THE ADDAMS FAMILY Comes To Benedum Center, Opens 7/31

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PNC Broadway Across America - Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh CLO announce the presentation of the hit Broadway musical, THE ADDAMS FAMILY, based on the bizarre and beloved family of characters created by legendary cartoonist Charles Addams. THE ADDAMS FAMILY will take place July 31-August 12, 2012, at the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts. Pittsburgh CLO and The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust are among the co-producers of the new musical which premiered on Broadway last spring. Pittsburgh CLO and the Cultural Trust's involvement began with the joint role as founding members of Five Cent Productions, a producing partner in Elephant Eye Theatrical, the exciting new theatrical-development-and-Production Company formed in 2006 to create new musicals for Broadway.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY, entering its second year on Broadway, began performances in March 2010 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre and immediately became one of Broadway's biggest hits, regularly grossing over $1 million a week. Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune described the production as "classic, full-tilt, fast paced, old-fashioned musical comedy!" and John Simon of Bloomberg News called it "uproarious! A glitzy-gloomy musical entirely worthy of the macabre drawings by Charles Addams."

THE ADDAMS FAMILY features a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, and music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa. The production is directed and designed (sets and costumes) by Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch, with creative consultation by Jerry Zaks and choreography by Sergio Trujillo. The production features lighting design by Natasha Katz, sound design by ACME Sound Partners and puppetry by Basil Twist.

"As one of the Broadway producers of The Addams Family, we are excited to be able to bring one of Broadway's most sought-after shows to Pittsburgh," explained Pittsburgh CLO Executive Producer Van Kaplan. "By producing new shows on Broadway, both independently and as a member of Elephant Eye Theatrical along with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, we continue to ensure that Pittsburgh audiences are among the first to see the very best that Broadway has to offer."

"The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust sought this opportunity to partner with Pittsburgh CLO to further enhance the subscription experience for both Pittsburgh CLO and PNC Broadway patrons, to ensure that Pittsburgh continues to be on the map for bringing new works direct from Broadway, and to further the ongoing development of our award-winning Cultural District that draws two million visitors annually," said J. Kevin McMahon, President and CEO of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY features an original story. It's every parent's nightmare. Your little girl has suddenly become a young woman, and what's worse, has fallen deliriously in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family. Yes, Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has a "normal" boyfriend, and for parents Gomez and Morticia, it's a shocking development that turns the Addams house upside down when they are forced to host a dinner for the young man and his parents.

In a prolific career spanning six decades, Charles Addams created several thousand cartoons, sketches and drawings, many of which were published in The New Yorker. But it was his creation of characters that came to be known as The Addams Family that brought Addams his greatest acclaim. With a unique style that combined the twisted, macabre and just plain weird with charm, wit and enchantment, Addams' drawings have entertained millions worldwide and served as the inspiration for multiple television series and motion pictures.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY is produced on Broadway by Stuart Oken, Roy Furman, Michael Leavitt, Five Cent Productions, Stephen Schuler, Decca Theatricals, Scott M. Delman, Stuart Ditsky, Terry Allen Kramer, Stephanie P. McClelland, James L. Nederlander, Eva Price, JAM Theatricals/Mary Lu Roffe, Pittsburgh CLO/Gutterman-Swinsky, Vivek Tiwary/Gary Kaplan, The Weinstein Co./Clarence, LLC and Adam Zotovich/Tribe Theatricals, by special arrangement with Elephant Eye Theatrical.

For more information on THE ADDAMS FAMILY, visit www.theaddamsfamilymusical.com.

TICKETS
THE ADDAMS FAMILY will be part of both Pittsburgh CLO's 2012 summer subscription season and the PNC Broadway Across America - Pittsburgh 2011/2012 subscription season. To subscribe to the PNC Broadway series, call 412-456-1390 or visit www.pgharts.org/broadway. For Pittsburgh CLO subscription information call 412-281-2822 or visit www.pittsburghCLO.org. The remainder of Pittsburgh CLO's 2012 Summer Season schedule will be announced in early fall, and the PNC Broadway Across America - Pittsburgh 2011-2012 Season will be announced later this week.