VIDEO: Atlantis Productions remakes Addams Family

MANILA, Philippines – Atlantis Productions brings the Addams family to theater.
G Tongi reports.

G TONGI, REPORTING: I’m here at the exclusive sneak peak for the rehearsal process of the Adams’ Family!

The Adams Family, originally created in the thirties by American Cartoonist Charles Adams is a satire of a dysfunctional afluent American family.
Many adaptations have sprouted since:
The Black & White TV series in the sixties, animations, books and feature length films and in 2010, on Broadway.
Atlantis Productions Artistic Director & Founder Bobby Garcia, brings the “macabre” theatrical production to the Philippine audience.

BOBBY GARCIA, DIRECTOR OF ADAMS FAMILY: The biggest challenge I think is making the story relatable to a Filipino audience. But at the same time, as I was telling the cast today, the story is so pinoy. It’s about an extended family living in one house. It’s about an uncle, a grandma, and that’s how we live here.

So, in actuality it’s more Pinoy than it is American!
The Filipino adaptation has one American in the production, Singer Ryan Gallager.
His character falls in love with Wednesday Adams, the daughter.
He says the day long rehearsal is strenuous.
This is his first acting role.

RYAN GALLAGER: SINGER/ LUCAS IN THE ADDAMS FAMILY: It’s great to be here, I mean I have so many friends here but it’s definitely a new thing for me. ‘Cause I’m learning a lot and there’s a ton of talented people working here it’s so I have to rise up to their talent level and they’ve been doing this for a long time and I haven’t so it’s kind of nerve racking but it’s fun!

Kayla Riverra plays the dark daughter Wednesday Addams
She was last seen onstage as Carrie.
She stepped into the lead role with only 6 days of rehearsals.
She says the rest of the cast are like real family.

KAYLA RIVERA, THEATER PERFORMER/WEDNESDAY ADDAMS: Well, the rehearsal period, it’s been a lot more relaxing compared to Carrie just because there’s more time so we could kind of feel more into the character. And of course we have this bonding time with the family It really feels like a family now, it really feels like the Addams family.

Mainstream Actress Eula Valdez plays the iconic and voluptuous Morticia Addams.
Last seen in The stage musical Nine last year she say loves working in theater.

EULA VALDEZ, ACTRESS/ MORTICIA ADDAMS: The instant response of the audience and you get to play different roles talaga unlike TV diba? The usual stereotypical mother roles, here parang you play dress up and be a really different character.

Comedian Arnel Ignacio is Gomez, head of The Addams Family.
He says he relates to the character.

ARNEL IGNACIO, ACTOR/ GOMEZ ADDAMS: Gomez here is a father…Father who is about to accept that his daughter is going to be engaged with someone else and is about to say goodbye… My Sophia is turning 18 next year and going towards the road of marriage..probably and that will make me cry. I get very emotional every time I do that scene because its accepting that my daughter is growing up and we won’t be a father and daughter time anymore

The Addams family is a musical comedy that celebrates family… no matter how quirky or unconventional.
The show is a perfect family fare with family get togethers coming up for the holidays.
The Addams Family is an endearing, laugh out loud time at the theater!
The show runs until December 1 at the Meralco Theater.
G Tongi, Rappler Manila.

– Rappler.com