Addams Family Theme Lyrics – Addams Family, The

Song Overview

Review & Highlights

The “Overture” from The Addams Family does what a good curtain-lifter should: sketches the show’s DNA in ninety-odd seconds and leaves a grin you can hear. No lyrics here, just sly harmonies, crisply voiced winds, and a rhythm section that smirks while it swings. It’s brisk, witty, and a little wicked, like a wink from the pit.

Personal take: this cue reads like a calling card. Andrew Lippa writes singable melodies even when nobody’s singing, and Larry Hochman’s orchestrations dress them in midnight velvet. I hear racketing woodwinds, brass punches that feel like comic book panels, and a tango tease that previews the show’s later dance language. Twice you’ll catch the word “lyrics” in coverage of the album, but here the orchestra speaks, and it speaks fluently.

Key takeaways: it’s fast, it’s thematic, it primes the audience’s ear for character tunes to come, and it nails the Addams mood without leaning on nostalgia too hard.

Verse 1

Not a verse, really - more like an opening gambit. Low strings outline a minor-key bed while reeds chatter above, hinting at mischief. The groove is clipped, almost two-step, and the articulation is dry enough to sparkle.

Chorus

The brass enter like a punchline you can dance to. Hits are clean, with trumpet-trombone voicings stacked for a comic snap. Underneath, keyboards double and color lines so the ensemble reads bright without getting brash.

Exchange/Bridge

Midway, the texture thins and woodwinds glide into chromatic side streets. You get a wink of tango rhythm in the accompaniment - a seed for the later “Tango de Amor.” It’s not showy, just a sly pivot that refreshes the ear.

Final Build

The coda tightens the screws: percussion ratchets up, brass caps phrases, and the band lands together on a flourish that says, curtain up. Short, sharp, and satisfyingly theatrical.

Song Meaning and Annotations

The overture’s message is simple: welcome to this family’s world, where elegant gloom meets vaudeville snap. With no text to steer you, the harmony and groove do the storytelling.

In the overture, the curtain lifts up and we get to see the Addams family

That’s exactly how it functions - a reveal in sound first, picture second. The harmonic minor and sly chromaticism sketch the mansion long before the set lights fully bloom.

Style-wise it’s Broadway with a spice rack: a little tango, a little cartoon chase, some sly Klezmer-ish woodwind color, and crisp percussion ticks. The palette reads modern pit orchestra, not parody.

This song is an instrumental

So the musical “narration” rides articulation and register changes. When reeds flutter, it’s a wink; when trombone and bass lock, it’s a strut down a cobwebbed hallway.

The emotional arc starts playful and lands confident. The tension-release pattern is quick - set the mood, toss a rhythm joke, then surge to a brass-tag finish.

In the overture, the curtain lifts up and we get to see the Addams family

That “lift up” is mirrored by orchestration: textures open from low-string hush to full ensemble shimmer in under two minutes.

Historically, Broadway overtures introduce leitmotifs. Here, fragments gesture toward later numbers without spoiling them, and the tango hint nods to the show’s Latin-tinged set pieces.

This song is an instrumental

Without lyric signposts, motivic repetition does the job. You’ll recognize the shapes when the cast starts to sing.

Production-wise, the pit is compact but color-rich. Doubled reeds, two keyboards, single strings, guitar doubling banjo and uke, and a two-person rhythm team give the arranger a surprising amount of paint.

In the overture, the curtain lifts up and we get to see the Addams family

That reveal depends on contrast - intimate to tutti - which this lineup handles neatly.

Message

The cue says: expect wit, expect shadow, expect to dance a little. It frames the family as stylish outsiders, not horror stock.

Emotional tone

Dry humor over gothic polish. The smile is in the voicings and stop-time grooves.

Production

Music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, with orchestrations by Larry Hochman; additional orchestrations by August Eriksmoen and Danny Troob in the production ecosystem. Conducted on Broadway by Mary-Mitchell Campbell.

Instrumentation

Licensed orchestration often uses: Piano-Conductor, Keyboard 2, two Reeds with doubles, Trumpet, Trombone, Violin, Cello, Bass, Guitar-family doubles, and two Percussion players. That compact toolkit makes the overture’s punch even cheekier.

Analysis of key phrases and idioms

No sung idioms, so listen for musical ones: snap-figure hits that mimic the franchise’s iconic cadence, sly chromatic approaches to cadences, and tango undercurrents that foreshadow later numbers.

About metaphors and symbols

Glissandi and woodwind trills play the role of cobwebs; brass stingers are the family portraits looking back at you; percussion ticks time like a grandfather clock with a secret panel.

Creation history

Premiered on Broadway in 2010 at the Lunt-Fontanne, the score by Andrew Lippa earned a Tony nomination, with orchestrations by Larry Hochman shaping the pit’s signature sound. The cast album followed shortly after opening.

Key Facts

• Artist: Andrew Lippa; performed by the Original Broadway orchestra
• Producer: Andrew Lippa
• Composer: Andrew Lippa
• Orchestrations: Larry Hochman; additional by August Eriksmoen, Danny Troob
• Conductor (Broadway): Mary-Mitchell Campbell
• Release Date: June 8, 2010
• Label: Decca Broadway
• Album: The Addams Family - Original Broadway Cast Recording
• Length: 1:58
• Genre: Broadway, Instrumental
• Mood: Playfully macabre, brisk, witty
• Instruments: Piano-Conductor, Keyboard 2, Reeds 1-2 with doubles, Trumpet, Trombone, Violin, Cello, Bass, Guitar-family doubles, Percussion 1-2
• Track #: 2
• Language: None - instrumental
• Music style: Minor-key show-tune writing with tango hints and cartoon-brass stingers
• Copyrights: 2010 UMG Recordings, Inc. and rights administered for stage by TRW

Questions and Answers

Who composed the “Overture” to The Addams Family?

Andrew Lippa composed it, with orchestrations by Larry Hochman shaping the pit’s sound.

Is there any singing or lyrics in this track?

No - this is a pure instrumental curtain-raiser, so the orchestra carries the storytelling.

What ensemble plays it on the Original Broadway Cast album?

The Broadway pit orchestra, conducted by Mary-Mitchell Campbell, recorded for Decca Broadway.

How does the “Overture” hint at later numbers?

It seeds tango rhythm and punchy brass figures that resurface in the show’s dance and comedy set pieces.

Has the “Overture” circulated beyond Broadway?

Yes - the cast album release and concert-band arrangements helped it travel into schools, tours, and pops programs.

Awards and Chart Positions

While the “Overture” itself is not singled out, the score’s Broadway run earned Tony nominations including Best Original Score for Andrew Lippa, and the cast album reached Billboard’s Top Cast Albums in August 2010. Regional and audience awards recognized the production’s design and popularity.