After attending the practice performance for The Addams Family: The Musical presented to the middle school students yesterday, I have come to the conclusion that The Addams Family is a show all Pella High students should attend or watch online. The show made the audience laugh, whisper, and caused every viewer to applaud at the end. 

The play starts with Wednesday Addams falling in love. This creates a conflict because the dark, unconventional Addams family must meet the family of Wednesday’s boyfriend — the upbeat, typical Beinekes.  A dinner party ensues, as well as the typical drama and chaos you could expect from the meeting of polar opposites.  The acting, costuming, and body language of the characters perfectly capture the characteristics of these two families. 

This dark comedy is perfect for teenagers because it is slightly too mature for children; however, it presents the darkness in an elegant and comedical way through subtle jokes and comments made by the characters as well as clever lyrics in the soundtrack.

An aspect of the play I found particularly well done from start to finish were the props. Pelladium staff member Ibby Schlerman was appointed backstage manager, with the primary job of ensuring all props and actors were on stage when needed. Although the props were not professional, they appeared that way on stage. It was easy to tell what each prop was as well as the significance to the scene. Senior Megan Shaffer was the assistant director and kept the show running smoothly as well. This enhanced the performance greatly; however, the acting and vocals really made the show special. 

A key aspect of the musical was the portrayal of a healthy relationship between Morticia and Gomez, played by seniors Hannah Tschetter and Travis Mitchell. Setting a good example for high school students, they preach an important message of truth in relationships and not keeping secrets, as well as unconditional love. Tschetter and Mitchell, as well as every other actress and actor in the show, did an amazing job of convincing the audience they were their characters. Sophomores Braelyn Ensor and Grant Anderson, playing Wednesday Addams and Lucas Beineke, also did a good job of this by depicting young love between polar opposites. Another noticeable performance was by junior Maggie Leach, who took on the part of Grandma Addams. I was impressed by her ability to stand hunched over the entire time she was on stage to really sell her character. The play was cast beautifully, with every actor seeming perfect for their assigned role. Senior Connor Gauley, playing Fester, also acted in a key role playing the character serving as narrator for the show. Gauley was unrecognizable due to a profound job done by the makeup department led by senior Abby Schuring.

The most impressive part of the show was the vocal quality throughout both acts. The singing was close to flawless, and there were no major technical issues during the show to take away from the performance. Mitchell had a strong accent in the show, which he maintained through every line, singing and speaking clearly enough to be understood easily by the audience. Senior Abbi Adrian also had a wonderful performance as Pugsley. Although I was apprehensive upon hearing her cast as the Addams’ son, without prior knowledge, it would be close to impossible to tell the role was genderbent. 

Overall, I believe that you should attend The Addams Family: The Musical; not only to support your classmates’ passion and the school drama department, but to witness the amazing acting and vocals.  The play will be performed on March 25, 26, and 27 at  7pm in the high school auditorium, as well as live streamed.