Albert Lea students will perform an ‘Addams Family’ musical

 

They’re creepy and they’re kooky, and they’re bringing their dark humor to stage at Albert Lea High School for three nights.

“You have to choose something different than the last couple years,” Albert Lea High School teacher and play director Diane Heaney said. This year, that choice is the musical “The Addams Family.”

Heaney said the show has good music, is cleverly written and a little bit naughty.

“It has something for everybody,” she said.

According to sophomore Emma Barclay, who plays seemingly normal mother Alice — the audience can expect dark humor that means they’ll have to listen close.

For Barclay, the play involves more physical interaction with other characters than what she has done previously. For senior Jeorge Brinda, who plays father Gomez Addams, it involves a tango.

“I’ve done show choir, but nothing tango-y,” he said.

“The Addams Family” musical has the characters showgoers will recognize from past Addams encounters, but with its own context and story development, Barclay said. In the musical, the Addams family is joined for dinner by daughter Wednesday Addams’ seemingly normal boyfriend, Lucas, and his parents. The evening goes awry as confessions are made, mixups ensue and a storm traps the families in the Addams family mansion to work it all out. Brinda said the performance is “a high-energy show” with wacky acting and good music from both the pit orchestra and the singers.

Senior Dane Brownlow, who plays Lucas, said he hopes the audience gets a laugh out of the production.

It’s a show featuring a lot of new talent, Heaney said, as several veteran performers graduated last year.

“That’s fun to see, and we need more kids to step up all the time, but it’s fun to see the new stars,” she said.

It is also an ambitious production musically, she said, with the entirely student pit. The music isn’t easy and lacks some of the familiarity of previous shows.

“It’s not like ‘Little Mermaid’ where everybody knows all the songs,” Heaney said.

This performance will also be the first play at the high school to utilize reserved seating for the auditorium. According to Heaney, this will help organizers know better how full the auditorium is.

“We had to pack people in last year,” she said.

They will still sell tickets at the door, but audience members who buy tickets at the event may not be able to choose where they sit. Community Education is responsible for running the reserved ticketing.

“The Addams Family” begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Albert Lea High School auditorium.

Tickets, please

What: “The Addams Family” musical

When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday

Where: Albert Lea High School auditorium

How much: tickets are $5 for students and senior citizens and $7 for adults. Advance reserved tickets can be purchased at the Community Education office or Marion Ross Performing Arts Center, or tickets can be purchased at the door

Cast and crew

Gomez Addams: Jeorge Brinda 

Morticia Addams: Carley Talamantes

Wednesday Addams: Olivia Goodmanson

Puglsey Addams: Tim Chalmers

Uncle Fester: Dylan Callahan

Grandma: Charley Fleek

Lurch: Noah Pesch      

Mal Beineke: Logan Howe

Alice Beineke: Emma Barclay 

Lucas Beineke: Dane Brownlow      

Monster: Kamden Larson

Cousin It: Kailey Boettcher

Ancestors: Hailey Barnes, Kaidin Barnes, Ashler Benda, Maggie Eggum, Tierney Murtaugh, Samantha Brumbaugh, Kailey Boettcher, Madison Doyle, Ava Cunningham, Lydia Fluth, Julissa Gilbertson, Murnico Gomez, Bu Htoo, Justice Lanoue, Sophia Brownlee, Kamden Larson, Regina Riemann, Macayla Marti, Maggie Moller, Maddie Schei, Shayna Skaar, Dreya Sherden, Marissa Vogt, Andrew Willner, Hannah Willner, Samuel Yoon

Director and music director: Diane Heaney      

Assistant director/choreography: Mary Klinghagen

Set director: Andrew Anderson

Costumer: Lilah Aas

Student director/stage manager: Makenzie Herr 

Light and sound technicians: Jarrett Flink, Andrew Rochleau, Elise Anderson, Katelyn Holt

Pit orchestra: Diane Heaney, Grace Chalmers, Gigi Otten, Morgan Bjorklund, Anna Bordewick, Romario Rosas, Parker Jenson, Rebekah Crissinger, John Lukes, Chris Abrego, Rebecca Mickelson, Lexii Zak, Jake Ware