Brooke Shields Will Succeed Bebe Neuwirth in Broadway's The Addams Family

By Andrew Gans
31 Mar 2011

Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields

Stage and screen star Brooke Shields, who was seen in the recent world premiere of the new musical Leap of Faith in Los Angeles, will return to Broadway this summer in the musical comedy The Addams Family at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.

Shields will succeed Bebe Neuwirth in the role of Morticia beginning June 28; Neuwirth will play her final performance in the role she created June 26. Shields will play opposite Roger Rees, who stars as Gomez.

In a statement Shields said, "I am delighted to be joining The Addams Family this summer. When the producers asked me to come see the show a few months ago, I found it to be wonderfully entertaining, funny, clever and even touching, and I knew immediately that I wanted to be the next Morticia, following the amazing Bebe Neuwirth. I can’t wait to join Roger and the wonderful cast."

Shields has also been seen on Broadway in Wonderful Town, Chicago and Cabaret. She made her Broadway debut in 1994 as Rizzo in Grease, for which she won a Theatre World Award. She is currently starring in the new play Girls Talk at the Lee Strasberg Theater.

Based on the bizarre and beloved family of characters created by cartoonist Charles Addams, The Adams 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. Lighting design is by Natasha Katz, sound design is by Acme Sound Partners and puppetry is by Basil Twist.

The cast currently features Tony Award winner Roger Rees as Gomez, two-time Tony Award winner Bebe Neuwirth as Morticia, Brad Oscar as Fester, Rachel Potter as Wednesday, Jackie Hoffman as Grandma, Zachary James as Lurch, Heidi Blickenstaff as Alice Beineke, Adam Grupper as Mal Beineke and Jesse Swenson as Lucas Beineke.

A national tour will begin in September at the Mahalia Jackson Theatre for the Performing Arts in New Orleans. Plans for several international productions are currently underway.

The Addams Family is produced on Broadway by Stuart Oken, Roy Furman, Michael Leavitt, Five Cent Prods., 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 visit www.theaddamsfamilymusical.com.