts nearby.
That can come in handy when one wants to be reconnected with those who have gone before — some many generations before.
If this sounds like a family seen on black-and-white television screens decades ago, it is.
Meet Gomez Addams (Caleb Aguilar), his wife Morticia (Liz Pelton), Grandma (Catie L. Moss), daughter Wednesday (Lindsay Hoffpauir), son Pugsley (Jonah Mendoza) and their faithful servant, Lurch (Randy Kessenich).
It seems that Wednesday is in love with a young man named Lucas Beineke (Matthew Harper Stevenson), son of Mal (Steffen Whorton) and Alice (Lauren Foutch).
There is a bit of a problem, however: The family backgrounds are somewhat different.
While we never see the Beineke house, we know that it is not at all like the Addams’ abode — but then, what house is?
While the Addams dress primarily in black with black accessories, the Beinekes’ attire is more colorful. Mrs. Beineke wears yellow, for goodness’ sake. What chance do the two youngsters have with such different backgrounds?
And then there are those ancestors, ranging from cave dweller to flight attendant — all wearing white, of course. What else is a ghost supposed to wear?
That Puggsley lives to be tortured on “the rack” by Wednesday, and that Wednesday has a few idiosyncrasies of her own, makes for even more reasons to drive to Fort Myers’ Broadway Palm for a dinner and a show.
Even better, on Friday and Saturday at the evening shows, dinner includes prime rib served at your table. Most meals include ample portions of Death by Chocolate at the dessert table near the buffet. There are two other dessert tables on the other side of the room, lest one need a few more calories.
And you might. The story unfolding on the Broadway Palm stage keeps the audience in stitches for some two hours as these two disparate families somehow find their own middle ground and Uncle Fester’s own love story leads to its own “out of this world” ending.
This zany story is a musical, after all, so “When You’re an Addams,” “One Normal Night” may be too much to hope for. “But Love” and “Full Disclosure” might be “Just Around the Corner” if “Not Today” but anytime “When You’re An Addams.”
With a set enhanced by a giant video screen and direction and choreography by Ford Haeuser, set by Dominic Lau, costumes by John B. White, wigs by Brandon T. Miller, make-up by Theresa Walker Smith, sound and lighting by Abbey Dillard and lighting and video design by Chris McCleary, this live on-stage version goes far beyond that long-ago TV show and the Broadway musical based on the characters created by the Charles Addam with two D’s.
Treat yourself to more than the hot fudge with this Broadway Palm production. For tickets, call 239-278-4422 or visit: BroadwayPalm.com.
The theater is located at 1380 Colonial Blvd. in Fort Myers.
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