Where does one go as an actress after playing Cruella de Vil? If you are Sara Gettelfinger, straight to Morticia Addams.
You know, that Addams. Da-da-da. Snap. Snap. Da-da-da. Snap. Snap. Da-da-da. Da-da-da. Da-da-da. Snap. Snap.
The Kentucky native plays Morticia in the national tour of the new musical comedy "The Addams Family," which takes up residence at Boston's Citi Performing Arts Center's Shubert Theatre through Feb. 19.
The show features the gleefully gruesome family the world fell in love with during the '60s TV show, along with some new acquaintances.
"I watched the television show growing up, and I was always pretty fascinated with Morticia," Gettelfinger remembers. "I thought she was incredibly beautiful but morbid."
Perhaps it was Morticia's pet African Strangler (a type of man-eating plant) Cleopatra that gave it away? The quirky family — from beheader of dolls Wednesday to the wandering hand known as Thing, was the creation of legendary cartoonist Charles Addams.
The Addams family debuted in the New Yorker before hitting the small screen with John Astin and Carolyn Jones playing the lead roles of loving couple Gomez and Morticia.
On stage, Tony nominee Douglas Sills plays the tango-loving Gomez.
"He's not only one of the most talented people I have worked with, but one of the most positive," Gettelfinger said.
The principal cast also includes Tony nominee Martin Vidnovic as Mal Beineke, two-time Tony nominee Crista Moore as Alice Beineke, Blake Hammond as Uncle Fester, Patrick D. Kennedy as Pugsley and Cortney Wolfson as Wednesday.
The plot from the show is original, and a story that is "every father's nightmare."
Princess of darkness Wednesday has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family.
If that weren't upsetting enough, she confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother. Now, Gomez must keep a secret from his beloved Morticia, until the fateful night the family hosts a dinner for Wednesday's "normal" boyfriend and his parents.
As one might imagine, it does not go very well.
One of the most challenging parts of the show for Gettelfinger was getting Morticia right, down to her tight-skirted swagger.
"I was able to take the time and master her voice, and her mannerisms, trying to make her the sexy and mysterious person people love," she said.
Gettelfinger says being part of the show is pure fun from her perspective, and hopes the audience agrees.
Rosemary Ford may be contacted at rford@gloucestertimes.com. Follow her on Twitter under the screen name PopFiend.
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