Wellsville Secondary School to perform the Addams Family Musical

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WELLSVILLE — “They’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky, they’re altogether ooky, The Addams Family,” and they will be back on stage this weekend at the Wellsville Secondary School.

Based on the characters created by Charles Addams, this musical with singing and dancing by Wellsville students will get underway at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday in the high school auditorium. The cost is $8 for general admission or $7 for students and senior citizens. Tickets are available at Brand Name Appliance and the Wellsville Secondary School’s main office.

“Their house is a museum. When people come to see ’em, They really are a scream,” and the performances of the 18 students in the production will bring smiles to your face. Back to direct another show is Lori Brown, who said the play has been fun for the students and it will be fun for the audience.

“We were a little worried when the Lions Club’s Variety Show had the Addams Family theme, but this is way different from what they did. The kids have been working hard on the musical numbers and the dancing and they are doing quite well,” Brown noted.

Producer Diane Willard said, “We selected this show because we thought it was a good fit for the number and type of students we expected to audition. We also found the music generally upbeat and the dialogue laugh-out-loud funny. We decided that The Addams Family would appeal to a wide audience of young and old alike.”

Because there is singing and dancing in this performance, the students have had the help of dance teacher Heidi Mangels, who has helped choreograph school musicals in the past, and Linda Stevens is serving as vocal director. Jeff Joslyn is directing the 13-piece orchestra made up of both students and adult volunteers. Matt Warren is the assistant director. They have been in rehearsal since Jan. 4.

As the play opens, several years have passed since we last visited the Addams family. Wednesday is now 18 years old and has fallen in love with Lucas Beineke, an ordinary man who has become enchanted by her extraordinary spirit. Their families are about to meet and the young couple is going to announce that they are engaged after dinner. Gomez learns about the plan and is forced to keep the news secret from Morticia. This ends up causing all kinds of problems in the family before the show is done.

The starring roles of Morticia and Gomez are being played by Loralai Crawford and Caleb Joseph. Both are stage veterans.

The roles of Pugsley and Wednesday are being performed by Seth Taylor and Maureen Willard.

The spooky and ooky family members are being played by Byron Glover as Uncle Fester, Sierra Dreibelbis as Grandmama and Ryan Ludu as Lurch. Other members of the family and cast are played by Forrest Beauchamp, Ellie Davis and Nathan Miles as the Beineke’s, Aydrianna Weimer as the courtesan, Jesse Slocum as the Indian, Natalie Taylor as the Flapper, Dewi Axilla as the secretary, Trevor Thomas as the Conquistador, Karisma Torruella as the cowgirl, Kati O’Neill as the soldier and Kierstan Koval playing the Hippy.

The Addams Family is a fictional household cartoon strip created by American cartoonist Charles Addams in 1938 which originally appeared in the pages of The New Yorker. The Addamses are a satirical inversion of the ideal 20th-century American family: an eccentric wealthy aristocratic clan who delight in the macabre. In 1964, a live-action television series, starring John Astin and Carolyn Jones, premiered on ABC and subsequently inspired three films. A live musical adaptation featuring Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth opened on Broadway in 2010 and was nominated for two Tony Awards and eight Drama Desk Awards. The franchise has also inspired a video game.

“There will be a lot of laughs and fun for the whole audience to enjoy at ‘The Addams Family’ this weekend,” Brown said.