The Palace Playhouse, with its chandeliers, candelabras, green marble and general air of Gothic glamour, is the perfect Pocatello venue for the musical comedy “The Addams Family.” And, of course, there’s no better time of year to be putting on this particular show. “The Addams Family” is based on the characters originally created by cartoonist Charles Addams, who have delighted American audiences on the page and the screen for over 80 years. However, there’s simply no substitute for live entertainment. If you want to see a living, breathing Addams Family, make sure to catch the Palace production, directed by Lisa Woodland, which plays through Oct. 31.

The story centers on a grown-up Wednesday Addams and her romance with Lucas Beineke. The young lovers are concerned with how their two families will get along, given that the Beinekes are a typically “normal” American family while the Addamses are gloriously Gothic. Wednesday wants to keep the relationship secret, particularly from her mother Morticia, and at least until after her family and Lucas’ have the opportunity to bond over dinner. Gomez is sworn to secrecy by Wednesday and winds up “trapped” between his promise to her and his desire to be honest with his wife. These conflicts, of course, come to a head at a disastrous family dinner, but I’ll leave the particulars for you to discover.

To be perfectly frank, the script of the musical “The Addams Family” is a bit contrived, leaning heavily on manufactured family drama. But who cares when you have performances this fun? Jack Johnson plays the father of the family, Gomez Addams, cutting a debonair figure in his pinstriped suit and powering the show with his manic comic energy. He has complete physical commitment to the character, and he’s not alone. Jenna Davies has perfected the gliding shimmy of Addams matriarch Morticia, while Jason Bartosic’s stiff-armed Uncle Fester waddle and bug-eyed stare provoke laughter all by themselves. Bartosic, recently recognized by the Pocatello Arts Council as Performing Artist of the Year, is in fine form here as the show’s lovable narrator.

The rest of the cast is no slouch, either. Abby Freeman’s Wednesday comes into her own during musical numbers like “Pulled in a New Direction,” during which she tortures (literally) her little brother Pugsley (Michael White), who has an impressive shriek. For his part, Kannan Nicholas has a winning goofball charm as Lucas.

Malia Kerr throws herself into the role of Grandma with gusto, and Cameron Taylor makes comedic hay out of Lurch’s incomprehensible grunts. Jon Hanley portrays a game Mal Beineke, playing opposite Brittany Hooper as the poem-spouting Alice Beineke. Hooper’s voice gets a standout feature near the end of the first act in “Waiting.” I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the chorus of Addams ancestors, who add vocal texture and a spooky visual presence to the show.

“The Addams Family” is an ideal choice for spooky comedy entertainment this Halloween season. When the curtain rises on the beautifully painted set, complete with a full moon rising over a graveyard and the reaching claws of bare tree limbs, you’ll feel right at home.

Ted Bonman teaches English and theater at Century High School.