Manchester Valley High School is ready to get a little kooky this month. The school's drama club will open its production of "The Addams Family" April 17.
The dark musical comedy — based on a series of cartoons written by Charles Addams and published in The New Yorker, and later made into a 1960's TV series — follows a ghoulish family's attempts to grasp the ever-encroaching "normalcy" of the outside world. The show may not be typical for a high school performance, but to members of the cast and crew, that's exactly what makes it such a perfect choice.
"It's a very unique show," said junior Sam Getty, the student tech director and set designer for the show. "A lot of the shows that high-schoolers do are very happy and a lot of them are really mainstream but this show definitely has a creepy vibe to it and I haven't heard of many people doing it, so it's definitely unique."
It was the show's universality that made it an obvious choice for Bobbi Vinson, director of the drama program, when she was deciding on the club's spring production.
"I just thought it had audience appeal," she said. "It's kind of quirky and fun, and the family is very familiar to most people and it had great parts for both males and females."
Show choreographer Samantha Stair said she was thrilled to hear the musical had been chosen.
"I couldn't be happier with what she picked," she said. "When she told me this is what we were doing, I was ecstatic … First of all, I was excited for my own personal reasons because I've been watching 'The Addams Family' TV show since I was very little — it's a near and dear thing to my heart. In addition, I think it gives the kids the opportunity to explore something that's a little more comedic than I think a lot of the musicals out there … I think it's a neat experience for them to get to explore something a little less traditional."
Getty, the student tech director and set designer for the show, has certainly had his work cut out for him so far, as this production is the first for the school that has utilized a two-story set.
Vinson said Getty is one member of the production team who has really stood out to her for his hard work. But he's not the only one.
"I feel like this year we've really come into our own at Manchester Valley, because I feel like I pretty much sit back and watch things happen, because we've had students step up in leadership roles and parents step up in leadership roles, so it's been wonderful," she said.
The combination of a more demanding production and an unexpected number of snow days gave students plenty of work to do to prepare for the show.
"We put a lot of work into it and it's hilarious so far and its one of our biggest so far," said junior Lilli Righter, the show's assistant director. "We've produced a two-story set, which we've never done before. It's a large project to take on, and I do believe this is among our largest cast, either our biggest or our second biggest."
But Stair said the students have worked hard, both in school and on their own time, to ensure the production is ready to hit the stage on opening night.
"I think these kids work super quickly and they're super driven, which is excellent," she said. "They have been busting their butts; they've been working really hard to make sure this gets done in time and they're doing a great job of rehearsing outside of actual rehearsal and I'm able to send them choreography so that they can practice, as well, which has been working really well for them, I think."
Stair said that, in addition to their hard work, students have also been very quick in learning dance moves for the show.
"They're doing a fantastic job with it; I'm really impressed with it," she said. "These kids have been picking up way quicker than I think I ever anticipated, so that makes my job a lot easier, and it's especially rewarding to see for the first time when a song goes really well. As soon as they have the choreography down, to see them nail it over and over again, it's really exciting. We have a lot of really talented dancers at this school so that's really cool."
Stair said the musical has something for everyone to enjoy.
"It's kind of a mixture of raw comedy, there's a little bit of dark comedy sprinkled in; it's got some cheesy elements; it's got some very serious and heartwarming elements; and, of course, all the Addams family jokes really come through, so it toys with some of the original elements," she said.
Getty agreed that the show is just different enough to appeal to everyone.
"I believe people should see it because it is a unique experience and something that you can't see every day, and for the older folks it'll be nostalgia."
It's that sense of nostalgia that makes the show a fan favorite for people of any age.
"I've known it since I was little and it's always been one of my favorite cartoon series," Righter said. "It's a really fun show and a really good comedy."
Regardless of age, Vinson said, the show is "just a freaky good time" for members of the audience.
"The music is excellent, the performances are just first class," she said. "And it's a show that's fun for the whole family to come out and see."
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If You Go
What: "The Addams Family"
Where: The Maverick Theater at Manchester Valley High School, at 3300 Maple Grove Road
When: 7 p.m. April 17, 18, 24 and 25
Cost: Tickets purchased in advance are $10 for adults, and $8 for students and seniors. Tickets purchased at the door are $12 for adults, and $10 for students and seniors. Children 5 and younger are free. Reserved seats will be available for advanced sales.
For tickets and more information: E-mail MaverickTheater@gmail.com or call 410-960-8259
