Wawasee Performing Arts Presenting ‘The Addams Family’
SYRACUSE — “They’re creepy and they’re kooky. Mysterious and spooky. They’re all together ooky. The Addams family.” And don’t forget the click of the fingers to go with the theme song for the mid—1960s TV show “The Addams Family.”
For its spring musical, Wawasee High School is presenting “The Addams Family,” a well known TV show from the 1960s which, ironically, only lasted for two seasons.
Show times in the auditorium are 7 p.m. Friday, March 22, and Saturday, March 23. A Sunday afternoon show is at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 24. All seats are reserved and can be purchased online or at the door. Tickets cost $10 for adults and $8 for students and senior citizens. Tickets can be purchased online at [email protected] or call the high school at (574) 457-3147 to reserve tickets.
Many will recognize the characters from both the TV show and more recent movies. And there is also a Broadway version with generally the same characters that has been well received.
Mindy Coblentz, assistant director of “The Addams Family,” noted the Wawasee version has been tweaked somewhat and is more modern. “It is maybe a little more dark than the TV show,” she said.
It has been more than 50 years since the TV show was originally broadcast, so the lingo has been updated. For an example, there is a line in the play where Grandma refers to one of the children texting.
Essentially there are four main characters in the play including Gomez Addams (Evan Coblentz), Morticia Addams (Cali Willaman), Wednesday Addams (Bronwyn Bonner) and Lucas Beineke (Jared Krugman) with several supporting characters. Wednesday Addams falls in love with a seemingly normal young man and the two families collide in a series of events, though they learn a lot about themselves and the importance of family.
Full rehearsals started the week after Christmas break, though cast members were given their lines before Christmas break. Several rehearsal days were missed due to weather cancellations of school.
Makeup has been a big challenge, Mindy said. “We had to figure out a way to create people who look dead,” she said, adding air brush equipment was purchased. Renting stage props from a high school in Indianapolis where the play was previously performed has proven to be a big asset, though.
Choosing “The Addams Family” for the spring musical was based on multiple factors including the skills and abilities of the students, other area schools have performed it in recent years and it has been well received on Broadway. “The kids hinted they wanted to do it,” Coblentz said.
In the play death is talked about, often by poking fun at it in a humorous way. “It is a weird family, but they love each other,” she said.
Other cast members include Grandma (Serena Lesko), Pugsley Addams (Devin Van Lue), Lurch (Dylan Minear), Mal Beineke (Nick Lesko), Alice Beineke (Genevieve Cierpilowski), Uncle Fester (Cory Dunivan), The Moon (Bri Stewart), Cousin It (Lila Fierek) and Little Wednesday (Windsor Bonner). Ancestors include Andrik Bautista, Claire Beer, Anna Clark, Taylor Cripe, Cassidy Elder, Lila Fierek, Kasey Gunkel, Leina Helfers, Serena Lesko, Robert Schmucker, Tiara Seearamroongruang, Trinity Smeltzer, Rachael Sweatland, Bri Stewart, Macie Stuckman, Bekah Whirledge and Ana Wolferman.
Kristin Bonner is the play director, Shannon Rose is the music director and Chris Dykhuisen is the stage manager. Shelly Judy is the rehearsal pianist and Meghann Wood of Lee Anne Stewart Dance School is doing the professional choreography.