The Quill/Joanna Mizak
By Megan Ruge Asst. living and arts editor
On Thursday, Oct 27 at 7:30 p.m., the Susquehanna Department of Theatre will perform “The Addams Family” in Degenstein Campus Center Theater.
“The Addams Family” follows the classic tale of the all-together spooky Addams family with a musical twist.
“The musical always kicks off the season, and it’s a show that everyone gets excited about,” said senior and lead actress Kailee Nelson.
“‘The Addams Family’ musical is quite similar to most media portrayals in terms of the story. It’s about the creepy and kooky Addams Family interacting with outsiders that inevitably results in hilarity,” senior Michael Blaine said.
The Addams family has been living by the same unique values for hundreds of years and Gomez, the father of the family, and Morticia, the mother, would rather it stay that way, but now they face the one nightmare that does not bring them joy.
The Addams must face the fact that their children are growing up, bringing them nose to nose with their biggest fear of them all— change.
Wednesday Addams, now a young woman, has fallen in love with Lucas Beineke, a normal young man from a respectable family. When she can no longer keep her relationship to herself, she confides in her father, making him swear not to tell his Morticia. As Gomez scrambles to keep this secret, the family plans a dinner party for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his family.
The musical is from ‘Jersey Boys’ authors, Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, and Drama Desk Award winner Andrew Lippa.
Members of the cast at Susquehanna hope the show’s musical comedy quality will draw in a crowd and allow them to entice audiences to attend future department productions.
“It’s unfortunate straight plays don’t get as much attention as musicals in general, but hopefully people will want to come back to see more of our work after seeing this show,” Blaine said.
He went on to stress the importance of knowing the show’s subject matter.
“I think it’s important for the audience to just know who the Addams family is, and I would be surprised if most of them don’t at least have some idea who they are,” Blaine said.
In the show, Blaine plays “Lurch,” the faithful, but fearsome, Addams family butler.
The character Lurch is described by his original creator, Charles Addams, the comic writer, as a “towering mute [who] has been shambling around the house forever… He is not a very good butler but a faithful one… One eye is opaque; the scanty hair is damply clinging to his narrow flat head… generally the family regards him as something of a joke.”
“My favorite part is that I get to play him,” Blaine said. “‘The Addams Family’ was the first musical I ever saw on Broadway and I’ve always wanted to play Lurch since then, because I’m tall enough to play him and he has a bass voice that few characters in musicals have.”
Nelson’s character is “Wednesday Addams,” the “dark princess” and the star of the show.
“Wednesday is a great character because she has this struggle we all have about figuring out who we are and trying to accept it ourselves,” Nelson said.
According to Blaine, the preparation of the show has been a rewarding experience for him and others.
“The most rewarding experience for me is being able to work with people that love performing as much as I do, creating bonds throughout the rehearsal process with those same people, and enjoying ourselves when we perform for the audience what we made together,” Blaine said.
Nelson added that the cast looks forward to this experience.
“Family member and friends of the cast come from pretty far to see [the show], which makes the actors feel really supported going into the rest of the semester,” Nelson said.
The show will run from Thursday, Oct. 27 to Sunday, Oct 30. The show times will be 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 27, 28 and 29 and 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 30.
Tickets are available at the box office, noon to 5 p.m. on weekdays. They cost $15 for adults and $10 for non- Susquehanna students and senior citizens. Tickets are free for all Susquehanna students.
