Reverend’s Interview: Lurch Speaks…and Sings!

They’re creepy, kooky, ooky and spooky. For decades, the amusingly macabre Addams Family has assumed a beloved spot in American pop culture via cartoons, a TV series and two big-screen capers. Tomorrow night they make their Broadway debut in a musical headlined by out actor Nathan Lane as the family’s wacky patriarch, Gomez, and the fabulous Bebe Neuwirth as his eternally devoted spouse, Morticia.

In other well-known roles, GLBT faves Kevin Chamberlin (of the movie Trick, and a Tony-nominee as Horton in Seussical: The Musical) and Jackie Hoffman (who was featured in the original Broadway casts of Hairspray and Xanadu) star as Uncle Fester and Grandmama, respectively. However, the Addams family wouldn’t be complete without its one non-biological member: Lurch, their seemingly undead butler/man-servant.

28-year old singer-actor Zachary James portrays Lurch in The Addams Family: A New Musical, and at 6’6” he more than fits the bill physically. The character of Lurch, though, isn’t exactly known for his vocal prowess. Traditionally, Lurch has been a man of few words, usually relying on painful-sounding moans and groans to express himself.

Bass-baritone James had to create a vocal and physical language for Lurch based on very little material. “I have the original cartoons (by the Addams Family’s creator and namesake, Charles Addams) all over my dressing room,” James told me during a recent telephone interview from New York. “They’ve been very helpful in developing a movement vocabulary for Lurch.” And yes, Lurch does sing in at least one of the show’s numbers.

“My first exposure to the characters was the 1991 movie (which featured actor Carel Struycken as Lurch, in addition to memorable performances by Anjelica Huston as Morticia and the late Raul Julia as Gomez),” James elaborated, “then I started watching the 1960’s TV series.”

He continued, regarding the stage musical: “We are drawing primarily from the original New Yorker cartoons, but we owe a debt to the TV series since it gave the characters names.” Charles Addams had originally refrained from identifying the members of his cartoon “family.”

James made his Broadway debut in Coram Boy a mere six months after he moved to New York. Prominent roles in the hit revival of South Pacific as well as regional productions of Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum followed. James’ hometown is Springs Hills, Florida, and he majored in musical theatre at Ithaca College. He is equally adept at opera, and past productions include La Boheme, Don Giovanni and Madama Butterfly.

“I’m having a lot of fun with Addams Family and creating a role; it’s very exciting to be a part of this show,” James said, while confessing his fondness for Sondheim’s works. “(The Addams Family) is my first new musical, and it has been a fascinating experience putting it together since the first reading two years ago.”

The Addams Family musical is written by the award-winning Jersey Boys team of Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice in collaboration with acclaimed Broadway songwriter Andrew Lippa. It has been designed and directed by the Shockheaded Peter team of Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch, with an assist from musical-theatre veteran Jerry Zaks (Mame).

I asked James how The Addams Family was progressing prior to its New York premiere and following a successful run last fall in Chicago. “It’s going great,” he replied. “We had our first preview audience last night and it was very well-received; it’s very exciting to be part of this show.”

On working with his stellar, accomplished cast mates, James says, “It’s been just wonderful; it’s kind of like going to work with my heroes everyday, and everyone is a family.”

James recently made his television debut as well on the popular series 30 Rock. He shared the screen with Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. “It was quite fantastic,” James enthused. “It was my first gig on-camera and I kept wondering ‘What am I doing here?”

I asked James pointedly why GLBT people should go and see The Addams Family musical. “Well, it’s musical theatre, and it’s a surprisingly thoughtful show about love, acceptance and family,” he answered. “The tagline for the show’s marketing is ‘A Family Not Much Unlike Your Own,’ and there are plenty of political jokes in the show.”

With advance ticket sales of $15 million, the $17 million production is shaping up to be a major hit. If you are planning a trip to NYC this summer or in the eventual future, be sure to pay a visit to The Addams Family.

Interview by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

Reel Thoughts Interview: Take a Trip Down Avenue Q

It’s been a long road to Avenue Q. The wildly hilarious musical that proudly features puppet nudity, and which beat out Wicked to win the 2004 Tony Award, bypassed the Southwest in favor of an exclusive booking at Las Vegas' then-new Wynn Casino. Sadly, Vegas didn’t take kindly to a show that lovingly sends up Sesame Street while imparting some of the smartest satire of any Broadway musical in years.  The Sin City Avenue Q closed to make room for Monty Python’s Spamalot (which also closed fairly quickly). Fast forward half a decade later, and ASU Gammage will finally play host to the musical that teaches us that “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist”, “The Internet Is For Porn” and that “You Can Be Loud As The Hell You Want When You’re Making Love.”

Set on a decidedly downscale street far from Manhattan’s trendier Avenues A, B and C, Avenue Q is home to a lovable bunch of people and puppets who are all struggling with what to do with their lives. Brian is an unemployed comic, while his wife Christmas Eve is a therapist in need of patients. Kate Monster is a fuzzy girl with a big heart but no boyfriend, who wants to open a school for monster children. Residing upstairs is Trekkie Monster, a big scary-looking guy who lives for the aforementioned internet porn. Rod and Nicky are suspiciously like Bert and Ernie, if Bert was an uptight Republican whom everyone assumes is gay and Ernie was a sloppy slacker. Then there’s the building super — that can’t be TV’s Gary Coleman, star of Diff’rent Strokes, can it? While most everyone on Avenue Q thinks “It Sucks To Be Me,” it definitely won’t suck to be you if you get your tickets now. You will laugh your puppet or human head off.

I spoke with Tim Kornblum, who plays the long-suffering Brian, a terrible stand-up comedian with a demanding wife. In real life, Kornblum is an out gay man who’s excited to have landed his first professional gig, never mind it being on a national tour of a hot Broadway show. He started in September and didn’t find it strange at all to interact with the talented puppeteers who act in full view of the audience. “He’s got the brain of a seven year old kid,” Kornblum laughed. “He’s always fascinated by just the most banal things. But he’s got a great relationship with his wife.”

Kornblum is a lifelong New Jersey native, so he’s loving seeing the whole country on tour. It makes it challenging that his boyfriend Kyle is in school in Philadelphia as a dance major, but the couple makes it work.

Kornblum was in high school when he first saw Avenue Q, and he instantly fell in love and wanted to be part of it. He had to convince his family about his choice of professions, but getting the job clinched that. “For the most part, the audiences are phenomenal, but we definitely go to some of those more conservative towns where they aren’t so keen on the show. But then it’s our job to open them up and convince them that we’re not actually bad people up on the stage,” he laughed. He explains that Christmas Eve and Brian get along so well, because he needs someone to take care of and she, without any patients, needs someone to take care of. “They’re perfect for each other,” he quipped. “Their relationship has grown and changed since we started.”

“There is a character who’s a closeted homosexual, and the entire show charts his journey, so for anyone who’s experiencing it themselves or knows someone who’s going through that, Avenue Q is a more comedic way to look at a very serious issue,” Kornblum explained. “I think it makes certain things easier to take. Personally, as soon as I saw the show, I bought the poster of Rod that says, “I am not a closeted homo. Whatever.” The whole show is based on love, and that’s something that a lot of relationships these days are lacking.”

He also revealed what replaced the lyric “George Bush!” in the rousing final number, “Only For Now”. At first, it was “Swine Flu”, he explained, “until people started dying.” Then, for a while, it was “Fox News!” Now, the ultimate and most hated thing that the audience is reassured is “only for now” is … “Glenn Beck!” Now, that’s a hopeful message!

Neil also had a chance to speak with one of Tim's co-stars:

There’s something about Rod. Avenue Q’s resident fussy Republican is definitely keeping something secret and he just won’t come out … and say what it is. As his roommate Nicky sings to him, “If you were gay, that’d be okay,” but Rod is not receptive, to say the least. I gently tried to coax more information from the purse-lipped puppet, but even Rod’s portrayer, Brent Michael DiRoma, couldn’t get much more out of him.

NC: Where are you from? Do you have any brothers or sisters? What was your family like? Conservative? Liberal?
Rod: I am a proud Floridian. I'm an only child. My family is full of strict Republicans and we're very conservative.

NC: So, what’s the best and worst thing about living on Avenue Q?
Rod: I'd have to say the best thing about living on Avenue Q is that we all feel free to burst into song whenever normal conversation doesn't quite do the job. My not so favorite thing on Avenue Q is the constant amount of rats.

NC: Where would you move if you could?
Rod: Oh, I don't think I could ever move away from Avenue Q, but if I had to choose one place, it would be Japan. I love the culture and I'm currently learning to speak the language!

NC: Tell me something about your friends or roommate that people would never guess.
Rod: Believe it or not, Nicky my roommate has a severe crush on Hannah Montana. I caught him singing along while I was playing "Party in the USA"!

NC: What is something that would surprise people about you?
Rod: Uhm, I don't think anything about me would surprise anyone. Nope ...

Avenue Q opens tonight at ASU Gammage in Tempe and continues through March 14.  For future dates and locations of Avenue Q, visit the national tour's official website.

Interviews by Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.