The Addams Family: Roger Rees is Gomaz

Roger Rees, a Tony Award winner as Best Actor for 'The Life And Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby 'and a Tony nominee for 'Indiscretions,' assumes the role of 'Gomez' in The Addams Family on Broadway beginning 22 Mar 2011 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.

He assumes the role from original cast member Nathan Lane who played his final performance on 6 Mar 2011. Merwin Foard played the role during the short interregnum.

Rees reunites with longtime professional colleague, two-time Tony Award winner Bebe Neuwirth, who continues in the role of 'Morticia.'

Neuwirth and Rees co-starred for several years on the NBC sitcom 'Cheers,' she as 'Dr. Lilith Sternin Crane' and he as 'Robin Colcord.' The pair collaborated on the acclaimed Kurt Weill revue 'Here Lies Jenny,' starring Neuwirth and directed by Rees. They also co-starred as 'Kate' and 'Petruchio' in his production of 'The Taming of the Shrew' at the Williamstown Theater Festival in 1999, and in 'Cabaret Verboten' at Center Theater Group in Los Angeles.

Roger Rees began his career with the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he created the title role in the legendary production of 'The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby,' based on the Dickens classic, for which he received the Olivier Award for his performance; in 1981, the production transferred to Broadway and Rees was honored with the Tony Award for Best Actor in A Play. He most recently appeared on stage in New York in the Flaherty/Ahrens musical 'A Man of No Importance for Lincoln Center Theater (Mitzi Newhouse). Other Broadway credits include Indiscretions,' for which he was nominated for Tony and Drama Desk Awards as Best Actor, and the Roundabout productions of 'Uncle Vanya' and 'The Rehearsal.'

The Addams Family now features Roger Rees (Gomez), Bebe Neuwirth (Morticia), Adam Grupper (Mal Beineker), Heidi Blickenstaff (Alice Beineke), Brad Oscar (Uncle Fester), Jackie Hoffman (Grandmama), Zachary James (Lurch), Adam Riegler (Pugsley), Jesse Swenson (Lucas Beineke) and Rachel Potter (Wednesday).

The Addams Family opened at Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on 8 Apr 2010, following previews from 8 Apr 2010 and is currently booking through to 25 Sep 2011.

The musical opened to mostly poor reviews: Ghastly (NY Times); Half-baked (NY Daily News); Watered down (NY Post); "More of a comfortable than a brilliant Broadway experience." (Newsroom Jersey).

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

Storm clouds are gathering over The Addams Family manse. Daughter Wednesday, now 18, is experiencing a sensation that surprises and disgusts her - caring about another person. Young Pugsley, jealous of his sister's attention, begs her to keep torturing him, severely, while mother Morticia, conflicted over her daughter's lurch into womanhood, fears being upstaged and discarded.... like yesterday's road kill. All the while, father Gomez - master of the revels, mischievous and oblivious as ever - would prefer everything and everyone remain as it is. But when outsiders come to dinner, the events of one night will change forever this famously macabre family - a family so very different from your own...or maybe not.

The show 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.