ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – The lovable yet creepy and kooky Addams Family will slink onto Johnson Theatre stage Oct. 2-6 as Winthrop University’s Department of Theatre and Dance presents “The Addams Family: A New Comedy Musical.” Tickets are $15 general admission, or $10 with a Winthrop ID.
The Addams Family, led by the elegantly gaunt and seemingly undead Morticia and her ever-devoted husband, Gomez, is in turmoil. Their daughter Wednesday, now 18, has fallen in love – a sensation unsettling for both her and her brood of endearing misfits. Comic chaos ensues when the Addams Family meets the Beinekes.
Neifert Cornejo-Ordonez, a senior musical theater major from Rock Hill, stars as Gomez Addams, a role that he’s excited to tackle. He said he’s looking forward to exploring a character that shares a somewhat similar background to him. “There aren’t many musicals out there with Hispanic characters besides ‘West Side Story’ or ‘In the Heights,’” he said. “That is, until I write my own musical one day.”
Gomez’s background inspires a more serious scene, which features a flamenco-influenced tango between Gomez and Morticia. Cornejo-Ordonez believes that this 3-minute scene, which features no dialogue, is one of the most captivating of the entire show.
“Gomez is still a silly character, but you get to see a more vulnerable side to him that audiences haven’t seen before,” he said. “It’s a fun show, but there’s definitely meat on the bones. It’s still funny and macabre but dealing with more serious life events.”
Shannon Bradley, a junior musical theatre major from Charlotte, North Carolina, plays matriarch Morticia. Bradley loved watching The Addams Family television shows and movies growing up, and incorporates both the Angelica Huston and Carolyn Jones performances into her own. She also felt that her height and alto voice range were the perfect fit for the character.
“We know Morticia as a calm character, but in this show, she gets angry at times,” Bradley said. “She’s heartbroken about this change going on in her life, so I had to do a bit of research to figure out how she would handle this shift.”
Bradley believes that while the family is known for situational humor, audiences will recognize bits of themselves in the characters. “Every family has a little bit of Addams in them,” she said. “But they rise above their hardships by facing them head on.”
Cast members include Gillian Huntley as Wednesday; Amanda Ortega as Pugsley; Caleb Moody as Uncle Fester; Michael Rego as Lurch; and Hailee Beltzhoover as Grandmama. The Beinekes are played by Elijah Koch (Lucas), Colleen Guseman (Alice) and NeTorrian Patton (Mal).
The musical, with a book by Marshall Brickman and Rice Elice, and music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, is directed by Matt Ferrell, assistant professor of theatre, and choreographed by Kelly Ozust, assistant professor of dance. Kaitlyn Dillard serves as stage manager.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.winthrop.edu/cvpa/theatre/box-office.aspx or at the door. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. except for the Sunday matinee, which begins at 2 p.m. For more information about the performance or Winthrop University’s Department of Theatre and Dance, please visit www.winthrop.edu/cvpa/theatre or call 803/323-2287.
