Manoa Valley Theatre’s gravestone-laden property is a most appropriate setting for its season opener, "The Addams Family." Just hearing the name may elicit a "snap-snap" from fans of the 1960s television sitcom.

When the TV show ended, the Addams family — first introduced by cartoonist Charles Addams in The New Yorker in 1938 — wouldn’t die. Two animated series, a sitcom remake, three films, and video and pinball games eventually led to "The Addams Family" Broadway musical in 2010, which enjoyed a successful run even though critics were unimpressed with Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice’s book and Andrew Lippa’s score.

Apparently, audience familiarity breeds content rather than contempt, and the brand-name title, theme song and element of nostalgia seem to guarantee the show’s popularity despite a thin "meet the family" plot that has Addams daughter Wednesday (Dusty Behner) arranging a dinner to introduce her Midwestern boyfriend and his parents to her macabre family.

Her little brother, Pugsley (Jesie Rocetes), and their Grandma (Shannon Winpenny) spark a fuse by inadvertently allowing a magic potion to fall into the wrong hands. When Morticia (Leiney Rigg) and Gomez (Garett Taketa) insist on everyone playing an after-dinner game, one relationship after another collapses by Act 1’s chaotic finale.

The lengthy first act lacks focus, with no standout numbers and rambling dialogue in a disjointed series of scenes. Fortunately, Taketa’s comic timing creates consistently humorous moments. Behner’s ardent portrayal of Wednesday anchors the action, and the siblings’ torture scene is quite funny. Dennis Proulx and Suzanne Green as the visiting parents also consistently demonstrate their acting prowess.

The shorter second act picks up considerable speed, and the show becomes believable as the plot’s issues resolve. Rigg’s Morticia comes alive when she contemplates the many ways to die in "Just Around the Corner," and her chemistry with Taketa ignites when they kick up their heels in "Live Before We Die."

Behner and Taketa also share some touching father/daughter moments in "Happy Sad."

Under the guidance of guest director Hannah Schauer Galli, the design team created a slightly dark and dilapidated mansion interior that includes a smattering of red. The shadowy ambience is occasionally punctuated by a burst from a spotlight or a flood of jewel-toned hues.

Costume designer Carlynn Wolfe and hair and makeup artist Lisa Ponce de Leon created the looks that make the characters immediately recognizable.

Musical director James Mares leads his band through many styles that reflect the eclectic characters: Spanish rhythms for Gomez, contemporary pop for Wednesday and her boyfriend Lucas (Kenji Shimata), vaudeville tunes for Uncle Fester (Michael Stoudmire). Lurch (Montana West Rizzuto) delivers bass vocals, while Pugsley sings in a boyish falsetto.

Choreographer Katherine Jones keeps the quirky singer/dancer Ancestors busy with styles ranging from tap to tango.

"The Addams Family" contains both witty and whimsical moments, and the innocuous plot offers some family-friendly ideas most can appreciate.

Jane Kerns, a doctoral student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, holds degrees in theater and vocal performance and has performed as an actor and singer in New York.