"The Addams Family", a new musical based on the macabre cartoons of the New Yorker magazine's Charles Addams, will open at New York's Rialto Theatre for the 2009-10 season.Songs will be written by composer/lyricist Andrew Lippa with Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice of "Jersey Boys" fame providing the book. Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch will direct/design.
Produced by Chicago-based Elephant Eye Theatrical, the musical will be budgeted at a reported $10 million.
The main characters in "The Addams Family" are 'Gomez', 'Morticia', 'Uncle Fester', daughter 'Wednesday', son 'Pugsly' and 'Lurch' the butler.
Addams cartoons have appeared in the New Yorker for more than 50 years, inspiring several TV series, features, comic books and animation.
Formed in 2005, Elephant Eye was granted rights to develop the musical by the Tee and Charles Addams Foundation. The company is also developing a musical based on the life of iconic martial arts action star Bruce "Enter The Dragon" Lee.
