Royal Albert Hall, October 26, 2017

Barry Sonnenfeld’s first big screen adaptation of Charles Addams’ creepy, kooky family gets the live orchestra treatment at the Royal Albert Hall as part of their Festival of Film series.

Think Addams Family, and the first music that doubtless comes to mind is that iconic Vic Mizzy harpsichord piece intercut with snapping fingers as the lyrics tell us just how very mysterious and spooky the Addams are. What can escape notice with the 1991 movie is just what a rich and eclectic soundtrack composer Marc Shaiman put together, largely because every track slots so effortlessly into Sonnefeld’s vision, complementing the action on screen perfectly.

Brought to rich life here by the live orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall, this may be one of the most breath-taking achievements for their ‘In Concert’ series. From the soaring, floating style of Seances and Swordfights, to the bombast of the Mamushka and the jazz style of Thing Gets Work, it’s a score that covers so many musical styles.

To their credit, the orchestra did not miss a single note that I heard, and were timed to perfection in every scene, such that not once was immersion in the movie itself broken. No easy feat when considering how suddenly the score can change in style, tone and tempo in the split second between one scene and the next. The real genius inherent in the score itself is that none of this feels out of place, matching to the action on screen perfectly in every frame.

At just under one hour and forty minutes, it’s not a long film, and even with the intermission the evening flew by. The audience was enthusiastic, fingers around the auditorium snapping in unison in time to the opening and closing renditions of the classic theme, with many members in full costume. The orchestra performed their own medley flourish before the opening of Act 2, which was well-received by all, and the standing ovation at the conclusion of the evening lasted for several well-deserved minutes.

Verdict: Iconic Mizzy theme aside, it’s possible that you’ve never really noticed much of the Addams Family score before. This concert shone a spotlight on it, adding another layer of appreciation to a movie I already loved. I was humming the themes for the rest of the evening, and you can’t really say fairer than that. 10/10

Greg D. Smith